About the System

The European Green Card System exists since 1949. In June 1952 the resolution of the Inland Transport Committee established the Green Card System with the participation of eight countries which were: Austria, Belgium, France, Netherlands, Great Britain, Sweden, Switzerland and the Federal Republic of Germany with date of effect as from 1st January 1953. On January 25th , 1949, the Working Party on Road Transport to the Inland Transport Committee of the European Commission of UN for Europe, sent to the Governments of the Member States its Recommendation No. 5., widely known as the Recommendation of Geneva, for the establishment of uniform and practical provisions to enable motorists to be satisfactorily insured when entering countries where insurance against such risks is compulsory.

The recommendation concluded that the introduction of a uniform insurance document would be the best way to set out the basic principles of agreements to be concluded between insurers in the different countries. The international motor insurance card (Green Card), which is officially recognised by the government authorities of the States adopting the United Nations Recommendation, is proof in each visited country of compulsory civil liability insurance in respect of the use of the motor vehicle.

Purposes of the system

The purpose of the Green Card System is to facilitate the international circulation of motor vehicles by enabling insurance of third party liability risks in respect of their use to fulfill the criteria imposed by the visited country and, in the case of accidents, to guarantee compensation of injured parties in accordance with the national law and regulations of that country.

The purpose is achieved through the activity of the National Bureaux - professional and independent organizations which are Members of the Council of Bureaux, constituted in the country of establishment and recognized by its Government as the organization which fulfils the requirements and provisions of the Recommendations and Resolutions adopted under the aegis of the Principal Working Party.

Functions of the Bureaus of the Green Card System

Green card Bureaux have two main functions:

- As a Handling Bureau in the country where the accident occurred, it has an exclusive competence to settle the loss in conformity with the law of the country of accident and to act in the best interest of the insurer of the foreign motor vehicle causing the loss (Paying Bureau).

- As a Guaranteeing Bureau each bureau shall guarantee the reimbursement by its members of any amount demanded in accordance with the provisions of Article 5 of the Internal Regulations of the Council of Bureaux by the bureau of the country of accident or by the agent that it has appointed for the purpose.

Each Bureau shall comply with the resolutions of the Council of Bureaux, concerning the implementation of the goals of the Bureau and the performance of the Internal Regulationsof the Council of Bureaux

When a Green Card Certificate is needed?

The Green Card Certificate is not a required document since it is substituted by the national vehicle registration plates for 32 Countries, which are the 27 Member Countries of the European Union as well as Andorra, Croatia, Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland.

The Green Card Certificate is obligatory when visiting the Third countries of the Green card system, namely: