Motor liability insurance Green Card agreements terminated with Russia and Belarus

The Green Card collaboration with Russia and Belarus will cease in one year after which a Finnish motor liability insurance policy is no longer valid in Russia and Belarus. The Green Card is an international certificate of a valid motor liability insurance.

All EEA countries and Switzerland have terminated their Green Card agreements with Russia and Belarus. The 12-month period of notice started on 1 June 2022 and ends on 31 May 2023. In practice, this means that after the period of notice ends, issued Green Cards are no longer valid in Russia and Belarus.

- Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the sanctions imposed on these countries as a result have increased the risk of disruptions related to payments and travel. During the period of notice, the usual Green Card practices apply, which means that nothing changes before June 2023, says Janne Jumppanen, Managing Director of the Finnish Motor Insurers’ Centre.

The managing organisation of the Green Card system, the Council of Bureaux (CoB), has stated that during the period of notice the system will function as normal, meaning that new Green Cards can still be issued. However, insurance providers may stop issuing Green Cards for trips to Russia and Belarus earlier than this. New and previously issued cards are valid until 31 May 2023 at the latest. After this, no new Green Cards are issued for Russia and Belarus.

Holders of voluntary insurance policies are advised to check the coverage of their policy and possible restrictions to it from their insurance company. The Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommends avoiding all travel to Russia and Belarus.

This change has no effect on the coverage of traffic accident victims in Finland. The Finnish Motor Insurers’ Centre will cover traffic accidents caused by a vehicle from a non-EEA country in the future as well. This means that the coverage for victims is not reduced due to the changes.

The Green Card system

The Green Card is an international certificate of a valid motor liability insurance that makes interacting with local border control and handling any accidents easier. The system was established in 1949 and in addition to European countries, its members include Morocco, Tunisia and Iran. The system is based on bilateral agreements between countries. Other similar collaborative insurance mechanisms exist as well.

A Green Card can be requested from motor liability insurance providers who will either post it to their customer or deliver it electronically for the customer to print. Electronic Green Cards must be printed. A Green Card issued by a Finnish insurance provider is a A4-size paper that can also be white.

The Green Card is presented in the event of a traffic accident and to relevant border authorities when required. When driving a vehicle outside their own country, motorists should note that practices with insurance compensations and levels may differ between countries and that compensation matters are always decided according to the regulations of the country in which the accident happens.

Finnish motor liability insurance policies have the highest level of coverage in the world; they also cover personal injuries suffered by the driver that causes the accident. If an accident happens in an EEA country, a Finnish motorist can choose whether to use their own motor liability insurance to cover their personal injuries.  Outside EEA countries the compensation paid under the motor liability insurance policy is always determined according to the insurance compensation practices of the country in which the accident happens, and compensation cannot be granted under the policy of the driver that caused accident for the personal injuries suffered by said driver.

Additional information:

Janne Jumppanen, Managing Director of the Finnish Motor Insurers’ Centre, tel. +358 40 450 4543

firstname.lastname(@)vakuutuskeskus.fi

Communications, tel. +358 40 450 4700