Quick & Easy Temporary Vehicle Insurance
Get affordable cover, unbelievably fast
To get started, tell us the reg of the car, van, or bike you want cover for
Maybe not, choose your own duration
Choose short term cover that’s right for you
Drivers aged 17-78 can easily find flexible short-term car insurance from 1 hour to 28 days – ideal for a range of everyday situations.
Get flexible, short-term cover for a range of delivery jobs including single or multi-stop deliveries with temporary courier insurance.
Get up to 7 days cover with temporary motorbike insurance. It’s ideal fo occasional riders.
Our customers love us
Always quick and easy to get insurance…
Mr Vaughan
Great company
Phil
Quick and simple insurance
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Why choose Tempcover for your temporary cover?
We're a leading provider
Since 2006, we’ve delivered short-term insurance products for 2.5 million drivers.
We compare prices
We work with a panel of insurers to help you get the policy you need from a range of options and durations. This means you only pay for the time you choose plus additional extras to help get the cover you want.
Flexible policy durations
Depending on the type of vehicle you need to insure, you can select the duration you want from just 1 hour up to 28 days.
What does temporary insurance cover?
What's covered with short term car insurance?
- Fully comprehensive insurance (excluding impounded) on policies from 1 hour to 28 days
- Accidental and malicious damage to your car
- Cover for injury or damage to another person or their property
- Driving in the UK
- In some instances driving in the EU with the third-party or equivalent level
What's optional with short term car insurance?
- Legal Expenses Cover providing up to £100,000 cover for legal costs including uninsured loss recovery for accidents that are not your fault
- Excess Reduction Cover, reducing your policy excess to as close as £100 as possible
What's optional with short term car insurance?
- The excess you agreed to pay
- Release from an impound (unless you buy a specific temporary impounded vehicle policy)
- Additional drivers – we can only cover the driver named on the policy
- A sole claim or separate cover for broken/damaged glass including the windscreen
Tempcover works with a panel of insurers to ensure we can provide temporary car insurance for as many drivers as possible. Because of this, full details of cover may differ depending on the insurer. Please double-check the policy wording before purchasing to confirm what is specifically covered in your policy
The cover you need for the duration you want
Full cover, no impact
Get fully comprehensive cover on our standard short term policies - plus it won't affect your no claims discount
Hourly, daily, weekly
Choose the duration you want with 1-12 hour and 1-28 day cover available - don't pay for cover you don't need
All customised, nothing added
Customise your policy to suit your specific situation - get the policy you want and even choose the minute you want your policy to begin
Full cover, no impact
Hourly, daily, weekly
All customised, nothing added
Forget long quotes. Get a price in under 2 minutes
No difficult questions
We've removed the difficult questions most insurance providers ask, so getting a quote is quick and easy. You can see your cheapest insurance quote in under 2 minutes
Quick quote comparison
We do the comparison work to find your cheapest quote. We’ll compare quotes from our panel of insurers in seconds and show you the best price.
Mobile, tablet, desktop & app
Get quick and easy quotes online 24/7 on mobile, tablet, desktop and psst...it's even quicker on the tempcover.com app!
No difficult questions
Quick quote comparison
Mobile, tablet, desktop & app
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What our expert says
Whether you’re borrowing a car, moving house, visiting friends and family, or learning to drive, temporary vehicle insurance can help you find the cover you need for your situation. It’s quick, easy, and gives you peace of mind on the road.
Marc Pell
Managing Director
Why get hourly car insurance from Tempcover?
Whether you’re looking for car insurance to cover you for one hour, two hours or half a day, we can give you the peace of mind that comes with having comprehensive cover precisely when you need it. Here’s why we’re a great choice:
- Tempcover is a leading provider of hourly insurance for drivers in the UK, with over 15 years of experience in the industry. We’ve helped millions of car owners get flexible insurance at affordable prices.
- We work with a panel of insurers to make it easier to get the policy you need with a range of options and durations.
- Our hourly car insurance policies are ideal if you just need to quickly borrow someone’s vehicle or let them borrow yours.
- Getting a quote from us and setting up your cover is unbelievably quick and simple.
- Our highly skilled team is always working hard to make it easy for you to access a flexible, hourly policy.
- We’ve been praised by customers and recognised by other businesses and insurance bodies for our customer-centric approach to a field that can sometimes appear complex.
- We have an ‘Excellent’ rating overall on Trustpilot.
Discover more about temporary insurance
Find out how we can help you
Affordable cover, unbelievably fast
Frequently asked questions
How does short-term vehicle insurance work?
Short–term vehicle insurance gives you fully comprehensive cover for a set period. It is available hourly, daily, weekly or monthly, so you have a choice of durations that could suit your needs.
- Cost: The amount you pay for your cover depends on the duration, along with other factors such as the car’s mileage and make. When you begin the quote process with us, you will be given an estimate of how much your temp insurance will cost based on the information you provide.
- Timing: You can tell us when you need your cover to begin. With short-term insurance, we understand that you might need to arrange a policy at the last minute, so you can get a quote under 2 minutes.
Begin the quote process now and follow the steps to arrange your insurance policy.
How quickly can I get temporary insurance?
Our temporary car insurance is designed to be flexible and straightforward, so you could be on the road within minutes of purchasing your insurance policy with Tempcover.
It’s important to note that your insurance status may not be updated on the Motor Insurance Database straight away. We recommend that you print or screenshot your Insurance Certificate and carry it with you as proof of your insurance and legal entitlement to drive the vehicle.
