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1 hour to 28 days · Immediate cover

Temporary car insurance.
From 1 hour to 28 days.

Updated · Reviewed by the Can't Get Cover editorial team
Quick answer

Temporary car insurance is a standalone UK policy covering you on a specific car for between one hour and typically 28 days. It is usually comprehensive, sits completely separately from any annual policy on the vehicle, and protects the owner's no-claims discount — if you have an accident, the claim lands on your temporary policy, not theirs. Prices start from roughly £8 for an hour and around £20 for a day, with documents issued by email within minutes and the Motor Insurance Database updated shortly after purchase. It suits borrowing a car, sharing a long drive, driving a newly bought car home, students home from university, and short visits to the UK. You need the owner's permission and must meet the insurer's eligibility rules on age, licence type and vehicle value. It is real, legal cover — not a workaround — and every detail you give must be accurate.

Need cover for a few hours? A weekend? Two weeks to drive a newly-bought car home? Short-term car insurance gets you on the road in 3 minutes — without affecting your existing annual no-claims discount.

Quotes provided by GoShorty. Powered by their UK-licensed quote engine.

3 min to quote· Apple Pay & Google Pay· Trustpilot 4.8 / 5· 15,000+ reviews
We work across5 categories of UK insurer
Mainstream
insurers
Convicted-driver
specialists
Telematics &
black box
Modified-car
specialists
Non-UK licence
specialists
How it works

From "I need cover" to "I'm covered" in 3 minutes

No registration. No long forms. Pay with Apple Pay, Google Pay or card. Documents sent to your inbox immediately.

1
Enter your reg
Type the registration of the car you want to cover. We'll pull the make and model automatically.
2
Choose duration
Pick exactly how long you need cover — 1 hour, 1 day, a weekend, 2 weeks. Up to 28 days.
3
Pay & drive
Apple Pay, Google Pay, debit or credit card. Documents emailed immediately. Cover can start straight away.

How long should I get temporary cover for?

UK temporary car insurance is priced fresh per quote, so duration is the biggest cost lever. Match the length of cover to your actual need.

DurationTypical price rangeBest for
1 hour£10 – £20Quick errand, single short trip
1 day£15 – £40House move, helping a friend, single day's use
Weekend (2–3 days)£25 – £75Road trip, away weekend
1 week£40 – £140Holiday cover, family car for the week
2 weeks£60 – £220Longer holiday, between annual policies
28 days£90 – £350Newly bought car before annual policy starts

Source: GoShorty market data, 2026. Prices vary by age, driving history, vehicle and postcode. Drivers under 25 typically pay 30–80% more; drivers with recent convictions or claims pay more again.

Choose your duration

Cover for as long as you actually need

Pay for what you use. No annual contract. No auto-renewal.

1 hour
Quick errand or a borrowed car for the day
1 day
House move, helping a friend, single trip
Weekend
2–3 days for a road trip or away weekend
1 week
Holiday cover, family car for a week
2 weeks
Longer holiday, between annual policies
28 days
Newly bought car before annual cover starts
When you'd use it

Common reasons people get short-term cover

If any of these sound like you, temporary insurance is faster and cheaper than adding yourself to someone else's policy.

You bought a car
Need to drive it home before your annual policy kicks in. Temporary cover bridges the gap.
Borrowing a family car
Visiting parents and need to drive their car? Don't risk being uninsured. Cover yourself in 3 minutes.
Home from uni
Students home for the holidays often need to drive a parent's car. Temporary cover doesn't disturb their NCD.
House move
Driving a hired van or borrowed family car for moving day? Get covered for exactly the hours you need.
Mechanic test drive
Test driving before buying. Hourly cover lets you legally drive someone else's car for an inspection.
Emergency cover
Someone in your family suddenly can't drive and you need to step in. Cover yourself on their car immediately.

Who are GoShorty?

