Temporary van insurance
Cover in no time
Takes less than 60 seconds!
Why choose Covertime?
Comprehensive van cover
Docs available immediately after purchase
Quick and flexible
Cover from one hour to 28 days
Protect existing No Claims Discount
Do everything online
Insure only for the time you need
Get on the road in minutes
What is temporary van insurance?
Temporary van insurance is a short term, flexible alternative to traditional annual van insurance policies.
It allows you to insure a van for a specific period of time. It's perfect for one off jobs, emergencies or occasional use. It may also be referred to as temporary commercial vehicle insurance.
You only pay for the time you need, with no long term commitments, plus you can start cover straight after you've paid or a selected day and time within the next 30 days!
Our temporary van insurance is comprehensive so it will cover the van you are using, as well as damage or injury to other people, vehicles and property.
From as little as one hour to up 28 days, you can get insured quickly and legally to drive a van anywhere in the UK.
Short term van insurance can be very useful in a variety of situations:
Transporting large furniture or items
Moving house or helping someone else relocate
Business use in connection with your trade including the carriage of tools and materials
Emergency use if your van is off the road
Driving a new van home before you arrange an annual policy
Test driving a new van before you buy it
Driving a friend's or family member's van
Our van policies are Comprehensive
What is covered?
Damage to the van 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 van unlocked
Wear and tear or windscreen
How to get temporary van insurance
Getting temporary van insurance can be done in just a couple of minutes!
You can get a short term van insurance quote in under one minute with our easy, quick quote process. Whether you’re borrowing a van for a house move, running a quick job, or picking up large items, temporary van insurance gives you the protection you need, only for the time you actually need it...
1
Just let us know the van's reg and a few details about yourself
2
Then we need to know when you need the cover and how long for
3
Get your quote, check the terms, choose how you want to pay and you're off!
Do I need temporary van insurance?
If you only need to drive a van for a short period, then yes – temporary van insurance is likely the best option. It’s ideal for one off situations like moving house, helping a friend relocate, transporting large furniture or test driving a van before buying.
Rather than committing to a full annual policy, short term cover gives you the flexibility to insure a van for just the time you need; whether that’s for an hour, a day, or a few weeks.
You might also need temporary van insurance if your own van is off the road and you’re using a replacement, or if you're heading to an event or festival and want a bigger vehicle just for the trip.
One of the biggest advantages of temporary van insurance is that it could save time and money. Instead of being added to someone else's annual policy, which can be expensive and affect their no claims discount, you get your own comprehensive cover. This keeps things simpler and ensures you're protected without the added hassle or cost.
So, if you're borrowing a van, lending one out, or just need occasional access to a van for personal reasons, temporary van insurance is a smart, cost-effective solution.
You may need to add a driver for your van for van for a specific job for a one day or one week. Perhaps you need to borrow a van for a larger load. Temporary van insurance is perfect for business usage and carrying good that are related to your business. It's not suitable for carriage or other people's good, such as delivery or courier work.
It gives you instant cover, total peace of mind, and complete flexibility... exactly when you need it.
Who is temporary van cover suitable for?
Carriage of own goods
Ages 23-69
Full UK licence holders
Max value £40,000
*Other terms and conditions apply.
How much does temporary van insurance cost?
The premium you’ll pay for your short-term van insurance will depend on several factors, including your age, driving experience, location, the time and date you need cover, the van you’ll be driving, and how long you need to be insured for.
If you only need to drive a van for a short period, a temporary van insurance policy can be an affordable and flexible option. However, keep in mind that the longer the duration of your cover, the higher the cost is likely to be.
You can take out multiple temporary van insurance policies throughout the year, especially if your driving needs are occasional or vary. But if you find yourself regularly using the same van, switching to an annual van insurance policy could work out more cost effective in the long run.
How can you get the cheapest temporary van insurance?
In order to get the cheapest temporary van insurance for you: only pay for the time you actually need to drive.
One of the biggest advantages of temporary van insurance is its flexibility. You can start your cover at the exact moment you need to drive and set it to end as soon as you're done. This way, you're not paying for unused time, keeping your costs as low as possible.
By insuring yourself on a van only for the specific period you need it; whether it’s for a quick delivery, a weekend move, or a short work project, you avoid the higher costs of unnecessary, longer-term policies.
You can choose cover from as little as one hour, up to 28 days. If you need more time later, simply take out another temporary van insurance policy, it’s quick, easy, and designed to work around your schedule.
Temporary van insurance specialists
We're specialists in short term van insurance...
We might be a newer name in the world of temporary insurance, but when it comes to short term van insurance in the UK, we know exactly what we’re doing. Our team has decades of experience in the insurance industry, many of us have spent over 20 years specialising in temporary cover. That experience led us to launch Covertime, a fresh, modern take on short-term insurance that’s built to do things better.
We’ve seen what works (and what really doesn’t) when it comes to temporary insurance. So, we created Covertime to fix the frustrating bits and make van insurance fast, flexible, and simple.
With temporary van insurance in the UK from Covertime, you can choose how long you need cover for; from just a few hours to several days or weeks. Whether the van’s yours or someone else’s, getting insured is quick and painless.
It takes less than 60 seconds to get a quote. We've stripped away as many questions as we could and made the whole process as smooth as possible.
We don’t run a massive call centre with long hold times, we’ve made it so easy to arrange your cover online, you can do everything online! If you do want help, our friendly live chat team is right here. Prefer to talk to someone? Just ask and we’ll call you back.
