FAQS

The representative has a period of 3 months from the date you submit your claim to provide you with a reasoned response or make you a compensation offer.  If this period has passed and you have not received a response or it is not adequately reasoned, you must send us the claim along with the documentation showing you have contacted the representative. We will handle your claim and settle it if applicable.

NO. The Andorran Motor Bureau is not authorised to issue frontier insurance.  However, within the framework of the Green Card System, only an insurance company operating in the country where the vehicle is registered can insure it.  If the vehicle is registered in a country outside the Green Card System, you will need to check if the frontier insurance you take out upon entering Europe includes Andorran territory. If not, you will not be able to enter or drive within Andorran territory.

You should locate the correspondent in Andorra for this foreign insurance company. To do this, you or your insurance company can use our services to easily find this correspondent and obtain their contact details to submit your claim.

This correspondent or representative must provide a reasoned response to the claim within 3 months.

VRefer to the section: Accidents Involving Foreign Vehicles and ‘Request for Compensation for Accidents in Andorra Caused by a Foreign Vehicle

If you have valid insurance coverage, there's no need to worry. Inform your insurance company about the accident as soon as possible with all the details and they will take care of the rest.

The Green Card (so named for its colour) is the International Certificate of Motor Vehicle Liability Insurance. This name is becoming outdated as the card is no longer green.

Refer to the section: Driving Abroad, ‘What is the IMIC or Green Card'?’  

Following the decision made during the 2023 General Assembly of the COB, from 1 January 2025, visiting drivers will be able to present the IMIC:

  • In paper format, or
  • In an electronic format (PDF), independent of the software, hardware or operating system used to display it.
  • Refer to the section: Driving Abroad, ‘What is the IMIC or Green Card'?

  • Turn off your mobile phone while driving.
  • Do not drink alcohol and check the side effects of any medication you are taking.
  • Prevent fatigue and drowsiness.
  • Keep a safe distance from other vehicles.
  • Respect speed limits.
  • Carry out regular vehicle maintenance, especially when planning a long journey.

  • Date of the driver's license
    The number of years you have held a driving licence is a key factor in determining your insurance premium.
  • Value of your vehicle
    The premium for your insurance will vary depending on the make and model of your vehicle.
  • The age of the person driving
    The age of the driver will also influence the price of the insurance.

 

Choosing your car insurance will primarily depend on your needs and those of your vehicle.

The age of the vehicle is important: if it is new, due to its recent purchase value, it is recommended to have fully comprehensive car insurance for total protection.

The car's usage and annual mileage also play a role: The way you use your car is another factor in choosing the type of insurance. The needs and likelihood of an incident vary depending on whether the vehicle is used more or less frequently.  

Yes, all cars must have at least third-party liability insurance, even if it is a collectible car that remains parked in your garage most of the time.

Electronic IMICs should only be presented in PDF format. Formats such as Photographic Experts Group (JPG or JPEG) will not be accepted.

Electronic IMICs can be presented in PDF using any software, hardware or operating system.

Refer to the section: Driving Abroad, ‘What is the IMIC or Green Card'?’  

Depending on the decision of the National Bureau or its member insurers, a policyholder may receive an IMIC that may consist of:

  • Two parts: the front page and its reverse, with the latter showing a note to the insured party and a list of Bureaux names (with or without their contact details); or
  • Only the front page, with no reverse.

If the second option (b) applies, the back of the IMIC must remain blank. No information from the Bureau or the insurer, nor any other text (such as extracts from documents, books, receipts, invoices, etc.)  can appear on the back of the IMIC.

Refer to the section: Driving Abroad, ‘What is the IMIC or Green Card'?’  

  • Any IMIC distributed in PDF format must be printed in the same colour as it appears in the PDF version.
  • The text displayed on the IMIC must be in black.
  • The document's information must be clear and legible.
  • No IMIC should be printed using a faulty printer (leaking cartridge, smudges and/or streaks, with parts of the content illegible).
  • The IMIC must be printed in a vertical position.

