Borrowing a Friend’s Car? Why Temporary Insurance Is Your Best Bet

Susan Difford - Clean Green Compare Personal Lines Insurance Expert
Written by  Susan DiffordUpdated  7 July 20252 min read

Table of Contents

If you’re borrowing a friend’s car, then you’ll of course need to have a valid UK driving licence in order to drive it legally. In addition to this, you’ll also need to have the right type of insurance to drive your friend’s car. If you only need cover for a short period of time, then by far the best option is to get a temporary car insurance policy.

Key points

What Is Temporary Car Insurance?

  • Get tailored cover for the period of time you need: You can get cover for as little as one hour or up to 28 days with temporary car insurance.
  • Cover for all types of cars: You can get cover for any type of car.
  • Hired cars cannot be covered: It’s important to know that hired cars cannot be covered with temporary car insurance.

stack of twenty pound notes

Do I need to get temporary car insurance?

Yes, if you’re going to be driving a friend’s car and you’re not covered under their policy (which you won’t be unless it was specifically requested), then you’ll to take out a temp policy.

How long will temporary car insurance cover me for?

This depends on how long you require it. You can get temporary car insurance from 1 hour, up to 28 days.

What is the best type of cover to get?

You can choose from the same types of cover with a temporary policy as you would with a regular one. The main insurance options are:

  • Third party only
  • Third party, fire and theft
  • Comprehensive

In Summary

  • Temporary cover is ideal for situations when you only need cover for a few hours or days
  • You’ll need to have temporary car for the car you’re borrowing to be road legal
  • You cannot get temporary cover for hired cars

Compare Temporary Car Insurance Quotes!

Don't have your registration number? No problem, click here

DEBUG OUTPUT
max_posts: 4
posts_per_page in Query: 4
Posts found (paged query): 10
Posts found (all): 10
WP_Query args:
Array
(
[post_type] => guide
[posts_per_page] => 4
[post_status] => publish
[tax_query] => Array
(
[0] => Array
(
[taxonomy] => guide_category
[field] => term_id
[terms] => Array
(
[0] => 3509
)
[operator] => IN
)
)
)

Can I get temporary insurance for my classic car?

DEBUG: Excerpt from excerpt: Yes, you can get temporary insurance for your classic car. This type of short-term cover is ideal if you only…
Yes, you can get temporary insurance for your classic car. This type of short-term cover is ideal if you only…
Read More
Young Lady Driving Car

Can I get car insurance for one day?

DEBUG: Excerpt from excerpt: Yes, you can get car insurance for one day. This type of cover is known as temporary car insurance, and…
Yes, you can get car insurance for one day. This type of cover is known as temporary car insurance, and…
Read More

Related guides

Can I get temporary insurance for my classic car?

Yes, you can get temporary insurance for your classic car. This type of short-term cover is ideal if you only…
Read More
Young Lady Driving Car

Can I get car insurance for one day?

Yes, you can get car insurance for one day. This type of cover is known as temporary car insurance, and…
Read More

Can a Non-UK Resident Get Temporary Car Insurance in the UK?

Yes, it is possible for a non-UK resident to get temporary car insurance for non-UK residents in the UK, although…
Read More

Can I Get Temporary Car Insurance as a Young or New Driver?

If you’re under 21, newly qualified, or still on a provisional licence, getting temporary car insurance is possible—but there are…
Read More

How Does Temporary Car Insurance Work?

If you need to drive a car for just a few hours, days, or weeks, temporary car insurance is a…
Read More
checklist

Temporary Car Insurance Checklist: What Information Do I Need?

If you’re looking to take out a temporary car insurance policy, then you’ll need to know what information you need…
Read More

Emergency Short-Term Cover: What to Do if Your Annual Policy Lapses

Most people will try to get a better deal when their annual car insurance policy comes to an end. This…
Read More
Van on the road

Temporary Insurance for Replacement & Courtesy Vans

If you’re a tradesman or your business relies on the use of a van, it’s essential that you always have…
Read More