Temporary business car insurance
Instant, comprehensive car insurance for business use.
Get a price in under 60 seconds!
Why choose
Covertime?
- Do everything online
- Comprehensive cover
- Protect existing No Claims Discount
- Get on the road in minutes
- Insure only for the time you need
- Docs available right after purchase
- Cover from one hour to 28 days
- Quick and flexible
What is temporary business car insurance?
Temporary business car insurance is short-term car insurance that includes business use, designed for drivers who need cover for work-related journeys without taking out a permanent business insurance policy.
It’s perfect if you only drive for business occasionally. Instead of committing to an annual business policy, you can insure yourself for as little as one hour and up to 28 days, choosing exactly how long you need cover for. Once the policy ends, it simply stops with no ongoing commitment.
Temporary business car insurance typically covers everyday work-related driving, such as:
It’s a practical option for short-term contracts, temporary roles, borrowing a car for work, or covering a gap in your usual insurance.
It’s important to note that this type of cover does not include door-to-door sales, delivery, courier, or taxi work, or any form of driving for hire or reward. If you earn money from transporting goods or passengers, you’ll need specialist commercial or courier insurance instead.
How much does temporary business car insurance cost?
The cost of temporary business car insurance depends on several factors, all of which help insurers assess risk and calculate your premium.
Pricing is influenced by:
- Driver age and licence history, including how long you’ve held your licence
- Vehicle details, such as the make, model, engine size, and value
- Your location, as this can affect risk levels
- The duration of cover, from one hour up to 28 days
For short-term needs, temporary business car insurance can be more cost-effective than changing or upgrading an annual policy, especially if business driving is only required for a limited time. However, it isn’t designed for everyday or ongoing business driving. If you use a car for work regularly, a permanent business or commercial policy is likely to offer better long-term value.
A single working day of cover is available as 24 hour car insurance - instant, comprehensive, and valid for exactly 24 hours.
Our temporary business car insurance policies are comprehensive
What is covered?
- Damage to the car you're driving
- 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
- Door-to-door sales, delivery, courier, taxi or hire and reward work
- Theft or damage due to neglect
- Wear and tear
Who is
temporary car cover suitable for?
Benefits of temporary business car insurance
Choose your time
Get flexible short-term cover that fits around your work needs. Insure a car for exactly the period you need, from as little as one hour up to 28 days, without paying for unused time.
Business use included
Temporary business car insurance includes cover for work-related driving, such as travelling to meetings, visiting clients, or moving between work locations, so you’re insured correctly when using a car for business.
No impact on your annual policy
Because this is a standalone policy, it won’t affect your existing annual car insurance or no claims discount, making it ideal for short-term or occasional business use.
Quick online setup
You can get a quote and set up cover online in just a few minutes, with documents available immediately after purchase.
Comprehensive protection
Enjoy comprehensive cover that protects you, your car, your passengers, and other people, vehicles, and property. This gives you confidence every time you drive for work.
When might you need temporary business car insurance?
Temporary business car insurance is useful in a range of real-world situations where you need short-term cover for work, but don’t want to commit to an annual business policy.
You might need it if you’re using your own car for work temporarily, such as covering a short project, helping out at another site, or taking on extra responsibilities that involve driving to a new location. It’s also ideal if you’re borrowing a car for business use and need to make sure you’re properly insured for work-related journeys.
It’s a practical option for short-term contracts, freelance work, or temporary roles, where business driving is required but only for a limited period. Likewise, if you’re in a trial period before upgrading or changing an annual policy, temporary business cover lets you stay insured while you decide what long-term cover you need.
Temporary business car insurance can also be useful if your usual vehicle is off the road and you’re using a temporary replacement car for work, ensuring you remain covered for meetings, site visits, and travel between work locations without interruption.
For unplanned business driving situations, emergency car insurance can be arranged in minutes - live before you set off.
For a week-long project or business trip, weekly car insurance covers the full seven days at a flat rate - no commitment beyond the working week.
Who needs short term business car insurance?
Temporary business car insurance is designed for people who need occasional business cover, rather than a full-time commercial policy.
It’s well-suited to sole traders who only use a car for work from time to time, such as attending meetings, visiting clients, or travelling between work locations. Small business owners may also need short-term cover when their driving needs change temporarily or increase for a specific period.
This type of insurance is also ideal for employees who are temporarily using a car for work, whether that’s their own vehicle or a borrowed one, and need to make sure they’re correctly insured for business use. It can also support people between roles or contracts, covering short-term assignments, trial periods, or temporary work where business driving is required.
Temporary business car insurance is built for flexibility and short-term needs. It’s important to note that it’s not a replacement for permanent commercial or business insurance. If you drive for work regularly or rely on a vehicle as a core part of your business, a long-term commercial policy is likely to be more suitable.
Personal temporary cover for non-business use is also available - see our temporary car insurance page for all options.
Two situations come up most often. The first is a freelancer or consultant who attends occasional client meetings by car and needs business use cover for those journeys - standard social, domestic and pleasure cover is not valid for travelling to meet a paying client. The second is a sole trader who rarely uses a vehicle for work but has a one-off job that requires driving to a site or transporting tools. Rather than upgrading an annual policy for a one-off occasion, short-term business cover applies only to the specific period.
