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Temporary van insurance is cover you can take out to drive a van for a short period of time, usually between a few hours and a few weeks.
A temporary van insurance policy will work in much the same way as standard cover, except that it only lasts for a short period of time rather than offering protection for the full year.
You’ll be able to take out a van insurance policy that will cover you for a set number of hours, days, weeks or even months at a time.
You may find a short-term or temporary van insurance policy is more useful and cost effective than annual cover if you need the vehicle for:
If you’re moving or helping someone else move, using your own van can be cheaper than a removal company – just ensure you have the right protection for your possessions while moving too
You might also need short-term cover for a van if you’re using it to transport large items you’ve bought or sold – but again make sure you have the right cover for the items themselves
Road trips are always fun, but if you’re sharing the driving burden then you might want to take out a temporary van insurance policy, to ensure everyone is covered to get behind the wheel for their fair share
If you’re buying a new van, you may need to take out temporary cover to test drive potential vehicles, as well as to drive it home from the seller before you sort your annual policy out
Young drivers often pay more for cover, owing to their lack of experience on the road. If you’re looking to get insured on a van but you don’t want a full policy, short-term cover may be a cheaper alternative
Temporary van insurance can be a useful alternative to full annual policies if you don’t need the full year of cover – but it does have drawbacks you should also consider:
The overall cost of cover may be more expensive than an annual policy
It might not be as convenient if you need cover multiple times a year
As most temporary van insurance policies will included fully comprehensive cover as standard, you will generally be covered for:
Caused by theft, vandalism, fire, or damage sustained in an accident
Damage to a third party, their vehicle or their property, and any resulting claims
Any personal items you keep in the van, such as a sat nav or sunglasses
Many policies will also include third-party cover for driving in the EU
Like any other motor insurance policy, you’ll have the option of adding extra features to your cover – however you’ll likely need to pay a little extra if they aren’t already included as standard.
Breakdown cover: If your van breaks down while you’re on the road, this will cover the cost of calling for roadside assistance
Motor legal protection: Sometimes called legal cover, this will cover a range of legal costs you might face if someone makes a claim against you
Personal accident: A personal accident policy offers a pay out if you’re seriously injured or killed in a road accident
If temporary van insurance doesn’t quite meet your needs, you might want to consider these alternatives:
If you need cover for driving a van you don’t own, instead of taking out your own policy you can get yourself added to the driver’s existing cover as a ‘named driver’ – but this will cause the policy holder’s premiums to increase
If you already have motor insurance, you may be able to add the van to your existing policy for a set period of time – it’s worth contacting your insurer to check your options, but again your premiums will almost certainly go up
Finding a temporary van insurance policy is quick and easy when you compare policies with MoneySuperMarket and our preferred partner Safely Insured.
Give us a few details about yourself, your van, and how you use it
Choose how long you want your temporary policy to last
Compare quotes from a range of providers to find the deal you want
Temporary van insurance policies are a cheaper alternative than buying annual cover if you only need to use your van for a short space of time – this is because you only pay for insurance when it’s required.
However the actual cost of your policy will depend on a number of factors, including:
Insurers generally charge older drivers less for cover, as they’re statistically less likely to be involved in a road accident than younger drivers
Bigger and more powerful vans are harder to control and therefore more dangerous on the road – so insurers charge more to cover these vehicles
If you have a history of claims or driving convictions these are likely to increase your insurance costs, even for temporary cover
"Temporary van insurance offers greater flexibility when buying cover, so you don’t need to spend money on an annual policy if you only need it for a few days or weeks. But it’s always important to compare your options, so you can be confident that you’re getting a good deal – that’s why we offer a comparison with Safely Insured, helping you find affordable short-term van insurance. "
- Sara Newell, Motor and Van Insurance Lead
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Whether or not you’ll qualify for a temporary van insurance policy will depend on the provider and their requirements. For example:
The minimum age for the policy is likely to be 17, but some providers may ask that you be at least 18 or 21
You may need to have held your licence for a certain amount of time
The provider could also require that you have no criminal convictions or no more than a certain number of penalty points on your licence
Your van will likely have to meet certain requirements too, such as gross vehicle weight, number of seats, modifications and market value
Yes, you should be able to take out temporary van insurance to drive someone else’s van.
You should also be able to get temporary cover for someone else driving a van that belongs to you.
The claim process should be the same as any other motor insurance policy – depending on your provider, you should be able to claim online, by phone or by postal form.
Most temporary policies will include third-party cover for driving in the EU, while also offering the option to upgrade this to fully comprehensive. This cover may not extend to places outside of the EU – you should ask your insurer.
You should be able to have more than one driver on a temporary insurance policy – it’s worth asking your insurer to be sure.
Most providers will offer cover for a range of vans and van types – such as:
Pick-ups
Box vans
Luton vans
Tippers
Motorhomes and caravans
Horseboxes
Some providers might offer cover for vans and cars, and potentially other types of vehicles, all on one policy – it’s worth getting in touch with your current provider to find out what they offer.
There are certain things you can do to try and lower the cost of temporary van insurance, such as:
Paying more excess: If you can volunteer a higher excess fee, you’ll indicate to insurers that you’ll be unlikely to make small claims that won’t be worth the cost – lowering your risk
Pick your van wisely: Vans in higher insurance groups are generally bigger and more powerful, and as such they’re more expensive to insure. Picking a smaller van is likely to be cheaper
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Suited for social, domestic and pleasure use, not for commercial and business uses.
You might be a plumber or a plasterer, a florist or a fishmonger, but your van is no doubt vital to your business.
There are some times when you only need to insurance over a short period of time.
If your business runs more than one van, you should consider a fleet van insurance policy.
You might be self-employed who drives a van for work, or you might just have a pick-up truck as your vehicle of choice.
If you have been convicted of a motoring offence then finding an affordable van insurance quote can be difficult.
If you only need a van for a short period of time, you may be concerned about insurance policies.
If you own a classic van then you will want to make sure it is adequately insured.
It’s not only cars that people need to find insurance cover for.
Times are tough. Steep tax, insurance and fuel costs are all combining to make owning a van expensive.
You work hard to earn your money, and we don’t think you should waste a penny of it paying over the odds on your household bills. That’s why at MoneySuperMarket, we’re on a mission to save Britain money.
So how do we make our money? In a nutshell, when you use us to buy something, we get a reward from the company you’re buying from.
You might be wondering if we work with all the companies in the market, or if our commercial relationships with our partners might make us feature one company above another. We’ve got nothing to hide, and we want to give you clear answers when it comes to questions like these, so we’ve pulled together everything you need to know on this page.
