# Morocco m/h Insurance



## AndrewandShirley

It appears our chosen insurance company will not cover us whilst travelling in Morocco.

Has anyone else had this problem? If so what was the solution?

Ray of Desert Detours already has a PM.


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## oldtart

Hi Andrew and Shirley

We changed our insurance to Safeguard because they would cover us for Morocco. We've been four times now. You do need the green card which they supply.

Their phone number is 01132581614. There is an 0800 number on their website, I think.

The last time we went was June, last year.

Val


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## seanoo

hi, i had the same problem too. changed to comfort who came out £70 cheaper than my original insurance! all the best sean


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## grizzlyj

Hiya

We bought at Tangier Med, although we had to wait a while for the office to open as our boat from Barcelona was very late in.

The office there does several periods of cover, up to six months which is what we bought for I think about £300, so if you can arrange it before hand it may be cheaper, but don't worry if you can't!

All motorhomes seemed to be the same category, the only question was 4 or 5 seats. We have 2, but they said we must say 4 or it'll be very expensive, so the dining area counted!

There are only about 5 periods of cover, only about 5 catagories of vehicle in total, and prices published in the window, cash only, maybe 50m up after customs in a booth. Next to a Bureau de Change, of which several more in the Gare Maritime another 70m or so up on the left.

Since the insurance office was closed when we arrived, we ended up camping in the Gare Maritime car park till it opened, although Police told us we could drive on to find another office perhaps in Assilah or Tangier if we drove slowly  This is what you have to do arriving at Ceuta anyway if you don't have it on arrival.


Happy travels


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## Annsman

Ditto Comfort. They proved to be brilliant when I took ill and had to arrange someone else on the DD tour to drive our van for a day while I recovered. They did it with one phone call and took all the other guys driving details from the Motor Insurance Company Database so the phone call didn't take long. It cost £37.00 for the extra cover.


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## stan1

Hi annesman

Ive lost a digit from your mobile number so my texts arent getting thru to you and A.

Send me a text.

stu


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## grizzlyj

Sorry me again.

Having dug the paperwork out it was actually 3850 Dirham for six months. Your vehicle is given 6 months entry and you 3 unless you extend.

And you don't want insurance, rather Assurance Frontiers.


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## Annsman

Not trying to be contentious but has anyone ever tried claiming off the insurance cover provided by the ticket offices? I only ask because having been there and seen how little the Morrocan traders and population in general seem to be about legislation, and inparticular insurance claims for vehicle incidents, I wondered just how "comprehensive" these policies are, and what consumer protection there is?


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## Addie

Annsman said:


> Not trying to be contentious but has anyone ever tried claiming off the insurance cover provided by the ticket offices? I only ask because having been there and seen how little the Morrocan traders and population in general seem to be about legislation, and inparticular insurance claims for vehicle incidents, I wondered just how "comprehensive" these policies are, and what consumer protection there is?


I think that 'border insurance' is only purchased to be legal, I certainly wouldn't consider the value of my vehicle and contents insured through using it.

Given the number of UK insurers (Saga, Comfort, SafeGuard...) that cover Morocco and provide the appropriate green cards there is no reason in my mind to consider it unless you have a low value van.

I doubt it is bound by the same terms and conditions as British insurers.


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## grizzlyj

Actual cover supplied is a very good point, and the paperwork we were given has no small print. I wouldn't say our van is particularly low in value, but is perhaps slightly more unusual. We also wanted more than a 90 day trip.

But a "green card" is only minimal 3rd party cover anyway? And this is what most people travel with outside the UK, not just in a slightly more risky place where licences and the annual vehicle check is a piece of paper more commonly bought, rather than any actual check.

"It offers no insurance cover. It is proof that the minimum legal requirements for third party liability insurance in any country for which the Green Card is valid are covered by the insured's own motor policy"

From

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/OwningAVehicle/Motorinsurance/DG_067624

Of course you could ask your insurer for fully comp whenever you leave the UK, but is this available for Morocco?

Where

- a "grand taxi" can carry 6 people plus the driver, and is usually a 30 year old Merc saloon, the front passenger seat reserved for two women so they don't have to be in contact with strange men. 
- crash helmets on any form of motorbike usually protect the headlight, or elbow. 
- the roundabout give way rule used to be like France was, but now is like France is, so if you're on it you have priority. Unless the joining vehicle is bigger, posher, faster or just feels like he should be first.
- anyone hooting expects to have right of way.
- people will not look more than 2 yards behind them when joining from a sideroad, even if you are in fact 3m behind them and doing 50mph, and being overtaken by a bus (whose drivers are totally mad and will overtake mostly when there is no opportunity and expect oncoming traffic to move/stop/leave the road.) Even if "they" are a small scooter driven by Dad, with Mum behind, the baby between and junior standing behind the handlebars.
- speedbumps are huge and unsignposted in the weirdest of places.
- all lorries are hugely overladen. They are often checked in the many police checkpoints, but it seems that as long as they are carefully filled flat and flush with the top of the trailer its fine, higher than that is a no-no. If that happens to mean 60 tons of gravel in a 40 ton truck then they won't know anyway.
- steel reinforcement for concrete is usually bent in half so it can be more easily carried on roofracks, towed by a moped, or balanced across a poor struggling donkey, even if the bars reach the other side of the road.
- you can and will have camels, donkeys, goats, mules, dogs, carts, buses, taxis, lorries, pedestrians of all ages, wheelchairs as well as mad locals in very knackered cars all going in all directions, relying on Allah to tell you to keep out of their way.

