When you only need short-term cover on the road

What is temporary car insurance?

It’s exactly how it sounds, cover for when you only need insurance for a shorter block of time, rather than the whole year ahead. We’ve partnered with Dayinsure who specialise in short-term car cover. It’s comprehensive, and you only pay for as long as you need.

You might need temporary car insurance when you:

go for a test drive
use your car as part of your job. Please note: This will not cover delivery use, door-to-door sales or taxi use. It also cannot be used on hired vehicles.
borrow someone else’s car
collect or deliver a car
have an emergency

We also offer a different type of short-term cover for learner drivers.

The benefits of our temporary car insurance

As flexible as you need

Choose cover for one hour, one day, one week or one month. You can also layer on breakdown or full European cover
Cover now or later

Get covered right away or, for forward planners, up to 28 days ahead of buckling into the driver’s seat
No dents in your no claim discount

If you claim on your short-term cover, it won't affect your no claim discount on your main car policy

Get a quote from Dayinsure

Check if you're eligible for temporary car insurance

There are a few things you’ll need to tick off before you can get going – some for you and some for the car you want to drive.

As the driver, you must:

Be between 18 and 75 (the minimum age can sometimes be higher)
Have held a full UK driving licence for at least 6 months (3 months if you're over 25)
Have a current permanent address (you may need to show proof that you live there if you make a claim)
Have had no more than one fault claim in the last 12 months
Have had no more than 9 penalty points and no disqualifications in the last 18 months
Have had no motoring offences in the last 3 years with the Conviction Offence Code prefixes DR, CD, DD, UT or DG
Have had no motoring offences in the last 6 months with the Conviction Offence Code prefixes IN or CU80
Have no unspent criminal convictions (other than motor offences)
Never have been refused insurance or had a policy cancelled
Have permission from the owner to drive the vehicle, and accept responsibility for loss or damage you might cause

The car you're insuring must:

Be registered in Great Britain, Northern Ireland or the Isle of Man
Be worth less than £75,000
Have no more than 8 seats (including the driver’s)
Not be hired, rented, or leased under an agreement of 12 months or less
Not be under police control (such as a seized vehicle or in a police compound)
Not have engine modifications, body kits, or alloy wheels unless they were fitted when the car was made or they've been added for a disabled driver or passenger
Not be from another country, unless it's been officially imported by the car maker
Not be heavy goods vehicle (HGV)
Not be over 3.5 tonnes gross vehicle weight (GVW)
Have an engine size of 3999cc or less

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What our temporary car insurance covers you for

Our short-term car cover is like a simple switch. When you click it on, you’ll get our comprehensive cover. No need to weigh up different levels of protection. And you could be covered and in the driving seat in as little as 15 minutes.

Here’s a run-through of your cover for that hour, day, week or month at the wheel:

What's covered

Loss, theft or damage
As our short-term insurance is comprehensive, you’ll be covered to get the car you’re using back up and running – or replaced
Accident recovery
We'll try and fix the problem at the roadside, or if we can't, we'll deliver the vehicle to an approved repairer
Limited European cover
You’re automatically insured to drive in Europe with third party cover, which you can choose to upgrade to comprehensive
Emergency treatment
Cover for emergency medical expenses if you or your passengers are in an accident
Legal liability
Cover for up to £5,000,000 in legal fees if someone's injured or their property's damaged

What's not covered
Unfortunately we can't cover everything – make sure you're happy with what you can't claim for, including:

Tyres
Any punctures, cuts or bursts – even if they're caused by braking
Electrical breakdowns
That includes glitches with your on-board computers, wiring and any other electrical parts
Unnamed drivers
We'll only cover drivers you've told us about

Take a look at our policy wording for full details of what's not covered.

Pump up your insurance with our optional add-ons

Give your short-term car cover even more muscle by adding in either of these extras as you go through your quote.

UK breakdown cover

Full European cover

Ready to get cover?

Your cover can start right away (it usually takes around 15 minutes) or at any time over the next 28 days. Begin by grabbing a quote through Dayinsure - you'll need the registration of the car you want to insure and your driving licence number.

Get a quote through Dayinsure "Go to dayinsure.com to get a short term car insurance quote"

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Important documents

Dayinsure car policy wording

How to make a claim

If you’ve had an accident or need to make a new claim, call us straight away on 08000 156 166.

You'll need your policy number when starting a claim.

Help and support

For any questions you have, from getting a quote to the details of your cover, there are a few ways to get an answer. You'll find plenty of information, and a live chat option, on the Dayinsure website.

You can also call Dayinsure on

0333 005 0944

Monday to Thursday 9:00am - 5:00pm

Friday 9:00am - 4:00pm

Saturday 9:00am - 12:30pm

Sunday (closed)

Calls to 0800 numbers from UK landlines and mobiles are free. The cost of calls to 03 prefixed numbers are charged at national call rates (charges may vary dependent on your network provider) and are usually included in inclusive minute plans from landlines and mobiles.

Our other types of motor insurance

There’s cover that lasts until you peel off the L plates. A policy that stretches across the full 12 months. Or insurance to keep more than one car on the move.

Car insurance knowledge centre

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Temporary car insurance