International Car Insurance

International auto insurance is a broad term for car insurance that protects drivers abroad. If you’re an expat or work abroad and are planning to use your vehicle in another country, often your domestic car insurance policy won’t cover this due to territory restrictions. International car insurance has different levels of coverage, depending on the policy you choose. Our Third-Party Liability Insurance covers property damage and bodily harm to others, and physical damage (our Worldwide Car Insurance policy) keeps your vehicle protected from collision, theft, or other damage.

Excess liability supplements the local compulsory liability coverage you are required to carry in each county you are traveling in.

This means, in the unfortunate event that your vehicle is damaged or stolen in another country, if you get into an accident, or if your local compulsory third party liability coverage is not enough to cover third party bodily injury or property damage, you can file a claim on your international auto insurance for physical damages and excess liability.

All three coverages—Third-Party Liability, Worldwide Car Insurance (which covers physical damage), and Excess Liability—can be combined to maximize your protection.

Most domestic insurance policies do not cover you when traveling abroad due to territory restrictions, meaning you will have to take out an additional insurance policy that covers expatriates in foreign countries. However, at Clements, we offer flexible international auto insurance policies that cover you abroad and also domestic car insurance policies to cover you in the USA. If you travel to another country for work, your international car insurance policy is fully portable and will follow you wherever you decide to go. So, no matter what happens, you can drive abroad with total financial security.

All you need to do is to notify us if you change countries so we can ensure your policy is up to date, and you will have the same coverage in your new country. If your address on the policy doesn’t match your current address and you file a claim, it may cause delays or can even result in denial. Please note: should you move to a sanctioned country, your policy would not be able to continue there.

If your personal car insurance policy doesn’t cover you abroad, you need to make sure you have an international auto insurance policy in place before you drive in another country.

At Clements, our international auto insurance policies work around you, so you can select the exact coverage you need.

You can choose

• Third-Party Liability Insurance (offered in select countries),
• Worldwide Car Insurance (protects the driver’s vehicle from physical damage), and/or
• Excess Liability coverage (covers costs that exceed your third-party liability insurance).

Combine all three for maximum coverage.

Required information varies from country to country, but most policies require personal details, including driver’s license info, and vehicle information. You may be asked to provide additional information depending on each country’s regulations. For example, in Italy, the policy follows the car instead of the driver. Each country also has varying legal limits, and even with those limits, customers may need to supplement their insurance based on local factors. While some information is required, you do not need any documentation to get a policy for international car insurance.

Before shipping your vehicle, it’s very important that you deregister the vehicle with your state’s DMV and hand over the plates. The international insurance does not meet the requirements of domestic U.S. insurance.

Because of the complex nature of international car insurance, it’s important to speak with a knowledgeable advisor to ensure you are adequately covered. Clements provides coverage in more than 170 countries, and we have been insuring expats since 1947.

Rental cars are not covered under our international car insurance policies.

No, the international car policy’s coverage does not include the U.S. You need to have proper U.S. car insurance coverage to drive in the States.

Yes! Adding a second person, including foreign nationals, to your international car insurance is an option in all coverage areas. Getting a quote for a second driver is easy and usually requires basic information (birth date, license information, etc.), but please note that requirements vary by country.

If you’re moving to another country and taking your car with you, or buying a car there, you’ll definitely need local car insurance. Your domestic insurance will most likely not cover you, and driving without insurance is illegal in most countries.

Research the insurance requirements and options in the specific country you’ll be in. Our Personal Insurance team can help guide you and explain our coverage options. Some key things to keep in mind:

• Legal requirements: Different countries have different mandatory car insurance requirements. Make sure you understand the minimum coverage you need to drive legally.
• Coverage differences: Insurance coverage and types can vary significantly between countries. Some countries might have unique risks or driving styles that your home insurance wouldn’t cover.