Green Card
Green Card documents: what to check before you leave
Not just the certificate. Licence, vehicle papers, a power of attorney, child seats and a first-aid kit — small items that stop a trip on the Ukrainian side of the border.
A Green Card meets the insurance requirement, but border and European checks look wider. The most annoying stops come from an expired licence, a surname change after marriage, or a car driven under a power of attorney without the right wording.
The mandatory minimum
- driving licence (check the expiry date)
- vehicle registration certificate
- a Green Card covering every day of the route plus a buffer
- MTPL for the road inside Ukraine
If a surname changed, bring proof. A mismatch between the licence and the vehicle certificate is a classic reason for extra questions.
If the car is not yours
A power of attorney, loan agreement or lease must expressly allow travel abroad. A verbal “the owner does not mind” does not work at the border. A company car needs corporate papers, not a messenger screenshot.
What European countries may ask
A first-aid kit, a vest, a triangle, belts for every passenger, child seats for the right weight. Alcohol limits are lower than some drivers expect. A navigator does not exempt you from low-emission zones: German, French and Italian cities may need stickers or registration.
Tolls and vignettes are not insurance, but a fine arrives faster than you can parse the tariff.
Digital copies
Scan everything to the cloud and keep an offline copy. If the phone dies, the paper vehicle certificate is still required. Leave a passenger a copy of the route and emergency numbers from the Green Card and travel policy.
Twenty-four hours before departure open the certificate PDF again: right dates, right plate, readable QR if there is one. Five minutes of checking is cheaper than turning around at the checkpoint.