Refer to the section: Driving Abroad, ‘What is the IMIC or Green Card'?’  

The acceptable paper size is: maximum A4, minimum A6 and white on both sides.

Refer to the section: Driving Abroad, ‘What is the IMIC or Green Card'?’  

  • With an IMIC printed on paper of a colour other than green or white?
    NO.
  • With an IMIC presented in PDF in a colour other than black on white?
    NO.
  • With an IMIC printed on the back of another document or combined with another document in a PDF (e.g., VAT invoice, laundry receipt, etc.)?
    NO.
  • With an IMIC printed or displayed in a PDF not in a vertical or horizontal position but diagonal?
    No, unless the IMIC remains square and complete.
  • With an IMIC printed using a faulty printer (leaking cartridge, smudges and/or streaks, partially illegible content)?
    No, if the IMIC is not fully legible.
  • With a photo of a printed IMIC taken with a personal mobile phone, tablet, etc.?
    No, the IMIC must be presented in PDF format as issued by the National Bureau or the insurer.
    Photos of the original PDF taken with another device and presented on that device will not be accepted.

Refer to the section: Driving Abroad, ‘What is the IMIC or Green Card'?’  

Yes, insurance markets that want to continue issuing IMICs with a green background are not prohibited from doing so. However, countries with markets that maintain green IMICs must accept black on white IMICs presented by visiting drivers.

Refer to the section: Driving Abroad, ‘What is the IMIC or Green Card'?’  

Yes. Insurance markets wishing to continue issuing IMICs on paper are not prohibited from doing so. However, countries with markets that maintain paper IMICs must accept black on white IMICs presented in PDF format by visiting drivers (starting in 2025, this requirement to accept PDF formats will apply to all countries).

Refer to the section: Driving Abroad, ‘What is the IMIC or Green Card'?’  

IMICs can be presented in PDF format on an electronic device only in black on white, provided the use of PDFs is authorized by the corresponding National Bureau under whose authority the IMIC is issued.

If a country does not allow IMICs in black on white, the IMIC must be presented in printed format with a green background.

Refer to the section: Driving Abroad, ‘What is the IMIC or Green Card'?’  

Visiting drivers can present an IMIC in PDF format if they come from countries that issue the IMIC in black on white and distribute it to insured individuals in PDF.

Drivers from countries that do not allow this option must present the IMIC in printed format, black on green.

Refer to the section: Driving Abroad, ‘What is the IMIC or Green Card'?’  

A visiting driver facing issues related to the colour of the IMIC should contact the National Bureau under whose authority the IMIC was issued or the National Bureau of the visited country. Contact details for all national bureaus are available on the 'Council of Bureaux' (COB) website.

Refer to the section: Driving Abroad, ‘What is the IMIC or Green Card'?’  

This depends on where you are driving abroad.

If you are driving within Europe, the International Motor Insurance Certificate (IMIC) cannot be required as proof of insurance for an Andorran driver, so you do not need to obtain it to drive in any of the EEA member countries.

However, if you are travelling outside of Europe, you should check with your insurance company or directly with the Andorran Bureau (or on this website) to confirm which countries require the IMIC or Green Card.

In practical terms, you only need to get an International Motor Insurance Certificate for countries outside the European Economic Area. For Andorra, this mainly applies to Morocco because of its proximity.

Refer to the section: Driving Abroad, ‘What is the IMIC or Green Card'?’  

Your insurance company is not obliged to provide you with the International Motor Insurance Certificate. In reality, the IMIC is an extension of your third-party insurance outside the European Economic Area, and not all companies offer this guarantee.

If your vehicle's insurance company does not provide you with the International Insurance Certificate, you will need to purchase a Frontier Insurance policy.

This compulsory third-party insurance is usually acquired at the frontiers of countries, and it will allow you to drive with the required coverage. However, be aware that if you travel through several countries requiring the IMIC or Green Card, you will need to obtain a frontier insurance policy for each one.

