Learner driver insurance

Learning to drive should be a new and exciting experience but the reality is that passing your test and getting your licence can be stressful and expensive. The cost of a provisional licence and professional lessons alone can cost over £1,000*.

On top of that there’s the cost of car insurance and the tests, so finding ways to save money is a priority for many new drivers.

According to The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), you don't need a specific number of lessons or driving hours with a professional instructor before you can take your test. Instead, you should book your test when you believe you are ready.

Most professional driving schools will include insurance in the cost of their lessons. Getting extra driving practice in with a family member or friend can help speed things up. If you're learning to drive in your own car, you’ll need some form of insurance in place before you start. Your options include:

1. A standard 12-month learner driver policy starting with your provisional licence, then updating when you pass your test.

2. Taking out a short-term learner driver policy to cover you while you learn. Once you pass your test, take out a standard policy.

3. Getting yourself added as a named driver on a friend or relative’s existing insurance policy.

Insurance companies base policy prices on risk. That’s why learner drivers with little driving experience often struggle to find competitive insurance prices.

You'll also pay different premiums based on the level of cover you choose (third-party only, third-party fire and theft or comprehensive), which you can read more about in our guide to car insurance policy types.

We can help you find prices for both standard 12-month policies and short-term learner driver policies. Get a quote to start comparing 12-month policies with us or get a short-term quote to visit our partner, Veygo for short-term learner cover.

If you're still looking into learning to drive, you can find information in our guide on learning to drive.

*Based on an average of 45 hours of lessons at £24 + a provisional licence cost at £34

The standard car insurance policies with cover as a learner driver available through our website run for a full 12-months (unless they’re cancelled early).

During that time, you can learn to drive and pass your test. Let your insurer know when you’ve passed and they’ll then update the licence type from provisional to full on your policy.

When getting a quote, make sure to select ‘UK provisional’ when telling us your licence type to get prices for you as a learner driver.

We compare prices from top insurance providers across the UK. Sort your results based on what’s most important to you, whether that’s the price or the policy benefits

We also compare quotes from providers of telematics policies, which involve fitting a small black box to your car or using an app on your phone to monitor your driving habits. These policies are designed for younger drivers and can work out as a cheaper way to get insured.

With Veygo learner driver insurance you can buy short-term additional cover from 2 hours through to 90 days. This means you can legally drive while you learn in a family or friend’s car without affecting their existing policy. Most Veygo customers pay just £6.98 for 3 hours or £51.84 for 30 days of cover**.

You can add learner driver insurance alongside any existing car insurance policy, it doesn’t need to be with Veygo or Admiral, but with Veygo you get:

• Instant cover – enter the car registration, postcode of where it’s kept and your relationship to the owner to get your quote. Cover can start immediately
• No curfew – you can drive day and night to make sure you get in all the practice you need before your test
• The reassurance that the car owner’s no-claims bonus won’t be affected if you need to make a claim
• Comprehensive insurance provided by Admiral, voted the best car insurance provider 2018/19 in the Personal Finance Awards

Veygo learner driver insurance offers flexible short-term cover for provisional licence holders who want to learn to drive with someone they know, in a familiar car. And it could be cheaper than being added to an existing policy as a named driver.

**Based on Veygo data. Prices correct as of January 2020

If you’re looking to get a quote for a standard 12-month policy – get started. Getting a quote takes about 5 minutes. You’ll need the following details at hand:

• Details of the car you want to insure
• Details of any other drivers you want on the policy
• Your provisional driving licence number

Or, if you want short-term cover, you can get started now. You’ll need the same details as above to get a quote.

The driving test is continuously being updated to adapt to changes in driving technology and habits.

In 2017, changes to the driving test included following directions from a sat nav. The independent driving part of the test also increased from ten to 20 minutes.

Reversing around a corner will no longer be part of the test, along with 'turn-in-the-road'. Instead you could be asked to do one of the following:

• parallel park at the side of the road
• pull up on the right-hand side of the road, reverse for 2 car lengths and rejoin the traffic
• park in a bay - driving in and reversing out, or reversing in and driving out

Since June 2018, learner drivers can now take lessons on motorways but must be accompanied by a professional driving instructor. Any motorway lessons are voluntary and it is up to the driving instructor to decide whether their learner driver is ready for them.