Home
Car insurance
Temporary student car insurance

Temporary student car insurance

Only using your car during breaks from uni? Or find yourself driving less now you live within walking distance of campus? Temporary insurance could be a handy way to keep your cover costs down.

Read on for all you need to know about how temporary insurance works for students, or get a quote now and find the cover you need in minutes.

Ready to get a temporary car insurance quote?

Get a quote

How does temporary insurance work?

Temporary car insurance isn’t just available for students, but it is designed to be flexible. You can take temporary student car insurance out for an hour up to 28 days. And, it gives you everything you’d get on a standard fully comprehensive policy, so you’re properly covered.

Basically, it’s a really convenient way of getting immediate short-term insurance without the expense of paying for a whole year’s cover.

Here’s how it works in practice:

You tell us which vehicle you need to insure, when you want the policy to start and how long it should last.
You choose from a suitable range of affordable, fully comprehensive policies that are tailored to your needs.
As soon as you complete your purchase, the policy activates, so you could be out on the road in just a few minutes.
When your temporary student car insurance policy expires, your cover ends. If you need more time behind the wheel, don’t worry! You can buy another policy that gives you additional hours or days.
If it’s your car or a parents’, it doesn’t matter. Temporary policies don’t affect existing insurance. So, should anything happen, it won’t affect your no-claims bonus.

How much does temporary student car insurance cost?

Here's what 17-24-year-olds pay on average for their cover^*.

One hour

£30.72

One day

£61.02

One week

£183.22

^*Median price for drivers aged 17-24, Tempcover data April 2023.

While there isn’t any data to state exactly what you’ll pay for temporary cover as a student, those aged 17-24 (who are more likely to be students than older drivers) pay £30.72** on average for an hour’s worth of temporary cover, slightly higher than the all-age average of £21.92**.

There are a number of reasons why younger drivers pay more for their cover, but it mainly comes down risk. Insurers see younger drivers as riskier to insure than older, more experienced ones and charge them a higher price as a result. There are stats to back up their view too: 20% of all serious or fatal car accidents involve a driver aged 17-24, according to government research.⁺

Age isn’t the only factor that determines what you pay though: where you live, your car’s value and how long you’ve held your licence all have an impact.

For a deeper dive into exactly how your car insurance is calculated, see our guide.

^**Tempcover data April 2023.
⁺According to Government research 2021

Can I get student discount on a temporary policy?

Unfortunately not. Discount isn’t usually available on student car insurance, whether temporary or not.

Some insurance providers offer specific student policies, but these tend to come with additional extras rather than at a lower price.

There are other ways for students to save though.

See our guide for tips on getting the best deal on your car insurance.

How could temporary insurance benefit students?

If you’re a student, temporary insurance can be a useful way to keep your driving costs down.

Our data shows that 17-24-year-olds pay £1,621.50⁺⁺ on average for their car insurance. Government figures also show that 17-29-year-olds drive significantly less than those aged 30 to 69⁺.

According to student finance statistics, 9 in 10 students reported that their living costs had increased in comparison to the previous year.

Temporary policies give younger drivers, and especially students, a way to bring these costs down by only insuring themselves for the exact amount of time they spend behind the wheel.

Here are some scenarios where temporary insurance may be particularly handy for students:

You leave your car at home while at uni: Rather than taking out a full annual policy, which costs £1621.50⁺⁺ on average for drivers 17-24, you could take out a temporary policy whenever you’re back home. With a week costing £183.21** on average for the same age group, this could be a way to significantly reduce your outgoings on insurance.

You drive less while at uni: If you’re within walking distance of campus, you might find yourself doing far fewer miles than before uni. A temporary policy could help you save by allowing you to only insure yourself for the time you spend driving.

You want to borrow your housemate’s car: If you have your housemate’s permission, you could take out a temporary policy on their car and be legally covered to drive it. You might assume you could drive their car anyway if you have insurance in place on your own car. But this isn’t the case! Driving Other Cars cover, otherwise known as DOC, is included with some insurance policies, but it’s usually for emergencies only. Unless it was a genuine emergency, driving your housemate’s car would be illegal without a policy in place to cover you. Temporary insurance could be a way to ensure you’re legally covered.

⁺⁺Confused.com data, 24/02/2023 to 24/05/2023
⁺According to government figures 2021.
^**Tempcover data April 2023

Who is Tempcover?