I really, really would not want to be in accident there. An air horn is handy, and generally drive like you have no insurance seems like a good plan. You can also buy a "Hand of Fatima" sticker or dangly thing for the cab, as every little helps 

Can't wait to go back though!!! Its fab  (apart from no bacon )

Jason


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## Addie

grizzlyj said:


> But a "green card" is only minimal 3rd party cover anyway? And this is what most people travel with outside the UK, not just in a slightly more risky place where licences and the annual vehicle check is a piece of paper more commonly bought, rather than any actual check.


'Green Card' is just the name of the document which states that insurance is present and valid it doesn't bare any relevance to the actual level of cover provided by the insurance company.

A 'Green Card' purchased on the border will most likely be liability (third party) cover only.

UK Insurance companies are severely disconnected to continental Europe, a lost of German and Dutch insurers will cover anywhere you can drive to pretty much. I have the name of one Dutch company that will even insure a UK registered vehicle.


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## Don_Madge

Annsman said:


> Not trying to be contentious but has anyone ever tried claiming off the insurance cover provided by the ticket offices? I only ask because having been there and seen how little the Morrocan traders and population in general seem to be about legislation, and inparticular insurance claims for vehicle incidents, I wondered just how "comprehensive" these policies are, and what consumer protection there is?


Hi,

I've bought cover at borders like Albania, Montenegro and in days gone by the old eastern block and the cover has always been third party. 8O 8O

Third party cover is insurance that covers against a liability that the insured may incur to another person. 

If a driver damages someone elses car, or injures someone, the third party insurance will pay for any damages to the third party, but not for damage to the drivers own car.

Safe travelling.

Don


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## grizzlyj

Addie said:


> 'Green Card' is just the name of the document which states that insurance is present and valid it doesn't bare any relevance to the actual level of cover provided by the insurance company.


So were you insured to a higher level than 3rd party while in Morocco?

Was it expensive, and do you know how long would have been permitted?


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## Annsman

I appreciate the level of cover provided is classed as "Third Party" and is probably the same as the one we got from Comfort, I was just wondering if anyone had actually put in a claim and how did they get on. 

I did enjoy Morocco with desert Detours and to be honest I thought the roads were of a good standard in the main. In particular their motorways couldn't be faulted, condition wise. The "Off piste" in the desert bit was ok at slow speed and a good check of your vehicles build quality, but in no way dangerous or foolhardy. "Air suspension" helped us here, and getting on and off the ferries.

Driving wise in general I just kept my wits about me, drove "defensively" and concentrated really hard on what was happening around me before making any change of direction from forwards!


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## Addie

Annsman said:


> I appreciate the level of cover provided is classed as "Third Party" and is probably the same as the one we got from Comfort, I was just wondering if anyone had actually put in a claim and how did they get on.


You wouldn't actually ever put a claim in if you only had third party insurance since your own vehicle is not in any way covered - just your liability to others so that they can claim off you.

What would happen in a non-fault / 50/50 accident is beyond me - I imagine very little!

Safeguard give 30 day 'fully comprehensive' cover and I thought that Comfort was the same. They come with the obligatory 'Green Card' to pacify border officials and the police but the actual policy is the same as anywhere else in Europe.fy border officials and the police but the actual policy is the same as anywhere else in Europe.


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## ActiveCampers

Safeguard include Morocco.
As Addie says, they issue a green card but this does not reflect cover.
Safeguard issued a green card for as long as we wanted, though there MAY be a 90d limit? Can't recall. And I can assure you we had the same fully comp cover as per driving anywhere else in Europe.

Only difference was the breakdown cover did not cover Morocco.


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## Don_Madge

Addie said:


> Safeguard give 30 day 'fully comprehensive' cover and I thought that Comfort was the same. They come with the obligatory 'Green Card' to pacify border officials and the police but the actual policy is the same as anywhere else in Europe.


Comfort will issue a green card for 120 days (you can pay for more) the cover is an extension of your policy so if you have fully comp you should be fully covered. 

For those who want full breakdown cover for Morocco & Turkey the ADAC seems the best bet. 

Don


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## NeilandDebs

*Morocco Insurance*

Good morning Grizzlyj

You summed up Morocco beautifuly. Spent last winter there, going again this winter! The memories, the close escapes and the near encounters came flooding back. We can,t wait to go back!!
NeilandDebs


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## hmh

I don't know whether this is relevant but if you live in mainland Europe, your insurance automatically includes a Green Card, it is just the British insurance companies for whom it is an extra.

We have in the past had Brit registered vehicles insured by French insurance companies. We have a friend who has his American car insured that way too.

Helen


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