Temporary car insurance for hours, days, or weeks
Temporary car insurance is a clever way to drive a car for a short time. It’s quick and easy to drive someone else’s car, or insure your own if you need more time to sort out annual cover.
Getting a quote only takes a few minutes on our lightning-fast app. Policies are fully comprehensive, start immediately or whenever you want, and last as long as you need them.
13 million+ policies sold
2 million+ cars insured
5 million+ app downloads
What is temporary car insurance?
Temporary car insurance makes it easy to drive a car for a short period of time. Unlike annual insurance, temporary insurance policies are super flexible and can last as little as 1 hour to as long as days or weeks. It’s super affordable too, because you only buy cover for the time you actually need to drive.
Avoid the faff and stress of being added as a named driver to someone else’s policy. It could also save you money on annual insurance, by giving you extra time to find suitable longer-term cover so you don’t need to rush into a bad deal.
How long does temporary car insurance last?
One of the best things about temporary car insurance policies is how flexible they are. They last from just 1 hour to days and weeks - so there’s sure to be a policy length that suits your plans.
1 hour car insurance
Hourly car insurance is perfect for driving a car for a short period, whether you’re sharing a long drive, test driving a car, or borrowing one. If you need more time, you can extend your policy with just a few taps whenever you want.
1 day car insurance
Daily insurance is great for when you’ve got big things planned, like when you’re moving house, taking stuff to the dump, or for those all-important trips to IKEA (meatballs not included).
1 week car insurance
Weekly car insurance might work out as the best value if you’re borrowing a car or van regularly. It’s also a good option if you’re visiting friends or family and want to drive their car during your trip.
How temporary car insurance works
Flexibility
Buy an instant policy in minutes or book one in advance so you’re ready to drive later
Extend your policy instantly if you need more time on the road
Choose a policy length from 1 hour to 28 days, all sorted via the app
Get your policy docs (your car insurance certificate) sent straight to your phone - no waiting around for paperwork to arrive
No deposits, interest, tie-ins or credit checks
Peace of mind
Fully comprehensive cover - the highest category of insurance available
Car owner's no claims bonus is protected because the driver’s policy is completely standalone
Cover for damage to the vehicle, damage to other people’s vehicles, personal injury plus more
Add 24/7 breakdown cover for an additional 90p for a 1 hour policy, £3.96 for 1 day, or £11.10 for 1 week
365-day help from our tireless customer support team
Business class 1 cover for commuting, driving to sites, and carriage of own goods
Insurance for all
Learner driver insurance to nail those manoeuvres as you practice for the driving test
Temporary van cover to lighten the load
Test drive insurance for checking out a potential purchase before you buy
Drive away insurance to get that new car home without having to worry about sorting annual cover right away
And you can borrow a car or lend out your own whenever you want
How much does temporary car insurance cost?
Your temporary insurance quote is unique to you and the vehicle. Your age and driving history, for example, will impact the price you’re quoted. So will your vehicle’s insurance group.
But we know it can be useful to get a ball park figure, so here’s what Cuvva users can expect to pay* for different policy lengths.
| Hourly car insurance | Daily car insurance | Weekly car insurance |
|---------------------- |-------------------- |---------------------- |
| 1 hour from £12.55 | 1 day from £18.18 | 1 week from £43.47 |
| 2 hours from £13.16 | 2 days from £22.84 | 2 weeks from £65.89 |
| 3 hours from £13.16 | 3 days from £27.16 | 3 weeks from £87.65 |
| 6 hours from £14.63 | 4 days from £30.56 | 28 days from £114.14 |
What's covered by temporary car insurance
Cuvva's short-term car insurance policies are fully comprehensive when driving in Britain, so you can have total peace of mind. Here’s a little more info:
What you're covered for
Damage to your vehicle up to £60k
Damage to third party property up to £2m
Accident, theft, attempted theft or fire
Social Domestic and Pleasure (SDP), commuting, Class 1 Business use and Carriage of own goods
Up to £500 for after-fit audio equipment and £100 for your things
£150 for a child seat
Driving in the EU, plus Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Serbia and Switzerland. This is third party cover only (which covers damage to the other person’s car), and policies must start and end in Britain.
