What Is Green Card Insurance and Who Needs It?
⏱ 2 min read
Green Card insurance is an internationally recognised motor liability document required when driving your vehicle outside Türkiye. Because a Turkish compulsory motor policy is not valid beyond the border, the Green Card is requested at crossings.
Why it is required
The Green Card System is a mutual recognition arrangement between member countries. Entering a member country by car, this document stands in place of that country’s compulsory motor insurance. Entry without it is generally not possible; where border sales exist they are slower and more expensive.
Which countries?
Valid country codes are printed on the policy. Countries you merely transit must also be included — checking only the destination is a common and costly mistake.
Duration
Policies are usually issued for periods such as 15 days, one month or three months. If your return date could slip, choosing the next longer period avoids trouble at the border.
What it does not cover
Damage to your own vehicle — that requires comprehensive cover with an international extension — and your own medical expenses, which belong to travel health insurance.
Documents at the border
Green Card policy, vehicle registration, driving licence and passport. If the driver is not the registered owner, a power of attorney may be required; for a rental car, written permission from the rental company is needed.
Frequently asked questions
Is my Turkish motor policy valid abroad?
No. It stops at the border; a Green Card is required to drive abroad.
Does the Green Card cover damage to my own car?
No. It covers damage you cause to others. Your own vehicle needs comprehensive cover with international extension.
Related pages
Insurance advice in Maslak and the surrounding area
“What Is Green Card Insurance and Who Needs It?” is one of the questions we are asked most often by clients in Maslak, Levent and Seyrantepe. For clients driving abroad from Istanbul we issue Green Card cover including every country on the route, delivered before departure.
Our office is based in Maslak, Istanbul. We meet clients within a short drive — Maslak, Levent and Seyrantepe — or handle everything by phone, e-mail and WhatsApp, in Turkish and English. If you are searching on your phone for an insurance agency nearby, you can simply call +90 540 384 21 41 or see the related service page.
We compare policies from several insurers and explain the differences before you buy. Contact us or call +90 540 384 21 41.
