Temporary student car insurance
Instant, comprehensive car insurance for students.
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 student car insurance?
If you’re a student at university or college there’s a good chance you don’t own your own car.
But what if you have a driving licence as well as a very kind friend or family member who will lend you their car?
With Covertime’s temporary student car insurance you can get fully insured on a car for a short amount of time, from one hour to 28 days.
Perhaps you're back home from university for the holidays and want to borrow your parent's car?
Perhaps you have a friend who is lucky enough to own a car and they want to share the driving on a road trip?
Maybe you’re a student who lives at home and have a car you can use from time to time for shopping trips or days out?
Whatever your reason for needing temporary car insurance as a student, we‘ll do our best to find you a good deal.
How much does temporary student car insurance cost?
Insurance premiums always take in a variety of factors when calculating how much they will cost for an individual.
Students can often be younger drivers who may not have held their UK driving licence for a long period of time, this can sometimes mean that due to a lack of experience your premium could potentially be higher than someone with more experience.
The great thing about temporary student car insurance is that you only pay for the time you need, so you’ll only need to pay for a proportion of time rather than 365 day cover with an annual policy.
Our student 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
- Delivery, courier or taxi work
- Theft or damage due to neglect; such as leaving the car unlocked
- Wear and tear
How to get temporary student car insurance
Getting a quote for temporary student car insurance is straightforward. You do not need to wade through an annual insurance form or answer questions about information that is not relevant to a short-term policy. The quote process only asks for what is actually needed to check eligibility and price up your cover.
At Covertime we’ve tried to make our process for obtaining a quote for short term student cover as quick and easy as possible.
Simply follow a few steps and you can find out your price in a couple of minutes – if you like what you see then you can pay online too and be on the road within no time:
Do I need temporary student car insurance?
A temporary student car insurance policy gives you cover only for the period you actually need it, rather than locking you into a full year. This makes it a practical option for students who might only need a car at certain points in the academic year, such as during term breaks or when helping with a move. Because you select the start and end time yourself, you avoid paying for periods when the car would be sitting unused.
Temporary policies for students are unbelievably quick to get a quote for, it’s super flexible and could save you money by only insuring the car you’re driving for the exact length of time you need.
Whether you’re traveling to and from university or using a friend’s or family member’s car during holidays, temporary student car insurance can give you the short term cover you need.
You can get insured by the hour, 24 hours, days or weeks, all the way up to 28 days so there's no need for a long-term commitment but you can insure yourself for enough time to get away for a weekend, take a road trip, do some shopping or even in an emergency.
If you only need to use a car for a short period of time, then choosing a Covertime temporary student car insurance policy could be really convenient. It also avoids risking the car owner's No Claims Discount; which should give them peace of mind.
For a full university term break at home, monthly car insurance covers up to 28 days - the maximum single-policy duration available.
When do students need temporary car insurance?
The most common situation is a university holiday. Most students return home at Christmas, Easter and over summer needing to drive a parent's or family member's car for shopping, socialising and getting around. Being added to a parent's annual policy puts their no claims discount at risk and charges for a full year when you are only home for a few weeks. Temporary student car insurance covers you for the specific dates you need, in your own name, without affecting the car owner's existing cover.
Other situations where students regularly need cover:
- End of term and moving day - borrowing a larger car or estate to shift boxes, clothes, and kitchen equipment in one trip
- A one-off journey at university - borrowing a housemate's car for a supermarket run, an airport pick-up, or a road trip that comes up during term
- Driving home from university at the end of term in a car that belongs to a parent or friend, when you are not normally insured on it
- Covering a short gap in annual cover - if an existing policy has lapsed, you have just bought a car, or you are between insurers
In each case, the car owner's annual policy will almost certainly not extend to cover you as a borrower. You need to be insured in your own right. Temporary cover arranged in your name is usually the most straightforward way to do that, and it means any claim does not touch the car owner's policy or their no claims record.
Who is
temporary car cover suitable for?
Benefits of temporary car insurance for students
Choose your time
You decide when your cover starts and ends, providing complete control and flexibility.
Comprehensive cover
Our short term car insurance protects you, your passengers, your car as well as other people, property and vehicles.
Great for emergencies
In a hurry? Get on the road in minutes, driving a car you don't own (with the owner's permission of course!).
