C1.2 Car Insurance¶
About UK Car Insurance (2025)
First, never buy fake insurance.
Second, do not be deceived by unscrupulous agents. Some agencies may lie about a client's age or forge no-claims discount certificates to obtain cheaper insurance quotes from car insurance companies, which they then sell on to the client.
How to avoid fake insurance?
Firstly, if the price seems too cheap, it's almost certainly fake. Secondly, fake insurance policies often claim to provide a no-claims bonus (NCB). However, all claims history in the UK is recorded online and can be easily checked.
Furthermore, many dishonest companies specifically target Chinese nationals and international students with fake insurance, falsely claiming it is genuine. They may produce a counterfeit insurance certificate that looks very convincing. But we are in the 21st century – if you have genuinely purchased insurance, it will be registered online. The insurance policy number will be recorded on the system. You can check this yourself by visiting this website (if it doesn't load, you may need to be in the UK or use a VPN): https://ownvehicle.askmid.com. Simply enter your vehicle's registration number.
Additionally, the information you provide for your car insurance must be your own, accurate, and valid details. After purchasing insurance, carefully check the policy document to ensure all your personal information is correct, including your name, phone number, age, address, etc. If anything is incorrect, contact the insurer immediately to verify and correct it.
This is because some intermediary agencies may intentionally falsify details like making you older or stating the wrong gender to fraudulently obtain a cheaper policy to sell to you. If any issues arise, you will be held responsible. The actual cost of car insurance for each vehicle is calculated based on your specific details, including your gender, age, marital status, vehicle details, address, and driving history – all of which affect the premium price.
Using a Chinese driving licence to buy car insurance is significantly more expensive than using a UK licence, especially for the first time. This leads some people to opt for fake insurance. However, buying fake insurance is extremely risky. If you have no issues with your car, are not involved in an accident, and are not stopped by the police, you might get away with it.
But, if you are involved in any incident, even a minor scrape, and are found to be without valid insurance, the consequences are severe. Insurance is compulsory. UK law requires you to have both a driving licence and valid car insurance to drive on the road. If you are caught without it, this is a criminal offence. You could face criminal prosecution, have your vehicle impounded, and receive a substantial fine. This record of having invalid insurance can follow you and impact future visa applications, visa extensions, and any plans for immigration to the UK.
So, where can you buy UK car insurance?
You can generally search online. Research the reliability of the companies, compare a few providers, compare prices, and try to negotiate. Many people use websites like MoneySupermarket to search for car insurance – it's a bit like Qunar in China. I also bought my travel insurance for my Schengen visa application here. Website link: https://www.moneysupermarket.com/
Other recommended websites for comparing car insurance prices and information are listed below. These are all good comparison sites:
Right, so you have your Chinese driving licence, your certified translation, and your car insurance. Now you can happily begin your driving adventures in the UK :)
Of course, after the initial 12 months, you can no longer continue driving in the UK using just your Chinese licence. If you want to continue driving seamlessly, you must apply for a UK driving licence within that 12-month period. First, you need to apply for a provisional licence, then pass the tests to obtain a full UK driving licence. The next time you buy car insurance, it will be much cheaper.
See the image below – this is a UK driving licence. Sharp-eyed observers might wonder, who is this person? Haha, I don't know either, probably just a model or a random person :)
Reminder from Ten-Litre Cat:
The steering wheel is on the right in the UK.
You must drive on the left.
Keep your driving licence and its certified translation with you when driving. You can make a photocopy of the translation as a backup and take photos of it as well.