Our trusted partner Tempcover is a leading provider of short-term car insurance and has been helping customers find temporary cover for over a decade. All temporary car insurance policies compared through Confused.com are administered by them.

When you get a quote, we'll use the details you supply to compare a range of insurers who work with Tempcover, and we'll then show you a price based on your requirements. They compare comprehensive insurance policies from a range of insurers to help you find the cover you need.

Does temporary insurance come with any drawbacks?

While it can be handy for students, temporary cover does come with some drawbacks.

It can be less practical

If you're relying on temporary policies to insure your car, you'll need to take out a new one every time you get behind the wheel. You’ll also need to SORN your car between policies. This SORNing and UnSORNing could become tiresome as well as impractical if you don’t have somewhere away from a public road you can store your car.

It can be harder to get

The eligibility criteria is a little bit stricter on temporary policies than it is on standard car insurance. This is especially so for foreign students, who might find it tricky to find cover due to the rules around residency status on temporary policies. See the modules below for a list of eligibility criteria you’ll need to meet in order to take out cover.

It's more expensive overall

The cost of a day’s worth of cover is significantly more expensive on a temporary policy than it is on a standard annual one. The overall cost of a yearly policy is far higher, but break this down to a daily cost and it actually works out cheaper per day. The obvious downside of an annual policy is that you're tied into it for longer though.

There may be better alternatives

If you’re looking to save on your insurance, a pay-as-you-go car insurance policy may be a better option. With these policies, you pay a base rate for your cover, and are billed for each mile you drive on top. If you drive infrequently these can be a good way to save. Black box policies are also a popular option with students looking to save.

Learn more about SORNing a car

Am I eligible for temporary insurance?

To take out a temporary policy, you’ll need:

To be aged between 17 and 78
Have been a permanent resident in the UK for at least 12 months, or be a British expatriate who has previously been a resident of the UK.
Hold a full or provision UK licence, or a full EU licence
Have received no more than 7 licence points in the last 3 years
Have not been disqualified in the last 2 years
Have had no more than 2 at-fault claims made against you in the last 3 years
Have received no criminal convictions, ASBOs or CBOs.
Have never had a previous policy declared void by an insurer

There are a few rules around the vehicle too:

The car must be worth between £1,500 and £65,000
The car must be roadworthy, with a valid MOT
The car must be taxed, unless you're using your drive away insurance to tax it

Can I take out temporary insurance on my housemate’s car?

Yes, if you want to insure yourself to drive your housemate’s car, you can use temporary insurance to do this.

You’ll need their permission, but as long as you meet the eligibility criteria, and insure the car to the right address, you’ll be able to get cover quickly and easily.

If you’re involved in an accident while insured on the car, it’s worth noting that any claim you need to make won’t affect the car owner’s no claim’s discount, so any bonus they’ve built up will remain intact.

Explore other types of car insurance

Pay-as-you-go insurance

Lets you only pay for the miles you drive.

Black box car insurance

Lets you prove you're a safe driver, and save money on your policy, even if you're inexperienced or seen as high risk.

Car insurance

Is a legal requirement if you're driving in the UK. Find out more about choosing the right cover at the right price.

Young driver car insurance

Offers flexible insurance options for younger drivers.

Temporary car insurance

Offers short-term comprehensive cover from one hour to 28 days.

New driver insurance

For those who are new to driving or hold a provisional licence.

Want to learn more about car insurance?

Car insurance no-claims bonus explained

Building up a no-claims bonus could make a big difference to what you pay each year in car insurance costs.

Car insurance policy types explained

Figuring out which level of cover suits you can be a headache. Here’s a quick rundown of the most common policy types and what they do.

The best and worst universities for parking in the UK

With train fares becoming increasingly expensive, many freshers will be wondering whether it’s worth keeping their car with them for the whole term. So which universities are the most car friendly?

What happens if I don’t get car insurance?

Making sure you’re insured to drive doesn’t just protect you, it’s also a legal requirement.

See all car insurance guides

Confused.com's temporary cover solution is provided by Tempcover LTD. Tempcover LTD are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under firm reference number 746985. Tempcover LTD is registered in England No. 9923259 at office: 2nd floor, Admiral House, Harington Way, Fleet, Hampshire, GU51 4BB. Confused.com is an intermediary and receives a percentage of commission received by Tempcover LTD.