Quick, easy and affordable
Get a quote quickly, with a minimal amount of questions for just the length of time you need to drive to keep costs to a minimum.
How can you reduce the cost of temporary student car insurance?
The golden rule to lower the cost of temporary car insurance for students is to buy the cover for the time you need.
The beauty of temporary student car insurance is that you can insure yourself at the exact time you need to start driving and set it to end when you need it to.
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.
Whether you've borrowed a car from a friend or a family member because your back from university or during term time, you can choose from one hour to 28 days.
If you need more time after one policy ends, then you can take out new temporary car policies.
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.
Student cover is often used for holiday travel or end-of-term journeys in a family car. Regulated cover holds the policy to exactly the same legal standard regardless of age or student status, with over 700 customer reviews on Trustpilot giving an independent view of the experience. You can cancel for a full refund if the policy has not started.
Temporary student car insurance FAQs
How long does temporary student car insurance last?
Temporary student car insurance is seriously flexible, so you can choose how long it can last. If you're back from University or during term time, you can select one hour up to 28 days! Simply select the duration that suits you best... try daily car insurance if you only need one day.
Can I drive a friend's car with temporary student insurance?
Yes, if you're at university and one of your friends has a car there, you can get insured on it, with their permission of course! That way they don't have to do all the driving if you decide to take a longer trip.
How can I get cheap temporary student car insurance?
With temporary student car insurance you only pay for the time you need, so you don't need to pay for the full 365 day's worth of cover as with an annual policy. It's well worth checking to see if a short term policy is cheaper for you, especially as a student.
You might be back from uni and at home with your parent's and able to borrow their car. Select the shortest amount of time on cover that you require in order to keep your costs down.
Can I get temporary student car insurance if I am under 21?
Yes, temporary car insurance is available to eligible drivers under 21. The premium will reflect your age and the length of time you have held your full licence, but it remains a practical option for students who only need a car occasionally rather than year-round. You can get a quote to see the cost before committing to anything.
Can I get temporary car insurance to drive home from university?
Temporary car insurance is a common solution for students who need to borrow a parent's or family member's car for the journey home at the end of term. You can take out a policy for the exact period you need, for example a single day or a weekend, and cancel it when you no longer need the vehicle. The policy is in your own name and does not affect the car owner's no-claims discount.
Do I need my own insurance to use a car during university holidays?
If you want to drive a car that belongs to someone else during a holiday period, you need to be insured to drive it specifically. Simply being a named driver on an annual policy is one option, but that can affect the main policyholder's no-claims record if you make a claim. Temporary insurance in your own name is often a cleaner arrangement for occasional holiday use.
Can two students share one temporary car insurance policy?
No. Each driver must hold their own insurance policy. If two students are sharing the driving on a journey, each person needs their own cover for the periods they are behind the wheel. You cannot both be named on a single temporary policy in the same way you might be on some annual policies.
Does temporary student car insurance cover me at university?
Temporary car insurance covers you to drive the specific vehicle you insure, wherever you need to drive it within the UK. There is no restriction on using it around a university town or city, including short local journeys during term time. If you need to drive abroad as part of your studies, check the policy terms as international cover may differ.
Is 'student car insurance UK' the same as temporary student car insurance?
Yes. When people search for student car insurance UK they are almost always looking for the same thing - a short-term policy that covers a student to drive a borrowed or shared car without committing to a 12-month policy. Temporary car insurance for students works in exactly the same way: you choose how many hours or days of cover you need, get a price, and the policy starts at the time you choose.
Can I get car insurance as a student if I am a new driver?
Yes. Car insurance for students who have recently passed their test is available on a temporary basis. Being a new driver may affect the price but does not prevent you from getting cover. Temporary student car insurance is often a cost-effective option for new drivers who only need a car occasionally rather than every day, because you only pay for the time you actually drive.
What is temporary car insurance for students?
Temporary car insurance for students is a short-term policy - from one hour up to 28 days - that lets a student drive a car they do not own without being added to the owner's annual policy. It is in your own name, so any claim does not affect the car owner's no claims discount. It is commonly used during university holidays, for trips home, or when sharing a car with a friend or family member.
Did you know?
Driving other cars using an annual policy usually only insures you for Third Party claims, meaning damage to the car you are driving is not covered.