Am I eligible for temporary insurance?
We cover drivers who want to be insured to drive a car or other vehicle for a short period. You might want to share a long drive or borrow someone else’s car. Your car might be at the garage for repairs, so you need to borrow someone else’s car in the meantime.
Whatever the reason, we have eligibility criteria that you must fulfil to take out short-term car insurance with us. This includes:
- You must be aged between 17 and 78 years old (depending on which temporary insurance product you select)
- You must hold a UK driving licence, an EU driving licence or a UK provisional driving licence
- You must have been a permanent UK resident for the last 12 months or a British expatriate who has previously been a permanent resident of the UK
- You must have no more than 7 licence points in the last 3 years
- You must not have been disqualified from driving for the last 2 years
Before you start the quote process, check the eligibility criteria to ensure that your request for cover is likely to be successful.
Can I get temporary insurance to drive a van?
Of course! With Tempcover, you can find affordable and comprehensive short–term van insurance options. Our policies start from just 1 hour and go up to 28 days, so you’ll only have to pay for the duration you need.
For more information on the cover available, visit our temporary van insurance page.
Can I use temporary insurance for business use?
Tempcover short–term insurance policies cover commuting to and from one place of work, as well as social and domestic use.
You may need more in-depth cover if you’re using your car for Class 1 business use or travelling to multiple places of work. In these cases, you should check the Insurer’s Declaration after you’ve received a quote to see if the level of cover is suitable. It’s important to check this before you pay for a policy with us.
Can I use temporary insurance to drive in Europe?
Our temporary car, van, and motorbike insurance policies cover you to drive in all EU member states. The following countries are also covered:
- Gibraltar
- Iceland
- Liechtenstein
- Monaco
- Norway
- San Marino
- Switzerland
- Andorra
Be sure to know which countries you’ll be driving in before you purchase your short-term car insurance so you can check what level of cover is needed.
Can I tax a vehicle if I have temporary insurance?
Yes, you can tax a car covered by temporary insurance in one of two ways. You can do this online on the DVLA website or visit your local post office with your insurance documentation.
What is policy excess? How much is it?
The policy excess is the amount you agree to pay towards a claim in the event of an incident. This amount will need to be paid to get your vehicle repaired or replaced.
With temporary insurance, you’ll only have to pay compulsory access – the amount you need to pay towards the cost of your claim. This is a pre-agreed amount but will differ depending on the duration of your policy and the level of protection provided.
Are there any restrictions on short-term cover?
As long as you meet our eligibility criteria, you’re likely to receive temp car insurance from Tempcover. But there are some things we do not cover:
- No vehicle modifications allowed (those designed to aid disabled drivers are exempt)
- Left-hand-drive cars
- Cars with more than 8 seats
- Hire and loan vehicles
- Hire and reward vehicles (excluding our courier scheme)
- Use for carrying hazardous goods or at hazardous locations
- SORN vehicles
- International driving licences
You can find more details on what we don’t cover by checking our eligibility page.
When is temporary car insurance not suitable?
There are certain circumstances where temporary car insurance with Tempcover isn’t the right choice. These include:
- No vehicle modifications allowed (except for those designed to aid disabled drivers)
- Left-hand-drive cars (we do insure left-hand-drive motorhomes)
- Cars with more than 8 seats in total
- Commercial vehicles with more than 5 seats in total
- Use for hire or loan vehicles (i.e. vehicle rentals, vehicle salvage/recovery agents, credit hire vehicle/companies and accident management companies)
- Use for hire and reward (excluding our courier scheme which covers the carriage of goods for hire and reward purposes), racing, pace-making, speed testing, commercial travelling or use for any purpose in relation to the motor trade
- Use for carrying hazardous goods or use at a hazardous location
- Vehicles declared as SORN
- International driving licences
Can I cancel my policy?
We are unable to make any changes or additions to your cover once you’ve purchased a policy, but you can cancel it at any time by contacting us.
However, due to the short-term nature of temporary car insurance, you will not receive a full refund.
Can I take out insurance for my MOT?
Every vehicle you want to insure must have a valid MOT. You can, however, purchase short–term insurance to drive your vehicle to MOT appointments.
What happens if I have an accident while I’ve got temporary cover?
If you’ve been involved in an accident, there are immediate steps you need to take:
- Stop at the scene. It is an offence to drive away from an accident once it’s taken place
- Use your hazard lights to warn other road users and help prevent any further accidents
- Check that everyone in your vehicle is safe and call an ambulance if there are any injuries
- Record the damage by taking photos of any vehicles involved in the accident, including registration numbers, and any road signage
- Don’t admit responsibility at the scene of the accident or when talking with the other party
- Take witness details as they can help you win your claim if the other party contests your version of events
- Call our dedicated claims team on 0333 241 3392 as soon as you can to start the claims process
How does the Tempcover claims process work?
Even when you take necessary precautions, the worst can still happen. If it does, Tempcover is here to support you every step of the way. To make a claim with us, call our dedicated team on 0333 241 3392 and they’ll collect the details of your claim.
If applicable, they can help you arrange repairs and a replacement car or even help you reclaim uninsured losses.
Will my no claims discount be affected if I make a claim?
Short-term car insurance is separate from an annual policy, so it won’t affect your NCD if you need to make a claim in the event of an incident.
Will I build up my no claims discount with temporary car insurance?
You’re not able to build up your NCD on a short–term car insurance policy. This is because temp insurance does not renew after the maximum duration of 28 days, so each policy counts as new.
