Emergency Short-Term Cover: What to Do if Your Annual Policy Lapses

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

Most people will try to get a better deal when their annual car insurance policy comes to an end. This usually means getting quotes from a lot of different insurance providers and comparing them. This becomes an issue though, if your policy lapses before you have new cover in place. In such a scenario, temporary car insurance is an ideal solution. We’ll be looking at the different aspects of temporary car insurance in more detail in this guide.

Key points

Is Emergency Short-Term Cover Right For Me?

Some of the main uses for temporary car insurance are:

  • Getting short-term cover while you arrange a new long-term policy
  • Emergency uses, such as having to drive a friend or family member to the hospital
  • Moving house
  • Borrowing a friend’s car

Car on a road

How long does emergency short-term cover last for?

Temporary car insurance is flexible and can be tailored to your exact needs. This means it can cover you from as little as one hour and up to 28 days.

Can I get cover for a hire car?

No. You can get cover for a friend or family member’s car but you cannot take out temporary cover for a hire car.

Is emergency short-term cover expensive?

This depends on a few factors, such as:

  • Your age
  • The car you’re insuring
  • The length of the policy
  • The level of cover you take out

In Summary

  • You cannot get cover for a hire car
  • You can easily tailor your cover so it suits your exact needs
  • Temp cover is very useful when your current policy expires and you’re shopping around for a new one

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