How do drivers prove French vehicle is insured when driving in the EU?

Reader Question: I want to drive to Spain this summer using my French registered vehicle. However, as we no longer have insurance stickers, what do I do if I am stopped by the police? Is there a way to prove the vehicle is insured? 

French authorities have used a digital database to check if vehicles are correctly insured since April 2024, and as you mentioned, this removed the need for green stickers (vignettes) on windshields. 

In France, all vehicles should be on the database, and you can check if yours is correctly listed. 

However, use of the database is limited to France, with international police authorities not having access. 

If planning to drive internationally with the vehicle in the EU, it may be sufficient to show the mémo issued by your insurer to you at the time you took out the contract. 

This contains key information including the name and address of you and the insurer, policy number, date the contract started, etc. It can usually be found in your personal space on the insurer's site and downloaded and saved to your phone or printed out.  

International insurance ‘Green Card’ accepted in EU and UK

It is, however, advisable to check with your insurer before driving abroad, as to whether it is recommended, for the country in question, to obtain a so-called 'Green Card', a document with wide recognition. These are no longer issued by French insurers automatically.

Most European countries (including all those in the EU) are part of the International Insurance Card, or ‘Green Card’ system. It provides drivers across the participating countries with protection, and stops them from requiring separate insurance policies in each country they drive through. 

A more in-depth explanation can be found here. 

This international insurance card also acts as proof of insurance if stopped by authorities in any participating country. 

You can ask your insurer for a Green Card before travelling, and it should be issued free. To ensure it arrives on time, ask for it at least a month before you travel.

Note the UK is also part of the system, meaning the Green Card can be used when driving your French-registered vehicle there as proof of insurance. 

In the event of an accident, you should still fill out a European Accident form (constat amiable), which is multi-lingual and accepted by insurers across the bloc and in several languages. 

As you mentioned plans to drive to Spain, check out our article on European driving laws including some on the Iberian peninsula that you should be aware of.