Temporary car insurance for international students in France on a foreign licence
You are here for a semester or a full degree, someone is lending you a car or you have bought a cheap runaround for the year, and you are still driving on the licence from home. We arrange cover for a single day up to 90 days, renewable, with the attestation emailed once you have paid so you can be on the road the same afternoon.
Calculate your price and subscribe online · instant certificate.
It takes about three minutes, and your certificate is emailed to you as soon as you have paid.
Would you rather not fill in a French form? Send us your driving licence and your registration document on WhatsApp and an English-speaking adviser completes it for you.
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A licence from an EU country, held for more than 2 years: accepted for short-term insurance, with instant proof of cover by email.
Licence issued outside the EU: accepted with a valid residence permit, or a passport carrying entry stamps. Ideal during your studies in France.
Your licence can't be exchanged? That's not an obstacle: short-term insurance works as long as you meet the conditions below.
Your sign-up in 3 steps
Step 1: your situation and duration
Tell us your vehicle and the duration you need, online or by phone.
Sign-up
Price and subscription online, or an adviser does it with you.
Step 3: instant certificate
Instant proof of cover by email. We also handle your paperwork.
Student with a foreign licence: you can get insured
Many annual insurers refuse foreign licences. With short-term cover it's possible — whether your licence can be exchanged or not — as long as you have a valid residence permit, or a passport carrying entry stamps.
Conditions for a student with a foreign licence
Licence held for more than 2 years · driver aged 21 or over · valid residence permit, or a passport carrying entry stamps · licence translation required only if it isn't written in the Latin alphabet. These are the same conditions as our standard foreign-licence short-term insurance.
Need help with your situation?
Every case is different. An adviser reviews your situation (licence type, supporting documents) and guides you. We also handle your vehicle registration paperwork if needed.
Why choose us
Who this is for and what we actually need from you
- Erasmus and exchange students — Here for a term or a year and borrowing or buying a small car? An EU licence held for more than two years works, and short renewable cover matches the length of your stay instead of tying you to a 12-month contract.
- Non-EU students — A licence issued outside the EU is accepted only if you hold a valid residence permit (titre de séjour). Keep that document to hand when you subscribe, because we ask for it. More on the foreign-licence page.
- The two-year rule — French or foreign, the licence must have been issued more than two years ago. A licence you passed a few months back, sadly, does not qualify yet.
- Minimum age 21 — Drivers are covered from 21 up to 90. If you are 18, 19 or 20 you sit below the threshold, however long you have held your licence, so this product cannot help you yet.
- The car's papers — You insure one named vehicle, so you need its carte grise (registration certificate). If you are buying and it is not yet in your name, see the carte grise page.
- Where it drives — Cover is valid in France, Corsica, the French overseas territories and across the EU, in line with the green card. It does not cover driving back home in the UK or in a non-EU country.
See also: living in France with a foreign licence · See also: Foreign licence · Imported vehicle · Registration (carte grise)
Frequently asked questions
Can I get car insurance as an international student in France?
Yes, provided you are at least 21 and have held your licence for more than two years. We cover a named car for 1 to 90 days, renewable, which suits a semester or an academic year without a long contract.
I am on Erasmus with an EU licence. Does that count?
An EU licence held for over two years is treated the same as a French one, so there is no extra paperwork about the licence itself. You just need the details of the car you will be driving.
I am a non-EU student. Can I drive on my home licence?
A non-EU licence is accepted only while you hold a valid residence permit or student residence permit. Have that document ready when you subscribe, because we verify it as part of the application.
How much does student car insurance cost?
There is no flat rate. The price depends on the car, how many days you want and the driver's profile, so you get a figure once you enter those details rather than a headline number here.
My licence is only a year old. Can I still be insured?
Not through this product. The licence has to be more than two years old, whatever country it comes from, so a very recent one falls outside what we can arrange.
I am 19. Why can't I get cover?
The age band runs from 21 to 90. Below 21 the vehicle simply cannot be insured on this contract, even if your licence is old enough.
Can I insure a car I have just bought as a student?
Yes, but the cover is tied to the vehicle's carte grise. If the registration is not yet in your name, the carte grise page explains the change-of-ownership step you need first.
How long can I keep the cover for?
Each contract runs from 1 to 90 days and can be renewed, so you can start with a fortnight for a trip and extend it, or take a longer block to match your term dates.
How fast do I get proof of insurance?
The attestation is emailed to you once payment goes through, usually within minutes. That is the document you keep in the car and show if you are stopped.
Can I drive the car back to the UK or to my home country?
No. The cover is for circulating in France, Corsica, the DOM and the EU. Taking the car out across a border is a different product called border insurance, which uses temporary WW plates.
I share a flat and want to borrow my flatmate's car occasionally. Is that possible?
Short-term cover on a borrowed car is exactly the kind of case this is built for. You insure their vehicle in your name for the days you need it, as long as you meet the age and licence conditions.
Does my student residence permit on its own let me drive here?
A residence permit is what makes a non-EU licence acceptable to the insurer, but it is not the insurance. You still take out the temporary contract on the specific car; the permit is the condition, not the cover.