For example, if you travel to Morocco without an IMIC or Green Card, you will have to purchase frontier insurance as soon as you enter Moroccan territory.

Refer to the section: Driving Abroad, ‘What is the IMIC or Green Card'?’  

Legally, you are not required to have the IMIC, or what was formerly called the Green Card, to cross frontiers within the European Union. This is because every country in the European Union complies with the First Directive: every motor insurance policy issued in the EU guarantees the minimum insurance cover required by law in another member state.

The IMIC or Green Card is also not required in the following countries, although they are not part of the EU: ICELAND, NORWAY, SWITZERLAND (including LIECHTENSTEIN), ANDORRA, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA, SERBIA, the UNITED KINGDOM/GREAT BRITAIN, and MONTENEGRO.

However, you will need the International Motor Insurance Certificate (IMIC) or Green Card to drive your vehicle in the following countries:

  • ALBANIA
  • AZERBAIJAN
  • MOROCCO
  • MOLDOVA
  • NORTH MACEDONIA
  • TUNISIA
  • TURKEY
  • UKRAINE

Currently, RUSSIA, BELARUS, and IRAN are suspended and temporarily excluded from the Green Card System for various reasons.

Other countries that are not part of the Green Card System include ISRAEL, while others such as ALGERIA, ARMENIA, EGYPT, GEORGIA, KAZAKHSTAN, LEBANON, and SYRIA are in the process of applying for membership but are not yet part of the system.

Refer to the section: Driving Abroad, ‘International Motor Insurance System (Green Card System)

Yes, it is exactly the same. Previously, it was commonly referred to as a Green Card because it always had to be printed in green (some countries still require this for their citizens).

However, since 2021, it can now be printed on white paper and we now refer to it by its acronym, IMIC, instead of the International Motor Insurance Certificate.

Refer to the section: Driving Abroad, ‘What is the IMIC or Green Card'?’  

IMIC is the acronym for the International Motor Insurance Certificate.

It is necessary for driving in certain foreign countries.

Refer to the section: Driving Abroad, ‘What is the IMIC or Green Card'?’  

You should request it from your vehicle's insurance company.

however, please be aware that in Andorra, insurance companies are not legally obliged to provide the International Motor Insurance Certificates (IMIC) or Green Cards.

Indeed. Green Cards, now referred to as International Motor Insurance Certificates (IMIC), are in digital PDF format and printed on white A4 paper.

Additionally, policyholders can now receive the IMIC by email from their insurance company.

Refer to the section: Driving Abroad, ‘What is the IMIC or Green Card'?’  

If you need roadside assistance, whether abroad or while visiting Andorra with your vehicle, you must contact your insurance company. The ANDORRAN BUREAU does not provide this service.

The Council of Bureaux (COB) is the international organisation responsible for the protection of victims of cross-frontier road traffic accidents.

It is structured around two pillars as follows:

  • The Green Card System: The COB coordinates the activities of the various National Bureaux,

comprising 46 National Bureaux representing more than 1,500 insurance companies across 50 countries in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.

  • The EU Motor Insurance Directives (EU MID): The COB also acts as a Secretariat for the bodies enforcing the European Union Directives concerning Motor Vehicle Liability: Compensation Bodies, Guarantee Funds, and Information Centres across 30 member states of the European Economic Area (EEA).

The COB operates under the auspices of the United Nations (UN) and cooperates with EU institutions. However, it has neither political status nor political objectives and does not represent any lobbying group. The COB Secretariat is based in Brussels.

In each country that is part of the Green Card System, there is an organisation that brings together all the motor insurance companies. This organisation is responsible for ensuring the proper operation of mandatory motor vehicle liability insurance of international traffic. This covers vehicles from one country travelling to other countries, as well as vehicles from other countries within its own territory.
The obligation to drive with insurance and the protection of victims is guaranteed between countries through the National Bureaux, which also organise the management, settlement, and payment of claims involving an international element. In particular, each National Bureau is entrusted with the following:

  • International Function: Ensuring that vehicles normally based (registered) in their country are adequately insured to cover damages they may cause in other countries.
  • Internal Function: Ensuring that victims or injured parties within their own country, due to accidents caused by vehicles registered in another country within the System, are compensated by the insurer of that vehicle or its National Bureau.

