Driving in Northern Ireland

Whether you’re off to visit family, looking to explore the Giant’s Causeway or drive along the scenic Causeway Coastal Route, it’s worth checking your car insurance policy before packing up the car to visit Northern Ireland (NI).

Yes, your car insurance policy will cover Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland is part of Great Britain, meaning it’s within the territorial or geographical limits of UK policies. But it’s important to check your specific policy details to make sure that’s the case. And here are a few points to keep in mind with motor insurance policies and their territorial limits. There are territories that fall within the:

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland plus the Crown Dependencies. This includes: 

• England 
• Scotland 
• Wales
• Northern Ireland
• Channel Islands
• The Isle of Man.

Some policies cap comprehensive cover at 90 consecutive days in a region, after which only the legal minimum (or third-party) cover may apply.

Extended territories: This includes

• the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 
• Crown Dependencies (Channel Islands and the Isle of Man)
• Mainland Europe, covering all EU and EA countries. ^{Footnote [1]}

Yes, as we won’t get into the nitty-gritty of maritime laws, let’s keep it simple: 

• your cover includes journeys between countries listed in the territorial limits. 
• If you have comprehensive cover, you're protected against accidental damage during the ferry journey - such as your car being bumped by another vehicle or affected by water.

No. If you move to Northern Ireland, then you’ll need to let your insurer know, but you won’t necessarily need different car insurance. You may notice, however, that when it's time for renewal (depending on who you’re insured with) you might not have a renewal offer if the insurer doesn’t regularly have business in Northern Ireland. In which case, you might need to either check online or through a broker for an insurer who works in Northern Ireland.

This entirely depends on the territorial limits of your policy. The Republic of Ireland is a sovereign country, which isn’t part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland. So, this will impact the type of insurance coverage you’ll have or need.

Is there anything I should know?

If you’re a UK policyholder (and your cover only extends so far as the UK, Northern Ireland, and Crown Dependencies), then driving across the border to the Republic of Ireland means you're now in a European sovereign state. So, your cover will be limited to the legal minimum (third party), unless you have taken out extended cover for the EU.

You’ll need a certificate of insurance when crossing the border into the Republic of Ireland. You can get this either from your insurer or the broker that organised your cover. If you have our Aviva Signature car insurance, you can download a copy of your certificate in minutes by logging on to MyAviva.

Also, although we have insurance for residents of Northern Ireland that automatically extends comprehensive cover to the Republic of Ireland, you won’t be able to have that same level of cover in other EU countries unless you have the EU extension cover.