Temporary van insurance

What is temporary van insurance?

Temporary van insurance is a short term, comprehensive insurance policy to protect you and your van for between 1 hour and 28 days.

Unlike conventional van insurance, short term and temporary van insurance policies allow you to get comprehensive cover to drive a van, just for the period you need.

If driving a van is something you do rarely, it’s a great way to get comprehensive insurance protection at a price that reflects the amount you drive.

What does temporary van insurance cover?

Temporary van insurance gives you all the cover you’d get with annual van insurance.

Exactly what you’re covered for can differ from policy to policy, but most temporary insurance will cover you for:

• Theft if your van is stolen
• Repair or replacement costs if your van is damaged in an accident, by fire or vandalism
• Claims from third parties
• The cost of replacing your personal belongings depending on your insurer, as well as your policy
• Driving in the EU, although again this depends on your insurer
• Damage you inflict on a third party whether that's their property or their vehicle, even if you're at fault

Pros and cons of temporary van insurance

If you’re only driving a van as a one off or on an occasional basis, short term van insurance could be cheaper and more flexible than standard year-long cover.

But there are pros cons to any policy. For temporary van insurance these include:

Pros

• Only pay for the cover you need
• Protected no-claims bonus on any other vehicles you own
• Arrange cover in minutes

Cons:

• Less convenient than annual cover if you drive regularly
• Not all benefits you’d get on a 12-month policy are included
• Can work out more expensive than an annual policy

What do I need to get a temporary van insurance quote?

Here's what you'll need to get a quote:

Personal details

• Your name and address
• Your licence details
• What you’re going to be using the van for - for example, social and domestic use or business use
• Full payment details

Van details

• Details of the van you’d like insurance for
• How long you’d like cover for
• The date and time you’d like cover to begin

Can you get temporary van insurance for longer than a month?

Temporary van insurance policies typically only last for up to a month. However, you can buy as many as you like back to back, so if you need cover for multiple months in a row, this is a potential solution.

However bear in mind that this may not be the most cost effective way to get cover. If you think you'll be driving frequently, a standard van insurance policy might work better.