The ANDORRAN BUREAU is the National Insurance Bureau in the Principality of Andorra.

The Andorran Bureau cannot provide assistance in these cases, as this service is not provided for by law.

However, we advise you to file a report with the relevant authorities in cases that may constitute criminal offences.  Additionally, gather any supplementary information (photographs, witness statements, media coverage) that may be related.

Of course, you should also contact your insurance company as soon as possible. They will guide you on the necessary steps, and if you have a car insurance policy with coverage for such events, they will inform you of the required documentation you need to obtain from Andorra.

1. At the scene of the Accident:

There is no need to call the police to obtain a report if only material damage has occurred. In case of injuries, contact Emergency Services (112 or the relevant number) or the Police.

Fill out the Accident Report Form (International Accident Report Form).

Make sure that all drivers sign the document and exchange copies of the completed and signed forms. In case of physical injuries, call an ambulance if anyone is injured or go to the nearest emergency service as soon as possible.

To submit your claim for compensation for your material and/or bodily injuries, you must have the number plate and the insurance company name of the Andorran vehicle.

2. After the accident: Submit your claim for compensation.

It is best to contact your insurance company, who will advise you on what to do. If the accident occurred in your home country, you can contact your National Bureau.

The Andorran Bureau does not have the authority to identify the insurer or handle your claim. The Andorran Bureau guarantees accidents caused by vehicles with foreign registration plates within Andorran territory. However, it does not guarantee accidents caused by Andorran vehicles in Andorra.

in the event of an accident, to be compensated for the damages, you must contact the Andorran insurer of the responsible vehicle. If you do not know the full address of this insurer, you can find it on the official list published by the Council of Bureaux (COB) or on this website.

The request for compensation for your damages must be sent by registered mail with confirmation of receipt, addressed to the insurer of the vehicle responsible for the accident (optionally, you can send a copy of your letter to the driver or owner of the vehicle).

In this letter, you should include:

  • The date and place of the accident;
  • Information regarding the vehicles involved and the identity and contact details of the other driver(s).
  • The locations, days and times when the vehicle can be inspected by an expert.
  • Your complete contact details (telephone numbers, postal address and especially an email address).
  • In case of police involvement, you must specify the authority that intervened (Traffic Officers, Police, etc.) and the police station to which they are assigned. It is highly recommended to attach a copy of any police report, the signed Accident Report Form and if applicable, the damage assessment report for your vehicle.
  • If one of your passengers has suffered bodily injuries or material damages, you must submit a claim for such damages to be considered. You should then attach all medical documents relating to this or these passengers, as well as proof of any potential material damages.
  • Uninjured passengers/drivers may provide statements if liability is contested.

Unfortunately not. You must contact your insurance company, and they will advise you on what to do.

To the insurance company of the vehicle that caused the damage. The Andorran Motor Bureau cannot assist in this case.

The insurance obligation is considered fulfilled for these vehicles and therefore the insurance coverage cannot be verified.

Refer to the section: Driving abroad, Which documents are required? and International Motor Insurance System (Green Card System)

You must contact your insurance company and we remain at your disposal should you require any of our services or additional assistance.

Refer to the section: Accidents with foreign vehicles and Accidents abroad

You must at least have the number plate, make and model of the vehicle. Send us this information as soon as possible so that the ANDORRAN BUREAU can assist in identifying the nationality of the vehicle, its insurance company, and therefore its correspondent or representative in Andorra.

Refer to the section: Accidents involving foreign vehiclesand I don't know the insurance company of the foreign vehicle ’ 

No, it is not possible. Vehicles with foreign number plates must be insured in their country of origin.