If you have recently applied for what has always been known as a ‘green card’ to travel outside the European Union (EU), you will have verified that it is no longer printed in that color, but in white. And that, officially, it has been called in this way that you should already know: CIS, which is nothing more than the acronym for the International Certificate of Insurance.
In reality, this change occurred in 2021 but, with the restrictions on mobility put in place by the Member States to contain the spread of Covid-19, it went somewhat unnoticed.
But what exactly does the International Certificate of Insurance entail? It is a document that proves the existence of automobile insurance outside the European economic area, thus covering Spanish victims of accidents caused by foreign vehicles.
In this way, if you travel outside our borders with this document, you will be able to demonstrate to any authority that you have current mandatory civil liability insurance, and, what is also very important, that you have compensation coverage in case you find yourself involved. in any type of traffic accident.
Therefore, whenever you are going to travel outside the EU with your vehicle, we recommend that, first of all, you check the countries in which it is necessary for you to carry the CIS with you. Currently, if necessary, you should be able to present it, with all validity, both printed in black and white and in PDF format. Most insurers already include in their policies ‘the green card’ -although now it is white- or CIS.
However, if this is not the case, it is advisable to request it with enough time to allow time to manage everything, since the minimum validity of the document is 15 days from the date of issue and the maximum, one year. This is how Traffic Help informs us.
On the other hand, you may find yourself with the unpleasant and inopportune surprise that your company does not offer this document, since in reality none is obliged to provide it to you by law unless it has been expressly contracted. If you find yourself in this situation, as an alternative, you will have to request what is called ‘border insurance’ or ‘day insurance’, which will be given to you in the State you are going to visit and for a limited time.
Apart from all of this, it is worth bearing in mind that if you suffer any mishap with your car outside of Spain or the European Union, you always have the option of contacting the Consulate or Embassy of our country in that territory: they can help you very helpful, especially in those territories whose legislation is particularly different from ours.
For this, there is a consular emergency telephone number in each case, which works 24 hours a day, from which they can advise you in case of any unforeseen event. And as always, if you also have the contact of a lawyer who is a specialist in traffic issues, the better, because he will be the one who can best guide you, step by step, so that you follow all the necessary protocol in a faster way. , efficient and beneficial for you and for those traveling with you.
Source: Traffic Help
