Car Insurance

Already have a policy with us? Take a look at our insurance support pages.

Half of our customers got cover for £280 or less

What is car insurance?

Car insurance is a legal requirement to drive on UK roads. Car insurance pays out if your car is stolen, vandalised, catches on fire or if you are involved in an accident. As a minimum, it protects you against any damage you cause to other road users, the public or their property – these are called third parties. The level of protection depends on what type of policy you choose.

There are 3 levels of car insurance and the level you choose will determine how much protection you have when it comes to making a claim.

You only need to claim on your policy when an accident is your fault. If another driver is to blame, their insurance should pay instead.

The benefits of our car insurance

Panel of insurers

BISL will search a panel of carefully selected insurers to calculate your price

Cover to suit you

Cover if your car is in an accident, damaged by fire or stolen

Driving abroad

Get up to 60 days cover at the same level as your UK car insurance policy

Get a quote

Apply online, or if you need to speak to someone for help with your application, please call BISL on 0330 018 2621

Levels of car insurance

Comprehensive

This is the highest level of cover and covers you, your car and your passengers as well as any third parties involved in an accident. It will pay out if your car is vandalised or stolen.

Third party, fire and theft

Covers third parties involved in an accident. It will pay out if your car is stolen or damaged caused by fire. It will not pay out to cover the damage to your vehicle after an accident or act of vandalism.

Third party only

This is the most basic level of car insurance and covers the liability for injury to others and any damage to third party property only. This level of cover is the minimum requirement for motorists in the UK.

Compare car insurance cover

We can offer you the choice between three levels of cover. See the table below to compare the differences between them.

What it covers	Comprehensive	Third party fire and theft	Third party only
Cover if your car is stolen or damaged by fire or accident
24 hour emergency helpline and claims service
Windscreen cover (subject to excess)
Courtesy Car (subject to availability and eligibility)
Driving in the EU: up to 60 days EU cover
Unlimited cover on manufacturer-fitted audio, sat nav and entertainment equipment
Stolen keys cover – up to £500
Personal belongings cover – up to £100
Approved claims repairs guarantee for 3 years

For full details on what’s covered, policy terms, conditions, and exclusions, please see our policy documents which is available to download when you receive a quote.

How does car insurance work?

Choose from comprehensive, third party fire and theft, and third party only cover. For full details on what’s covered, policy terms, conditions, and exclusions, please see our policy document which is available to download when you receive a quote. Compulsory excesses apply.

1. Take out a policy

You can do this online or by calling BISL on 0330 018 2621 to speak to someone who can provide information on a non-advised basis.

2. Pay

You can choose to pay for your car insurance annually or monthly by Direct Debit which is subject to interest.

3. Make a claim

24 hour accident and claims line available by calling BISL on 0344 854 9823. Or for more information visit how to claim on your insurance

4. Pay out

Once your claim is approved, a payout is made.

How to make a claim

Find your next car

Your Red Car is a car-buying site backed by Santander where you can search 1,000s of cars online from over 2,000 sellers nationwide. All the sellers have been approved by Santander Consumer (UK) plc and you’ll even get a £75 e-gift reward when you make a purchase. (Conditions and exclusions apply, available at selected retailers only).

Visit Your Red Car to learn more about how it works and start searching for your next car.

Find your car

Santander Consumer (UK) plc trading as Santander Consumer Finance. Registered Office: Santander House, 86 Station Road, Redhill. Surrey RH1 1SR. Registered in England number 2248870. Santander Consumer (UK) plc is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in respect of agreements regulated by the Consumer Credit Act 1974 and for general insurance mediation activity. Our Firm Reference Number is 444327. Santander Consumer Finance and the Flame logo are registered trademarks.

The policyholder is the person who takes out the car insurance policy. The main driver will earn the no claims discount and this can be different to the policyholder.

Named drivers are additional drivers nominated by the policyholder who are entitled to drive the vehicle under the policy.

Choose from fully comprehensive, third party fire and theft, and third party only cover.
Fully comprehensive cover includes as standard:

cover if your car is stolen or damaged by fire or accident
windscreen replacement and 24/7 repair helpline
courtesy car while yours is being repaired by an approved repairer (subject to availability and eligibility)
driving in the EU: up to 60 days in any period of insurance (your cover will be the same as it is in the UK)
unlimited cover on manufacturer-fitted audio, sat nav and entertainment equipment
stolen keys cover – up to £500
personal belongings cover – up to £100
repair work cover – 3 year guarantee on all approved claims repairs.

For full details on what’s covered, policy terms, conditions, and exclusions, please see our policy document which is available to download when you receive a quote.

Tailor your Santander Car Insurance with these optional extras for an additional cost:

motor legal protection
breakdown cover
guaranteed replacement car
no claims discount protection.

Full details on these optional extras are available when you get a quote. For full details on what’s covered, policy terms, conditions, and exclusions, please see our policy document which is available to download when you receive a quote.

When you get a quote, you’ll be able to download our policy document. This has full details of the cover, optional extras, policy terms, conditions and exclusions.

For information on how your data will be used you can look at our data protection statement (1.50 MB)

Santander Car Insurance is subject to standard underwriting and acceptance criteria. Quotations are valid for 30 days. Cover is subject to terms, conditions, restrictions and exclusions. Compulsory excesses apply. Full details are available in the policy document, available to download when you receive a quote. Please read the policy document before purchasing the policy.

You no longer need a green card if you're planning on driving a vehicle and towed caravans or trailers in the EU and EEA. However, you may still need a green card if you're planning on visiting certain countries.

Countries you don't need a green card for

Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Republic of Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

Countries you may need a green card for

Albania, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Iran, Israel, Moldova, Morocco, Russia, Tunisia, Turkey, and Ukraine.

Your insurance cover in these countries will depend on what your policy states. An additional premium may also apply under the terms of your policy.

How to get a green card

Please contact BISL's customer service team on 0344 854 9822 at least 21 days before you're due to travel. Opening hours are:

Monday to Friday, 8am-8pm
Saturday, 8am-6pm
Sunday, 10am-4pm

See our call charges page for more information

If they agree to the cover and you've paid any additional premiums, they'll arrange for a green card to be sent to you if required.

What you'll need to take when travelling

You'll need to take a copy of your Certificate of Insurance, your driving licence, and your V5C logbook. You'll also need to display a UK sticker on your vehicle.

To drive in some EU/EEA countries, you may also need an International Driving Permit.

Trailer registration

If you intend to tow a trailer with your vehicle, depending on the type of trailer you have, you may also need to register your trailer before you travel. Please visit the government’s trailer registration page for more details.

If you took out or renewed a policy with us after May 2021

Please check 'Section 9 Driving Abroad' in your policy's terms and conditions. It will still contain information about the previous EU ruling, which advised that Green Cards were required in all circumstances. BISL will not be reissuing policy documents in the short term. However, if you choose to renew your policy at your next renewal, this section will be updated.

For more information on driving abroad and any required documentation, please take a look at the websites listed below.

The government's driving abroad page covers the basics you need to know before travelling.
They also have a dedicated page on vehicle insurance when driving abroad
Depending on which country you're travelling to, you may need an international driving permit and how long you're planning to stay.

If you’re an existing Santander Car Insurance customer and want to see your documents or make changes to your policy, you can log on to My account