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Transit insurance in France

The trade word for short-term motor cover. Delivery runs, repatriation, moving a vehicle to a port: 1 to 90 days, certificate by e-mail in minutes.

My short-term insurance →My vehicle paperwork →

✅ 1 to 90 days✅ Instant certificate✅ Lorries and trailers✅ No claims record needed

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What the trade calls transit insurance is what we issue: short-term motor cover, 1 to 90 days, taken out online, certificate by e-mail in minutes, 24/7. The word changes with who is asking; the policy does not.

The rule that overrides everything else. The cover applies in France. Abroad, the countries covered are those listed and not crossed out on the green card issued to you at inception. Check it before you travel: that document is what counts, not a general list.

Four words people use for three different things

The word used	What it actually means	Duration	With us
Short-term insurance (temporaire, provisoire)	The base policy: a vehicle registered in France or the EU, covered for a short period.	1 to 90 days	Yes
Transit insurance	The same policy, used while a vehicle is being moved: delivery, repatriation, a run to a port.	1 to 90 days	Yes
Border insurance	A separate policy, for vehicles registered outside the European Union entering France.	30 or 90 days	Yes — see the page
Customs transit	Nothing to do with insurance: a customs regime (T1, T2) suspending duty while goods move. It is not cover.	—	No, that is the customs agent s job

The last one is the expensive mistake. A vehicle under a customs transit regime is not insured by that fact: third-party liability remains compulsory the moment the wheels turn on a public road. Several customers have discovered this at the first roadside check.

When people ask us for it

Moving a vehicle to a port. From a dealer's yard or a private seller to Le Havre, Antwerp, Montoir, Marseille-Fos or Sète. A few hours on the road — and a full insurance obligation.
Repatriating a car bought abroad. Germany, Belgium, Spain, the Netherlands: driving on the seller's plates or on export plates, long before any French registration.
Trade movements. A dealer delivering to a colleague, a rental fleet redeploying, a garage collecting an auction purchase.
Clearing a compound. Auction, state sale, police pound: the vehicle must leave within a set deadline, often the same day.
Export runs. Driving the vehicle to the ship. The most frequent case in the Paris region.

Where the cover stops

For a vehicle leaving Europe, the cover concerns the European leg — typically up to the port of loading — and no further. The sea crossing is the carrier's business, and the destination country requires its own policy: the ECOWAS brown card in West Africa, a local policy elsewhere. We say this before you buy, not after.

What you need to provide

A driving licence and something proving the vehicle. The registration document does not have to be in your name: a signed transfer form with the coupon, a provisional registration certificate, WW plates, an auction invoice less than two months old or a police impound sheet will do.

Driver aged 21 to 90, two years' licence in the vehicle's category. An EU licence is accepted with no further condition; a non-EU licence with a valid residence permit or a stamped passport. Cancelled drivers are accepted with no claims record required. One restriction on the vehicle: Italian, Polish and Romanian registration documents are refused — the registration document only, never the driving licence.

Lorries, tractor units, trailers and semi-trailers are covered categories. Beyond 3.5 tonnes a valid medical certificate for the C or CE licence is required, and roadside assistance is not included.

Get my transit certificate →

Not sure? Message us on WhatsApp, +33 6 49 26 74 62 — we check before you pay.

Frequently asked questions

Is transit insurance the same as short-term insurance?

In daily practice, yes. Transit insurance is the term used by freight agents and traders; short-term or provisional insurance is the contract's own wording. Same product: 1 to 90 days, certificate in minutes.

Is a vehicle under customs transit insured?

No. Customs transit suspends duties and taxes while goods move; it covers no risk at all. Third-party liability remains compulsory as soon as the vehicle uses a public road.

Does it cover the drive to the port?

Yes, that is its most common use: Le Havre, Antwerp, Montoir, Marseille-Fos or Sète. Check your green card for the countries crossed.

Does it cover the sea crossing and the destination country?

No. The crossing is the shipping line's responsibility, and the arrival country requires its own insurance — the ECOWAS brown card in West Africa, a local policy elsewhere.

Can I take it out without the registration document in my name?

Yes. A signed transfer form with the coupon, a provisional registration certificate, WW plates, an auction invoice under two months old or a police impound sheet is enough.

How many days should I take for a delivery run?

For a one-way run to a port, 1 to 3 days. If the vehicle then waits for a sailing or a place on a ro-ro, take 15 or 30 days: it costs less than two separate policies.

Do you cover lorries and semi-trailers?

Yes. Lorry, tractor unit, trailer and semi-trailer are covered categories. Above 3.5 tonnes a valid medical certificate for the C or CE licence is required, and assistance is not included.

Can I take out cover on a Sunday or at night?

Yes, the whole process is online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with the certificate by e-mail in minutes. An English-speaking adviser is available.