Regulated, trusted and independently reviewed
Covertime Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) under Firm Reference Number 1022738. You can verify this on the FCA register. Covertime is also a member of the British Insurance Brokers' Association (BIBA) - the UK's leading professional body for insurance brokers and intermediaries. You can view our BIBA listing in their broker directory.
Over 700 customers have rated us 4.8 out of 5 on Trustpilot. Our temporary car insurance is also listed on Compare the Market, GoCompare and MoneySupermarket - each of which independently vets the providers they feature before making them available to customers.
Our car insurance policies are underwritten by a panel of FCA-authorised UK insurers, including First Underwriting, Allianz, KGM and Somerset Bridge.
Buying insurance from an FCA-regulated firm means you have defined protections. If you have a complaint that Covertime cannot resolve to your satisfaction, you have the right to refer it to the Financial Ombudsman Service - a free, independent service for consumers. The Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) may be able to provide compensation if a regulated firm cannot meet its financial obligations. If your policy has not started, you can cancel for a full refund.
Standard social and domestic cover does not extend to business use. Regulated business car insurance means the cover is issued to the correct legal classification for commercial journeys - underwritten by authorised UK insurers including Allianz and KGM - with the Financial Ombudsman Service available if the classification of a journey is ever in dispute.
Temp business car insurance FAQs
What counts as business use on temporary car insurance?
Business use on temporary car insurance covers work-related driving beyond normal commuting. This typically includes driving to meetings, visiting clients or customers, and travelling between different work locations.
It’s designed for situations where you need to use a car for work occasionally, but don’t need permanent business insurance. It ensures you’re properly covered when driving for business purposes, not just personal use.
Can I use temporary business car insurance for deliveries?
Temporary business car insurance does not cover delivery, courier, or taxi work, or any form of driving for hire or reward.
If you’re being paid to transport goods or passengers, you’ll need specialist commercial or courier insurance. Temporary business cover is intended for everyday business journeys, such as meetings or site visits, not delivery driving.
Can I insure a borrowed car for business use?
You can use temporary business car insurance to cover a borrowed car, as long as you have the owner’s permission and the driver meets the eligibility criteria.
This makes it a practical option if you’re borrowing a car from a friend, family member, or colleague for short-term business use, without needing to make changes to anyone’s annual policy.
What is the difference between temporary business car insurance and standard car insurance?
Standard annual car insurance typically covers social, domestic, and pleasure use, and sometimes commuting, but does not automatically extend to other business driving. Temporary business car insurance adds business use cover for the specific period you need it, without requiring you to upgrade or change your annual policy. It is useful for one-off work-related journeys, short projects, or filling a gap when your regular business cover does not apply.
Can I get temporary business car insurance if I am self-employed?
Yes. Temporary business car insurance is available to self-employed drivers who need occasional cover for work-related journeys. This includes sole traders, freelancers, and contractors who may not need a permanent business policy but do need business use cover for a specific piece of work, client visit, or project. Eligibility is assessed in the same way as for employed drivers.
Does temporary business car insurance cover other employees driving the vehicle?
Temporary business car insurance covers the named driver listed on the policy. If a colleague or employee also needs to drive the vehicle, they would need their own policy in their own name. The policy does not extend automatically to other people driving the same car for business purposes.
Can I get temporary business car insurance on a hire car?
Temporary business car insurance can sometimes be applied to hire vehicles, but it is important to check the specific eligibility criteria at the point of getting a quote. Many hire companies also include their own insurance as part of the rental agreement. Check whether there is any overlap or gap in cover before taking out a separate policy on a hire car.
Do I need business use insurance just for commuting to work?
Commuting, which means travelling from your home to a single fixed place of work, is a distinct category from business use and is usually a separate add-on to a standard policy. Business use, in the context of temporary business car insurance, refers to driving in connection with your work beyond commuting, such as visiting clients, travelling between sites, or attending work-related meetings. If you are only commuting, check whether your standard annual policy already covers that journey before taking out additional cover.
Can I use temporary business car insurance alongside my existing policy?
Many drivers hold two insurance policies on the same vehicle - for example, an annual policy for everyday driving and a short-term policy to cover a specific purpose. If your existing policy covers social, domestic and pleasure use only, a temporary business car insurance policy may cover you for a specific work journey without you needing to amend your annual policy. You should not attempt to claim on both policies for the same incident - only one policy can respond to a claim. If you are unsure whether your existing policy already covers a particular journey, it is worth checking with your insurer before arranging additional cover.
I work from home - if I drive to a company office, is that business use?
Whether an occasional office trip counts as business use depends on your existing insurance policy terms and your employment arrangements. As a general rule, driving to a single fixed place of work regularly is typically treated as commuting. However, if your contracted place of work is your home address and you drive to a company office on an occasional basis, many insurers treat that as a business journey rather than a commute - particularly if you are claiming mileage expenses from your employer. If in doubt, check with your existing insurer. A temporary business car insurance policy can cover you for a specific journey or period if you find your existing policy does not include the cover you need for that trip.
Did you know?
If you add a driver to a car insurance policy, any claims made by that additional driver will affect the main policy holder's No Claims Discount.