What you're not covered for
Insuring rental cars
Putting the wrong type of fuel in your car
Impounded car release
Driving vehicles under fleet policies
Racetrack or rally day driving
If the car is stolen with keys left in the ignition
Someone else driving your car uninsured
What our temporary car insurance customers think
It's always great to hear what our customers think and how they used Cuvva's temporary car insurance. For more, check out our reviews on Trustpilot (where we're rated 'Excellent').
Harry from London
I recently visited my parents for the weekend and got insured on their car for 4 days for less than £40, and it took less than 5 minutes to get insured. They live quite rural so having access to a car is a game changer. It has made our lives so much easier. Plus I get to drive a nice car for the weekend, which is a real treat. (September 2024)
Ovi from south Wales
Cuvva's short-term insurance has been a lifesaver for me. I can easily borrow my mum’s car for a few hours or for a long weekend with friends. I even use it to run local errands like going to the gym. With Cuvva, I can get a policy for around £12 for a few hours, which is great for keeping costs down. (June 2024)
Chloe from Manchester
I use the Cuvva app to borrow my sister’s or mum’s car whenever I need to drive. Since selling my own car, I’m now saving around £350 per month, which is ideal for me as a student. I’ve made a deal with my sister – she lets me drive her car if I pay for the petrol! (September 2024)
The expert's view on temporary car insurance
Adam Kent is our Senior Underwriting Lead and Insurance Expert. He joined in 2022 and has a 19 year track record helping insurtechs, brokers, and direct insurers.
When it comes to temporary car insurance, he says: “In the past, if you needed to borrow someone’s car, it meant tedious phone calls, an expensive insurance policy for longer than you need, or more often than not, just staying where you were because you couldn’t get insured in time.”
“Temporary car insurance has changed all that. It’s now practical, affordable and easy to drive a car for a short time.
“There’s another upside, the big rise of short-term policies may even help bring down the cost of insurance. £500 million is paid out in claims relating to uninsured driving every year. And we all end up paying for this in higher premiums. Open the app, get yourself covered, and sorted in minutes.
Temporary car insurance FAQs
How does temporary car insurance work?
Temporary car insurance let's you drive a car for a short time - regardless of who the car's owner is. You get your own standalone policy in your name, protecting the car owner's premium and no claims bonus (NCB).
Is temporary car insurance legal and legit?
Yes, Cuvva is legit! Since 2015, we've sold 13 million+ policies, insured 2 million+ cars, and supported 1 million+ customers. We're regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), like all UK insurers. You can find us on the FCA register, we're number 690273. Or check us out on Trustpilot, where we're rated 'Excellent' with 4,300+ reviews.
What age do you need to be to get temporary car insurance?
There are some age requirements when using temporary car insurance. To use Cuvva for the first time on a full driving licence, you'll usually need to be over 19 and under 70. If you're a learner, you'll usually need to be aged between 17 and 50.
What vehicles can you get temporary car insurance on?
You can get temporary car insurance on most cars. Sometimes there are vehicle restrictions based on its age, value, or modifications.
Can I tax a car with temporary car insurance?
Absolutely, you can use temporary insurance to tax your car or van once your policy details are reflected on the MID (Motor Insurance Database). While it can take up to 24 hours for these details to appear for the tax process, your insurance coverage is effective immediately if you book it to start instantly. For planning ahead, the app allows you to book your coverage weeks in advance - but a day’s cover should do the job when it comes to taxing the car.
Does the car need an underlying insurance policy
You can use temporary car insurance if you're in-between annual policies, or you've just bought a new car and want to insure it until you buy an annual policy. But in normal circumstances, the car must be covered by an underlying policy - even if it's just parked up outside your house or in a garage in-between rides. Put simply, you can't just insure a car when you want to drive it, and leave it uninsured otherwise.
Can you get temporary car insurance on someone else’s car?