We’re proud to offer UK van drivers one of the fastest, easiest ways to get on the road legally and confidently. Covertime is here to make temporary van insurance hassle free, and we think it might just become your new favourite way to insure your van on a temporary basis.
Do everything from your phone easily & quickly
Short term van insurance
Takes less than 60 seconds!
Benefits of temporary van insurance
Quick, easy and affordable
Get a quote quickly, with a minimal amount of questions for just the length of time you need to drive the van to keep costs to a minimum.
Great for short term tasks
Need to move house or pick up some large large furniture or item? Short term van insurance is perfect
Choose your time
You decide when your cover starts and ends, providing complete control and flexibility.
Comprehensive cover
Our short term van insurance protects you, your passengers, your van as well as other people, property and vehicles.
Which types of vans can you insure short term?
We can cover a huge variety of vans with our temporary van insurance UK up to a maximum value of £40,000.
Just enter the registration of the van and some details about you, then we’ll do the rest!
No need to hunt down the exact make, model, engine size or value; we’ve got clever tech that looks up the van’s details in a flash.
Small Vans
Compact and efficient – ideal for city driving, light deliveries, or sole traders needing flexibility.
Examples: Ford Transit Courier, Citroën Berlingo, Peugeot Partner, Renault Kangoo, Fiat Doblo, Vauxhall Combo, Volkswagen Caddy
Medium Vans
The perfect all-rounder. A good balance between load space and drivability, suited for trades and daily work.
Examples: Ford Transit Custom, Vauxhall Vivaro, Peugeot Expert, Citroën Dispatch, Renault Trafic, VW Transporter, Toyota Proace
Large Vans
Built for bigger jobs. Excellent for heavy loads, long wheelbasesand some conversions.
Examples: Ford Transit, Mercedes Sprinter, Volkswagen Crafter, Renault Master, Fiat Ducato, Peugeot Boxer, Iveco Daily
Crew Vans (Double Cabs)
Combine passenger and cargo space – great for moving both your team and your tools.
Examples: Ford Transit Custom Double Cab, Vauxhall VivaroDoublecab, Mercedes Vito Crew Van
Luton Vans
Box-style vans with huge internal space, ideal for removals or transporting bulky goods. Often come with a tail lift.
Examples: Ford Transit Luton, Mercedes Sprinter Luton, VW Crafter Luton, Renault Master Luton
Electric Vans (EVs)
Zero-emissions and increasingly popular for urban deliveries. Cheaper to run, cleaner to drive.
Examples: Vauxhall Vivaro-e, Renault Kangoo E-Tech, Ford E-Transit, Mercedes eSprinter, Citroën ë-Dispatch, Peugeot e-Expert, Nissan Townstar EV
Whatever van it is that you drive, simply pop your registration plate into our site and we'll get your temporary van insurance quote seriously fast and get you covered in minutes.
What levels of cover does temporary van insurance have?
When you buy annual van insurance, you usually choose from three types of cover. These are Comprehensive, Third Party Fire and Theft (often called TPFT), and Third Party Only (TPO), which is the minimum you need to drive legally in the UK.
Third Party Only covers damage or injury caused to other people, their vehicles or property. It won’t cover any damage to your own van. TPFT offers the same cover as TPO, but it also protects your van if it’s stolen or damaged by fire.
Comprehensive cover offers the most protection. It includes everything in TPFT and TPO, plus it covers damage to your own van too.
When you take out temporary insurance with Covertime, we only offer Comprehensive cover, which is the highest level of cover available out of the three main UK cover levels of Third Party Only, Third Party Fire and Theft and Comprehensive.
What cover and uses should I be aware of for temporary van insurance?
Can you use temporary van insurance for Commuting?
Temporary van insurance can be used for commuting. For insurance purposes, commuting means driving to or from a single, regular place of work. This includes part of the journey, such as driving to a train station as part of your commute.
Can you use temporary van insurance for Personal Business Use?
Yes you can use temporary van insurance for Personal Business Use and carrying your own goods. This means that you cannot use short term van cover for delivery or courier work, but you can use it for your own business to transport your own tools, goods or belongings.
Can you use temporary van insurance for Commercial Use?
You cannot use temporary van insurance for commercial use. Commercial use means using your van to transport goods or people for hire or reward.
Can I use temporary van insurance in Europe?
Yes, you can use temporary van insurance for driving in Europe, but your trip must begin and end with the van in the UK. The insurance gives you comprehensive cover in the UK, but when you’re in Europe it will only provide the minimum level of cover that is required in the country you are driving in.
Make sure you check what that minimum level is before you travel. In most European countries, this will be Third Party Only. It’s important you also doublecheck any extra requirements in your policy booklet before you set off.
You can view our IPID on our quote page before you purchase ashort term van policy which shows the country exclusions and inclusions. You can view our Policy Wording on our declaration page before purchasing a van policy, where you can read the full terms and conditions of the policy.
How do I know my van is insured when using temporary van insurance?
We work with a trusted panel of insurers who have experience in offering short term cover to UK drivers.
Just check the confirmation email we send you and read the documents enclosed for full details of your policy.
You can also check the Motor Insurance Database (MID), which is the UK’s official record of insured vehicles. Due to the fact that short tern van insurance starts quickly, your policy might not appear on the MID straight away. As long as you have your certificate, you are insured and safe to drive.
Pay securely and easily
Temporary van insurance FAQs
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.