The guidance on this site is based on our own analysis and is meant to help you identify options and narrow down your choices. We do not advise or tell you which product to buy; undertake your own due diligence before entering into any agreement. Read our full disclosure here.

Temporary Car Insurance

Need temporary car insurance? Get quotes here from one of the best temporary car insurance providers in the UK.

Temporary car insurance quotes.

Get Quotes with GoShorty



  • Best-rated 4.8/5 on Trustpilot
  • For cars, vans and learner drivers
  • Get quotes & buy online in minutes
  • From 1hr - 28 days

Cheap temporary car insurance

Cheap temporary car insurance can cost under £20—or can cost hundreds of pounds if you need weeks, not hours or days on cover. To find temporary, cheap car insurance for you, it's important to:

  • Shop around and compare quotes (this should only take a few minutes)
  • Understand the differences between providers (e.g. cost, age and vehicle requirements, ease of setting up a policy, customer ratings, etc.)
  • Consider the level of coverage needed (TPO, TPFT or Comprehensive)

Compare temporary car insurance

To compare temporary car insurance, you can use comparison sites and also get quotes from individual insurers. To do this, you'll need:

  • Information about the vehicle, e.g. make, model, and registration number
  • The driver’s license number, age and driving history
  • To know the type of coverage you want (read about TPO, TPFT and Comprehensive cover)
  • How long you want cover for (e.g. hours, days, weeks)

Before buying a policy, you may want to check customer reviews and understand how flexible an insurer is—for example, how easy is it to extend coverage if you need more time?

Temporary car insurance quotes.

Get Quotes with GoShorty



  • Best-rated 4.8/5 on Trustpilot
  • For cars, vans and learner drivers
  • Get quotes & buy online in minutes
  • From 1hr - 28 days

Best temporary car insurance

Below is a ranking of some of the best temporary car insurance specialists in the UK from best to worst, based on customer ratings. See their range of prices, times on cover, customer ratings and car values to figure out which might suit your needs best.

NameBroker/insurerPolicy durationAge limitTrustpilot Rating1 hour8 hours1 day7 days28 daysExcessMaximum car valuePoint of difference
GoShortyBroker1 hour to 28 days18-754.8£25.34£25.34£30.89£81.80£167.30£250 - £600£65,000Works with a range of well-known insurers; various price points
tempcoverBroker1 hour to 28 days18-784.8£14.82£14.82£26.40£84.48£219.15£500£65,000Car, van, motorbike, motorhome short-term cover
DayInsureBroker1 hour to 30 days18-754.7£13.99£18.99£22.99£56.99£110.99£350£60,000Also offer short-term business car insurance
CuvvaBroker1 hour to 28 days19-654.7£11.58£13.25£16.18£39.85£132.49Based on quote£40,000App-based platform
VeygoInsurer1 hour to 60 days17-754.6£4.00£5.18£12.13£33.14£102.08£750Won't cover cars more than 30 years oldShort-term cover from established insurer (Admiral)
SafelyInsuredBroker1 day to 28 days19-753.9£28.11£29.02£25.34£80.25£242.62£100£65,000Cheapest excess; Free Breakdown Cover Included

We gathered quotes for short-term insurance for the purpose of borrowing someone else’s car. Our driver profile was based on someone 50 years old with more than five years of no claims, living on the outskirts of London. The car used was a five-year-old Ford Fiesta. Your prices may vary; for instance if you are a young driver or getting cover for a more expensive car, you're likely to pay higher rates.

Admiral temporary car insurance

Admiral offers temporary car insurance through their Veygo brand. Veygo temporary car insurance is not rated as well as some other specialist providers like GoShort or Tempcover. But motorists might like working with the largest car insurance company in the UK (Admiral Group).

Aviva temporary car insurance

Another large insurer, Aviva, has jumped into the market for temporary car insurance, offering cover via their website for 60 minutes up to 30 days. But Aviva does not provide the temporary cover—instead, they refer customers to another company called DayInsure (mentioned above) for temporary car insurance.

Direct line temporary car insurance

Direct line does not offer temporary car insurance. But existing policyholders can add temporary additional vehicles to their policy for up to a maximum of 90 days in a period of cover—for example, if you have Direct Line car insurance for your personal vehicle, but you'll be driving your mother's car for a few weeks, you can add her car to your existing policy.

How much is temporary car insurance?

According NimbleFins' analysis of 6 providers, temporary car insurance costs on average £16 per hour, £22 per day, £63 per week or £162 per month.

Duration of short-term car insuranceCost
1 hour£16
1 day£22
1 week£63
1 month£162
chart showing cost of short term car insurance

Your costs will certainly differ from these, depending on your age, location, car, driving history and other factors. But these figures can give you a general idea of potential costs. It's best to just get some quotes yourself to see how much you'll need to pay for temporary car insurance. It only takes a few minutes.

Temporary car insurance quotes with GoShorty.

Get Quotes



  • Best-rated 4.8/5 on Trustpilot
  • For cars, vans and learner drivers
  • Get quotes & buy online in minutes
  • From 1hr - 28 days

Temporary car insurance for 17 year olds

Temporary car insurance for 17-year-olds allows young drivers to cover themselves for a short period, typically ranging from one day to a few months.These types of policies are useful when borrowing a car or using a vehicle for a short trip. Temporary, short-term car insurance can be much more cost effective for occasional drivers than buying an expensive, annual policy.

When choosing a policy be mindful of:

  • Eligibility: Most insurers require drivers to have held a provisional or full driving license for a certain amount of time. Some may have age restrictions or higher premiums for younger drivers.
  • Coverage Options: Temporary insurance usually includes third-party liability, and some policies may offer comprehensive coverage, which protects against damage to the insured vehicle.
  • Cost: Premiums can be higher for 17-year-olds due to their inexperience. It’s advisable to compare quotes from different providers to find the best deal.

Temporary insurance for learners who don't have their license yet is a slightly different matter.

Temporary learner car insurance

Temporary learner driver insurance is needed for practising driving in a friend or family member's car, when not under the supervision of a driving instructor in a formal driving lesson situation (in that case, you'd probably be covered under the driving instructor's insurance—but check to be sure).

Temporary learner driver insurance is flexible, so you only pay for the time you need cover for. Providers like GoShorty provide temporary learner driver insurance for 1 day up to 24 weeks. This can be especially useful for extra practice right before your driving test.—for example, to drive around the roads near your driving test centre (get to know those roundabouts!).

Temporary car insurance for international drivers in UK

If you have an international licence you can drive in the UK for up to 12 months. After 12 months, you'll need a full UK driving licence. You can get this by 1) swapping a European or exchangeable driving licence for a UK licence or 2) retaking your driving test (you'll need a provisional UK driving licence to practice for this).

If you do need to retake your driving test, getting temporary car insurance for a few days or weeks lets you practice in someone else’s car ahead of your UK driving test. Comprehensive cover is the best for covering the car you're driving in case of an at-fault accident, in addition to providing the mandatory third party cover. Get quotes below.

Temporary car insurance for Non-UK Residents.

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  • Best-rated 4.8/5 on Trustpilot
  • For cars, vans and learner drivers
  • Get quotes & buy online in minutes
  • From 1hr - 28 days

Before purchasing, it’s important to read the terms and conditions to ensure the coverage meets your needs.

Comments

The guidance on this site is based on our own analysis and is meant to help you identify options and narrow down your choices. We do not advise or tell you which product to buy; undertake your own due diligence before entering into any agreement. Read our full disclosure here.

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