Car insurance

We offer two types of Aviva Signature car insurance cover. We've kept it simple. You can choose between comprehensive or third party, fire and theft cover.

• Comprehensive car insurance
  Comprehensive cover is a level of car insurance that covers you for more than just fire or theft, it will also cover you for accidental damage as well. With comprehensive cover, you also have additional benefits, and the option to explore additional add-ons.
• Third party, fire and theft insurance
  Third party, fire and theft is our minimum level of cover. It's there if you injure another person, or cause damage to their car or property. It also covers theft and fire damage to your vehicle. 

For more information on what is and isn't covered by Third Party, Fire and Theft insurance, download our motor insurance policy wording (PDF 369KB).

Car insurance providers use the details you give us to paint a detailed picture of how likely you are to need our help. We then crunch the number to give you a price that considers factors such as where you live, how old you are, and your claims history. Find out how we calculate your car insurance price.

You’ll spot these terms in your policy wording. Knowing which you are is important as it might affect parts of your cover.

The principal policyholder is the person who filled in the form and took out the insurance – for themselves, and for any other policyholder or named driver.

The principal policyholder can name a separate vehicle policyholder, who drives the vehicle most regularly and who builds up the No Claim Discount.

The principal policyholder may add named drivers too, who can also drive the car under the policy. 

We’ve built up a network of repairers all over the UK that we’ve approved to carry out work for our customers. If you use one of these, we’ll guarantee the parts they use for the length of the guarantee given by the part manufacturer or supplier. (Terms and conditions apply.)

If you prefer, you can use a repairer who’s not on our approved list. However, if you do you may have to pay a non-approved repairer excess on top of any other excesses on your policy.

The amount you may need to pay for non-approved repair excess depends on the type of policy you hold. Please refer to your policy documentation for the application amount.

Using a non-approved repairer, you also won’t get a courtesy car unless you have an AvivaPlus Premium policy. Your repairer may offer you one.

We may also need to visit the unapproved repairer to inspect and authorise the repair, and we can’t guarantee the quality of repair. 

With our comprehensive insurance, the vehicle policyholder has third party only insurance if they need to drive someone else’s car – the minimum level to drive legally in the UK. We’d pay compensation to anyone they injure or pay for damage they cause to people’s vehicles or property in an accident – but wouldn’t cover them for loss of or damage to the vehicle they were driving.

This cover is for the vehicle policyholder only, not named drivers. If you’re the principal policyholder but you’re not the vehicle policyholder, you will not be covered. Normally, the principal policyholder and the vehicle policyholder are the same person, but sometimes a principal policyholder takes out insurance for someone else, who becomes the vehicle policyholder. In that instance, only the vehicle policyholder would get cover for driving other cars, not the principal policyholder. Cover for driving other cars is not available on policies in the name of a business.

The driver must be 25 years or older when your motor policy started or renewed. You don’t need to tell us that you’ll be driving the other car, but you must have the car owner’s consent and comprehensive cover. 

If you have any questions, please contact us before you drive the other car.

For cover limits, exclusions and further information please refer to the documents section for the policy you wish to view in MyAviva . Your certificate of motor insurance will also confirm if you have this cover.

From 2 August 2021, the UK became part of the Green Card Free Circulation Area (GCFCA) again, which is made up of all 30 European Economic Area (EEA) countries, as well as Andorra, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia, Switzerland, and the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar.

This means you’ll no longer need to carry a Green Card when driving in these countries.

Your insurance policy will provide the minimum cover needed to drive your insured vehicle in most European countries, which is third party only cover. This covers your legal liability to others – for example, if you injure someone in a motor accident or damage their property. However, it won’t cover you for loss of, or damage to, your own vehicle. For this kind of cover, you need to add Foreign Use.

Foreign Use is included as standard with an Aviva, Aviva Gold, Aviva Platinum or AvivaPlus Premium policy. Aviva, Aviva Gold and Aviva Platinum are the new names for Aviva Online and Aviva Premium. Or if you have comprehensive cover with Aviva Signature motor insurance, you can add Foreign Use for an additional price. Foreign Use gives you a similar level of cover to what you have in the UK, when driving in the countries listed in your policy booklet (PDF 233 KB). Cover is valid for up to 90 days for one trip and up to 180 days during the year.

To add Foreign Use onto your policy:

1. Log in to MyAviva
2. Select your Motor policy, then choose 'Details'
3. Choose 'Amend my policy'
4. Under Excesses and additional covers choose ‘Yes’ to the Foreign Use option

Or if you’re a new customer, simply add Foreign Use to your policy when you get a quote. 

Foreign Use isn’t available with an AvivaPlus Basic policy.

Please note: Driving Other Cars (DOC) cover, courtesy vehicles, UK breakdown cover (Rescue Cover) and Motor Legal Services only operate within Great Britain, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. Adding Foreign Use will not extend these covers outside of the UK.

For exclusions and further information, see the documents section in MyAviva for the policy you want to view.

If you plan to travel with your own car to a country not listed in your policy booklet, please contact us first.