Rental car liability insurance across international borders
Some car rental companies allow their vehicles to be driven in other countries, most US companies allow you to drive your vehicle into Canada with prior authorization.
Does this authorization mean that the rental company will provide liability coverage that's mandated by Canadian/US law?
(Assumptions, the renter declines the Supplemental Liability policy offered by rental car companies, the renter doesn't have automobile insurance in their home country, the renter doesn't have a non-owner policy in their name)
My question is specific to rentals between USA and Canada, I'd also be curious to know about how this is handled in other countries where this is sufficiently common like within the EU.
This is similar to another question that I've asked here.
Best Answer
To answer for the EU/EEA:
In all EU/EEA countries, third party liability insurance is mandatory, bound to the vehicle and must cover all other EU/EEA countries. Most insurance policies also cover the rest of Europe (non-EU/EEA countries) and often also countries in the Ex-USSR, Middle East or North Africa. Visiting countries, in which your liability insurance is not valid, you are mostly required to take out a short-term insurance policy for the time of your stay. In most (if not all?) EU/EEA countries, the vehicle owner is responsible for the liability insurance, so it is not possible to rent a car without the required coverage, since the rental company would otherwise violate their legal obligation.
You can read more about mutual international recognition and validity of vehicle insurances on the Wikipeda page about the International Motor Insurance Card System.
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Can you take rental cars across international borders?
Before you drive your rental car across the U.S. border\u2026If you are granted permission by the renting location, additional rental qualifications may apply. You will need to have proof of citizenship, the car rental agreement and your driver's license with you when you cross the border.Does my car insurance cover me in other countries?
Typically, your personal car insurance policy will not cover you abroad.Can I take a rental car across the US border?
Can drivers cross the border with a rental car? Driving rental car from US to Canada or Mexico: Most vehicles rented in the US can be driven throughout US and Canada. Some vehicle classes like Exotics, Large Passenger or Cargo Vans, and other specialty vehicles may not be allowed to travel outside of the US.Do you need car insurance to cross the US border?
You don't explicitly need proof of car insurance with you at the U.S.-Mexico border. The border officials will check for vehicle registration to ensure your car isn't stolen, but they won't check for proof of insurance. However, you should still have proof of insurance with you, as both the U.S. and Mexico require it.car rental insurance in italy |How to short term car insurance in italy?
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Answer 2
Disclaimer: This answer is based on exactly one USA to Canada experience.
Just two weeks ago we rented a car from Hertz in the USA and drove it to Canada where we also left it. We were asked to either pay for coverage or give our own policy which they recorded. Normally, we use insurance coverage provided by a credit card for car rentals but in this instance, it was specifically asked for us to provide info for civil liability coverage, which the credit card does not cover.
The answer to your question is that they can provide the required insurance but, if declined, they ask for the renter to provide it. Since this is based on a single experience, I cannot say if this is a policy of Hertz or mandated by laws in either country.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
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