GoShorty is a UK-based short-term car insurance provider, founded in 2016. Their quote engine compares short-term policies from a panel of underwriters in seconds, with cover available from 1 hour to 28 days.

They're rated Excellent on Trustpilot with over 15,000 reviews and a 4.8 / 5 score. Their policies are fully comprehensive, with documents sent immediately by email after purchase. Apple Pay, Google Pay, debit and credit cards all accepted.

Cars — drivers aged 19 to 75
Vans — drivers from 21
Learner cover from 17 (1 day–24 weeks)
Vehicle values £1 to £65,000
All policies fully comprehensive
Business use on a private car available
Cover from 1 hour to 28 days
2-minute quote and buy online

When you click "Get my quote" above, you'll be taken to GoShorty's secure quote engine to enter your details and buy directly from them. Can't Get Cover is an introducer — we don't handle your data or sell you the policy. We earn a small fee from GoShorty when you take out cover; this never affects the price you pay.

GoShorty is our affiliate partner — if you buy through us they pay us a commission. You pay exactly the same price as going direct.

What does temporary car insurance cost?

Prices depend on your age, driving history, the car, and the duration you need. As a rough guide:

DurationTypical price range
1 hour£10 – £20
1 day£15 – £40
Weekend (2–3 days)£25 – £75
1 week£40 – £140
2 weeks£60 – £220
28 days£90 – £350

Get an exact quote in 3 minutes using the form at the top of this page. No commitment to buy.

Key things to know before you buy

  • Comprehensive cover only. Short-term policies are typically sold as fully comprehensive — the highest level of cover available in the UK.
  • Your no-claims discount is safe. Temporary policies are standalone. Claims on a short-term policy don't affect your existing annual cover's NCD.
  • Be honest about driving history. Like any policy, you must disclose convictions, claims and cancellations. Misrepresentation voids the policy.
  • Age limits apply. Most temporary policies are for drivers aged 17–75 (varies by provider).
  • Documents are emailed instantly. Keep them on your phone for stop-checks.
Related temporary insurance pages

Looking for a specific duration or situation?

We've broken temporary insurance into focused guides for the most common UK use cases.

1-hour cover
Quick errand or test drive. From £10.
1-day cover
House move or single-day use. From £15.
1-week cover
Holidays and week-long visits. From £40.
1-month cover
New-car bridging. Up to 28 days. From £90.
For young drivers
17-24, occasional use of a family car.
For students
Term-break driving without annual cover.
For UK visitors
Non-UK and EU licence holders.
For learner drivers
Practice cover in any car. From £2/day.
Impounded vehicles
Specialist 30-day cover for impound release.
Common questions

Temporary insurance FAQs

How long does a temporary car insurance policy last?

Temporary UK car insurance policies last from 1 hour up to 28 days. You choose the exact duration you need at the point of quote. If you need longer, an annual policy is usually better value.

How quickly can I get temporary car insurance?

You can get a quote and buy cover in around 3 minutes. Cover can start immediately — useful if you need to drive right away. Documents are emailed straight after payment.

Will temporary insurance affect my no-claims discount?

No. Temporary policies are completely standalone and do not affect any existing annual policy's no-claims discount — even if a claim is made on the temporary cover. This is the main reason families use it instead of adding a young driver to a parent's policy temporarily.

Can I get temporary insurance on someone else's car?

Yes. Temporary insurance is commonly used when borrowing a friend's or family member's car. You take out the policy in your own name on their vehicle. You'll need their registration number to hand.

Do I need to be a UK resident?

You need a valid UK address. Some non-UK licence holders qualify; check at the point of quote. Most policies require drivers aged 17–75.

What if I have points or a conviction?

Most short-term insurers can quote drivers with up to 6 points. More serious convictions (DR codes, IN10, TT99) usually need a specialist annual policy — see our convicted drivers page.

How do I pay?

Apple Pay, Google Pay, debit card and credit card. Payment is taken once at the time of purchase — there's no monthly direct debit.

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