Covertime | Borrowed car insurance

Borrow a car insurance

Cover in no time

Takes less than 60 seconds!

Why choose Covertime?

Do everything online

Insure only for the time you need

Comprehensive cover

Docs available immediately after purchase

Protect existing No Claims Discount

Cover from one hour to 28 days

Get on the road in minutes

Quick and flexible

Borrowing someone else's car?

Let's talk options.

First things first, when you’re borrowing a friend or family member’s car, it’s important to make sure that you have their permission – it might seem obvious, but it’s worth mentioning to avoid any uncomfortable misunderstandings and subsequent awkward family dinners.

Once you have their permission, it’s time to make sure you have the correct insurance in place before you set off.

Even if their car is insured already, that doesn’t mean that you are personally insured to drive it, and the same principle applies if you already have a car insurance policy in place – you shouldn’t assume you’re covered to drive someone else’s car.

Some comprehensive annual policies can provide DOC (Drive Other Cars) cover, but this is not always the norm for most policies and does often come with a few caveats.. but we'll go into that a bit further down.

There are plenty of reasons you might find yourself needing to borrow someone else's car..

Sharing the drive on a long trip

Helping someone move house

Helping out a friend of family member

Borrowing a car in an unexpected emergency

Staying with friends or family and using their car to get around

Covertime policies are Comprehensive

What is covered?

Damage to the car you've borrowed

Theft or attempted theft

Fire damage

Third party: damage to other vehicles / property / injury to others

What isn't covered?

More than one driver on a temporary policy

Delivery, courier or taxi work

Theft or damage due to neglect; such as leaving the car unlocked

Sole damage to the windscreen

Do you need insurance to borrow a car?

There is a common misconception that all comprehensive insurance policies allow you to drive any other car.

If you already have an annual comprehensive car insurance policy in your name, you might be covered to drive someone else's car under the 'Driving Other Cars' (DOC) rules.

However, this is not standard and not everyone has this cover in their Comprehensive policy. If you do have DOC, it is only meant for emergencies and not regular use.

Drivers under the age of 25 will not usually have DOC cover, so make sure you check with your insurer.

It's important to be aware that when you drive someone else's car under Driving Other Cars, the cover changes from Comprehensive to only covering damage to the other car or other people if you have an accident - referred to as Third Party Only (TPO).

If you don't have your own insurance then you can be added as a second driver or 'named driver' to another person's policy.

However, if a second driver has to make a claim on this policy then it would impact the main driver's No Claims Discount (also known as No Claims Bonus). It could potentially increase their insurance premium at renewal.

If you only need to use a car for a short period of time, then choosing a Covertime temporary car insurance policy could be more convenient. It also avoids risking the car owner's No Claims Discount; which will give them peace of mind when you borrow their car.

How to get temporary car insurance

Getting temporary car insurance to borrow a car really couldn't be easier!

Forget the days of filling out pages of relentless questions for your annual car insurance quote. With our simple quote process, you can get a quote in a couple of minutes in just a few simple steps...

Let us know the vehicle reg and a few details about yourself

Then we need to know when you need the cover and how long for

Get your quote, check the terms, choose how you want to pay and you're off!

Who is temporary car cover suitable for?

Borrowing a car

Ages 21-75

Full UK licence holders

Vehicle value from £1,500 to £65,000

*Other terms and conditions apply.

How much does temporary car insurance cost?

The premium you will pay for your short term car insurance will depend on things such as your age, experience, where you live, when you need cover, the car you'll drive and how long you need to drive it for.

If you only need to drive some else's car for a small amount of time, then a temporary car insurance policy might be an affordable option for you. However, the longer you need to insure yourself on the car for, the more it will cost.

You can buy multiple temporary car insurance policies throughout the year, but at some point an annual car insurance will become more cost effective, if you're always using the same car.

How can you get the cheapest temporary insurance to borrow a car?

The golden rule to get the cheapest temporary car insurance when you're borrowing a car is: Only buy the cover for the time you need.

If you're looking to borrow the car for a short period of time or just a one-off, temporary car insurance is comprehensive, and it won’t affect your no claims bonus which is certainly a bonus in itself!

By only insuring yourself on the car for the time you need to drive it, you can keep your short term car cover costs to a minimum.

Choose from as little as one hour all the way up to 28 days. If you need more time after one policy ends, then you can take out new temporary car policies.