Learner driver insurance

If you have a provisional driving licence and are learning to drive, you’ll need to get the right insurance in place. Along with professional driving lessons, you may want to get extra practice in with a family member or friend in their car. Or in your own car if you’re lucky enough to have one. 

Whatever your circumstances, if you’re not having lessons with an instructor in their car, you’ll need a policy in place. Here are your options:

• Annual car insurance – this is a 12-month policy that starts on a provisional licence. Once you pass your test, you can amend your policy to change your licence type. This kind of policy might be suitable if you own your car. When getting a quote, make sure to select ‘UK provisional’ when telling us your licence type. Get a quote to start comparing annual policies.

• Short-term car insurance for learners – this offers cover for up to 90 days. Just visit our partner Veygo for a short-term learner driver quote. This type of policy is suitable if you’re driving someone else’s car while you learn to drive. Find out more about Veygo’s policies below.

• Named driver – if you’re learning to drive in a family member or friends’ car, they can add you as a named driver on their policy. This can work out cheaper than taking out your own policy. But it can affect the main policyholder if you have an accident while driving the car. Always remember to add the main driver as the person who uses the car the most. Otherwise this is what’s known as ‘Fronting’ which is illegal.

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.

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 £8.42 for 3 hours or £59.69 for one week's 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
• 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 July 2020

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**.

Insurance companies base their policy prices on risk. That’s why learner drivers with little driving experience who are looking for an annual 12-month policy often struggle to find competitive insurance prices. But there are ways that could help you save some money:

• Consider the car you drive: all cars are grouped from 1-50 for insurance purposes. Generally, the higher the car insurance group, the more expensive your insurance will be. 

• Black box, or telematics: this type of policy is suited for young or inexperienced drivers. It can make insurance more affordable. 

• Voluntary excess: Opting to pay a higher excess can help reduce your price. But remember to only add in the amount you can afford to pay if you make a claim.

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.

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.

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.

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.