The 'Green Card' system was established back in 1953, and today its members are 32 European states. The 'Green Card' is, on the one hand, the name of a system of international agreements, and on the other, an insurance certificate for compulsory third-party motor insurance. It is equivalent to an insurance policy issued in accordance with the compulsory liability insurance law of the country of visit, indicating the country or group of countries for which the required insurance coverage and the period of validity of the insurance are provided. Without such a certificate, crossing the borders of member states of the International Union of 'Green Cards' is impossible.
So before crossing the border, a Ukrainian motorist will necessarily have to purchase a 'green card'. By the way, its official name is 'International Motor Insurance Card'. As with other types of civil liability insurance, insurance under the 'green card' is provided in the event that you cause damage to a third party (death, bodily injury) or their property while using the insured car. If an accident occurs abroad through your fault, then all the damage caused by your car, except fines, is covered for you by the insurance company. Note that your car is not insured in this case.
If you are not the one at fault in the accident, you will be paid compensation for the damage incurred.
You can get a 'green card' right at customs, both Ukrainian and of the neighboring state, though it will cost significantly more there. But it is better to do this in advance, while preparing for the trip.
The cost of a 'green card' is relatively low and depends on the type of your car, the insurance period, and the country you are going to. Here are a few examples: for a trip to Estonia in a passenger car, a 'green card' for 15 days, which is the minimum insurance period, will cost you about 21 German marks; to Eastern Europe – 33; to Scandinavia – 46 marks. Well, to travel around the whole world, you need a 'green card' costing about 65 marks. The cost of an annual 'green card' ranges from 300 to 3,000 marks, depending on the country and the type of car.
The mechanism of the insurance policy has long been perfected. If the accident involves no human casualties, the role of the traffic police is limited to drawing up a report, a copy of which you must keep. If the report is drawn up in an unfamiliar language, when signing it make a note 'I do not understand the language'.
Well, and of course, if possible, you should urgently contact by phone the nearest branch of the insurance company where the 'green card' was purchased.
The beauty of this system is that in the future, only the insurance companies sort out their relations with each other. The victim will receive compensation without tedious court proceedings and hopeless attempts to get money from the person at fault. And the person at fault, regardless of their financial situation, knows that the damage to the victim has been compensated and they do not owe anything.