Borrowing a Friend’s Car? Why Temporary Insurance Is Your Best Bet

Susan Difford - Clean Green Compare Personal Lines Insurance Expert
Written by Susan Difford
Updated 9 April 2025
2 min read

If you’re borrowing a friend’s car, then you’ll of course need to have a valid UK driving licence in order to drive it legally. In addition to this, you’ll also need to have the right type of insurance. If you only need cover for a short period of time, then by far the best option is to get a temporary car insurance policy.

Key points

What Is Temporary Car Insurance?

  • Get tailored cover for the period of time you need: You can get cover for as little as one hour or up to 28 days with temporary car insurance.
  • Cover for all types of cars: You can get cover for any type of car.
  • Hired cars cannot be covered: It’s important to know that hired cars cannot be covered with temporary car insurance.

stack of twenty pound notes

Do I need to get temporary car insurance?

Yes, if you’re going to be driving a friend’s car and you’re not covered under their policy (which you won’t be unless it was specifically requested), then you’ll to take out a temp policy.

How long will temporary car insurance cover me for?

This depends on how long you require it. You can get temporary car insurance from 1 hour, up to 28 days.

What is the best type of cover to get?

You can choose from the same types of cover with a temporary policy as you would with a regular one. The main insurance options are:

  • Third party only
  • Third party, fire and theft
  • Comprehensive

In Summary

  • Temporary cover is ideal for situations when you only need cover for a few hours or days
  • You’ll need to have temporary car for the car you’re borrowing to be road legal
  • You cannot get temporary cover for hired cars

Compare Temporary Car Insurance Quotes!

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