Yes, temporary car insurance is perfect for insuring yourself on someone else’s car, whether you’re borrowing a vehicle, ride-sharing, learning to drive with a provisional licence, or just want to drive a friend's car. Just remember, you'll need to get a separate temporary car insurance policy for each car you want to drive.
Can you use temporary car insurance to drive a car in the EU?
Cuvva’s temporary car insurance lets you drive in Britain, other parts of the UK like Northern Ireland, all EU countries, and several other European countries. Policies must start and end in Britain, and while in Europe you'll be driving under the legal minimum cover, usually third-party insurance. While you're covered to drive in the EU, the app only works in the UK, so your policy must end and start there.
Is it better to get temporary car insurance or be added to someone’s policy as a named driver?
It depends on how often you want to drive. If you plan on regularly using their car (let's say several times a week), it’s maybe worth crunching the numbers to see if it's cheaper to get added to their annual policy as a named driver. But this might make the owner’s premium go up, and puts their no claims bonus (NCB) at risk. If you are driving more occasionally, or want to protect the car owner’s premium or NCB, temporary insurance could be a better choice. It depends on your circumstances.
Can I use temporary insurance to drive my car to a MOT?
Yes, you can drive a car to a pre-booked MOT using temporary car insurance.
What do I do if I have an accident while I'm driving on temporary cover?
You should report all incidents within 24 hours of them happening, even if you're not going to claim. Here’s how to report an incident.
I don’t have a UK licence, can I still get temporary insurance?
Yes. To use Cuvva, you can either use a UK licence or a full driving licence from Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Latvia, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, the Republic of Ireland, Romania, Spain, Sweden, or Switzerland.
Temporary car insurance alternatives
For when you need to hit the road for a specific reason
Learner driver insurance
Learn to drive with hourly car insurance, perfect for nailing those pesky manoeuvres. Get that practice in with fully comprehensive cover, protecting the car owner's own policy and NCB.
International driver insurance
Temporary car insurance is perfect for UK and international licence holders alike. Cuvva insures drivers with full licences from a bunch of different countries and we're regularly adding even more.
Temporary van insurance
Get insured to drive a van with temporary, fully comprehensive policies from 1 hour. Perfect for borrowing or lending a van, with business 1 cover included as standard.
How to get temporary car insurance fast
How to get Cuvva’s award-winning car insurance in less than 5 minutes:
1
Download the app
It just takes a few clicks
2
Find your car
By entering the number plate
3
Check your cover and pay
Get insured from 1 hour to 28 days
4
Extend with a few taps
If you need more time than you thought
Check your eligibility for temporary car insurance
Cuvva's temporary car insurance is a great option for lots of different drivers and car types. Here's some more details:
Driver eligibility
For full UK driving licence holders, you’ll usually need to be aged 19-70 to use Cuvva, and have held your licence for over a year if you're a newer driver
If you’re a provisional licence holder you’ll need to be aged 17-50 and not have held your licence for over 15 years
To use Cuvva, you can either use a UK licence or use a full driving licence from Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Latvia, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, the Republic of Ireland, Romania, Spain, Sweden, or Switzerland
Your car must
Be at most 40 years old (if you're driving a car on a full licence) or at most 20 years old (for learner licences, or vans)
Be worth less than £60,000 (cars), or be worth less than £40,000 (vans/commercial vehicles)
Meet our modification rules. We accept lots, including any to aid a disability, but there are some we can't insure
Meet our insurance group requirements
Not be scrapped or impounded temporarily
Not be a company car, a hire car or a vehicle on a fleet policy
Read more about temporary car insurance
We're pretty passionate about temporary car insurance... in fact, we've written 100+ articles about it! Check some of them out below, or head straight to our 'How Insurance Works' knowledge hub.
Can you insure a car you don't own?
How does age impact your temporary car insurance price?
What are insurance groups and how do they impact your temporary car insurance price?
What should you do if your car isn't insured at all?
How to get your new car home with temporary car insurance
How do I cancel my annual car insurance?
Any questions?
Got a question? Our tireless customer support team is on hand every single day of the year, between 9am and 9pm. Let's have a chat.
*Price paid by 10% of Cuvva customers. Terms apply.