The green card, or carta verde, is the international motor insurance certificate: the document that proves a car has compulsory third-party liability insurance. It still exists, but it is no longer green, it can live on your phone and it is only essential on trips to countries such as Morocco, Türkiye or Albania.
Drivers must carry proof of insurance. This certificate is the most common one, but not the only one: until it arrives, the provisional certificate or the paid premium notice also count.
This guide explains what the insurance green card is, where to find the green card number, whether you need a paper copy, how the digital green card works and when to take it on a trip abroad.
What is the insurance green card?
Its official name is the international motor insurance certificate. According to Portugal's insurance supervisor, the ASF, it is one of four documents that prove a Portuguese-registered car has valid insurance:
- the international insurance certificate, its official name;
- the provisional certificate, issued until the green card arrives and valid for no more than 60 days after the contract;
- the premium notice (aviso-recibo), validated with a CTT or insurer stamp;
- the civil liability certificate, used by garages and workshops.
The insurer must issue the certificate within 60 days of the contract being signed and renew it every time the next premium is paid, whether yearly, half-yearly or monthly. The validity shown on it follows the period you have already paid for.
The document only proves compulsory third-party liability cover. Optional cover, such as own damage or glass breakage, does not appear on it: it is in your policy conditions.
Why is it called a green card if it is white?
The name comes from the green paper it used to be printed on. The Portuguese Green Card Bureau (GPCV) explains that in Portugal it stopped being printed on green paper in 2021. Today it is black on white and can be emailed to you and printed at home.
Where to find the green card number
The certificate shows the insurer, the policyholder, the policy number, the validity period and the car's make and registration. The certificate's own number is in box 4 of the international model, «Country code / Insurer code / Number»: it starts with P for Portugal, followed by the insurer's code and then the number.
If you cannot find the document, check your email or the insurer's customer area, where most insurers let you download the PDF. Your broker can also send it. If you only need to know which company insures a car, see how to check whether a car is insured by its registration.
Green card number on the accident report form
Many people look for the green card number when filling in the European accident statement (DAAA). According to the DAAA guide from the Portuguese Insurers Association, field 8 («Insurance company») identifies the insurer and the policy number. The form also asks for the green card number and its validity, and all of these are on the certificate.
In practice, take a photo of the other driver's insurance certificate. You get the insurer, policy, registration and validity in one picture, with no copying mistakes.
Is the green card compulsory? Does it have to be on paper?
Drivers must carry an insurance certificate when driving on public roads. But according to the ASF, the paper version can be replaced by the digital one. So proof is still required, but it does not need to be printed.
Digital green card and the gov.pt app
Since 11 July 2023, under Law 32/2023, the certificate can be issued and sent electronically, for example as a PDF. You can show it on your phone at a police check. If you have no electronic means, you can ask for a paper version at no extra cost.
The certificate can also be stored in the gov.pt (ID.Gov) digital wallet. The ASF makes clear that using the app is optional: a PDF on your phone is equally valid.
What about the insurance sticker on the windscreen?
It is no longer needed. Displaying the insurance sticker on the windscreen stopped being compulsory on 11 July 2023. You can remove the old one.
Fine for not having a green card
There are two different situations. Leaving the certificate at home is not the same as driving uninsured. Driving without compulsory insurance is far more serious, and the fines for it are set in the Highway Code. If the problem is a missed instalment, see what happens if you do not pay your car insurance.
The ASF adds a warning: if an insurer issues a green card valid beyond the premium paid, accidents in that period may not be covered. The date on the paper does not replace payment.
Green card for driving abroad
The system was created in 1949 so that a car insured in one country could drive in another without buying new insurance at the border. Today the Green Card system covers 47 countries in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, and Portugal has been part of it since 1953.
Do I need a green card to drive to Spain?
No. In the 36 countries that apply the Multilateral Agreement, insurance is recognised from the country where the car is registered, and the green card is not required at the border. According to the GPCV, these are:
- the 27 European Union countries, including Spain and France;
- Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway;
- Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, the United Kingdom, Serbia and Switzerland.
Take it with you anyway: after an accident in Spain or France you will have all the insurance details at hand.
Where the green card is essential
In the other countries of the system you must carry the certificate, on paper or as a PDF. This includes Morocco, Türkiye, Tunisia, Albania, North Macedonia, Moldova, Ukraine and Azerbaijan. The GPCV advises taking a printed copy too, in case your phone runs out of battery.
Before you leave, check two things. First, that the validity covers the whole trip. Second, that the code of your destination country is not crossed out on the certificate. Russia, Belarus and Iran currently have to be crossed out because they are suspended from the system.
If the country is crossed out, you must buy frontier insurance when you enter. And remember that own-damage cover does not travel automatically: according to the ASF, in most cases you need to ask your insurer for a territorial extension beforehand.
Accident with a foreign car in Portugal
If you have an accident in Portugal with a foreign-registered car, the claim goes to the foreign insurer's correspondent in Portugal. If there is no correspondent, or you do not know who it is, contact the Portuguese Green Card Bureau, based at the Portuguese Insurers Association.
The green card when selling or buying a used car
Insurance does not transfer with the car. According to the ASF, the seller must tell the insurer in writing within 24 hours and return the certificate and other proofs of insurance. They can ask for a refund of the unused premium or move the policy to another car within 120 days.
The buyer must take out new insurance before driving. If you are choosing among the 7,675 used cars for sale on auto.moto.pt, compare the insurance cost of each model early on. It helps to know which car has the cheapest insurance and to check the details on the single vehicle document (DUA).
Frequently asked questions about the green card
What is the green card?
It is the international motor insurance certificate. It proves the car has compulsory third-party liability insurance in Portugal and in the Green Card system countries.
Does the green card have to be on paper?
No. Since July 2023 the digital version is valid in Portugal. For trips to countries such as Morocco or Türkiye, take a printed copy as well.
How much does the green card cost?
It is not paid for separately. The insurer issues it with the compulsory insurance once the premium is paid and renews it with each payment.
How long does the green card take to arrive?
The insurer has up to 60 days after the contract is signed. Until then, the provisional certificate or the paid premium notice serve as proof.
Does the green card cover damage to my own car?
No. It only proves third-party liability, meaning damage caused to others. Damage to your own car depends on the optional cover in your policy.
