Temporary export insurance for the trip to Portugal

• Third-party liability: damage you cause to others.
• 14 days, from the start date you choose.
• A Green Card, which shows that the vehicle has at least the compulsory third-party cover of the country visited.

The policy and Green Card determine in which countries and for which driver you are insured. We do not give a list of countries: check that the cover runs through Belgium, France and Spain as well as Portugal. For the plates themselves, see Dutch export plates.

Once the car is deregistered from the Dutch register, your Dutch car insurance is no longer valid. NederlandWereldwijd advises temporary insurance for the period until the car is registered in your new country of residence. That is the gap our export insurance fills, on the road and while the Portuguese paperwork runs. Moving for good? See moving to Portugal with a car.

In Portugal third-party liability insurance is compulsory (gov.pt), and according to the supervisor ASF this also applies to trailers. After the Portuguese registration you take out a Portuguese car insurance policy yourself; we do not arrange Portuguese policies. Until then, our temporary export insurance covers the car within the countries and the period stated on the policy.

For insurance and plates we need the start date, the destination and route, and the details of the policyholder and the driver. For a business buyer, also the company name, address and VAT number. At the desk, bring the documents from the export checklist; with complete papers, a standard application is usually ready in about 15 minutes.

Not in Hengelo yourself? Online preparation is possible: you send the yellow Dutch plates by post or courier, we start once they arrive, and documents and plates are sent insured with tracking, also abroad. The desk is open Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 16:30, and on Sunday by appointment at a higher rate.

The Portuguese steps can take longer than 14 days: waiting for the homologation number, an inspection appointment at a CITV, the DAV and the ISV calculation, or the ISV exemption on moving. The cover can then be extended by 14 days at a time once the insurer agrees, from €120 per extension. Read how on extending export insurance.

An extension covers the insurance only. On Dutch roads, export plates stay valid for 14 days and never beyond the APK (the Dutch roadworthiness test), and abroad the rules for export plates vary by country, so check them before you use the car after the first 14 days.

If the cover ends before the car is registered, the car is not insured and may not be driven. Apply for an extension in time, so the new cover follows on from the current one. If the cover has already expired, an extension may still be possible, for example with a valid APK, after the insurer agrees; the car is uninsured in the gap between the two. A vehicle that is still in the Netherlands after its 14 days can only travel on a trailer or transporter.

A caravan or trailer also gets export insurance: up to 750 kg on its chassis number, with a white plate showing the towing vehicle's registration number; heavier units have their own registration and one white plate. A car carried on a trailer or transporter usually needs no driving insurance, but the export document is still needed. All our rates are on the cost page for Portugal.