How Much Does Temporary Car Insurance Cost in the UK?

Insure Car Cover Editorial Team · October 7, 2026 · 7 min read

There’s no fixed price for temporary car insurance: the cost depends on the driver, the car and how long you need cover. As a broad industry guide, Uswitch reported an average temporary policy price of about £74 between October 2022 and September 2023 – but that’s an average across many policies, durations and drivers, not our price, and your own quote could be higher or lower.

The only way to know what you’ll pay is to get a quote for your exact circumstances. What we can do is explain how short-term cover is priced, why the cost per day can look high compared with annual insurance, and which factors you can actually influence.

How much does temporary car insurance cost per day?

A one-day policy is priced on the same risk factors as any other policy – who’s driving, what they’re driving and where – compressed into a 24-hour window. Two people buying a day’s cover on the same afternoon can see very different quotes, because one might be a 45-year-old with a long, clean driving record in a small hatchback while the other is a 19-year-old in a powerful hatch.

Shorter durations, such as a few hours, are usually cheaper in total than a full day. But per hour, very short policies often cost more than longer ones, because there are fixed costs in setting up any policy, whatever its length.

How much does temporary car insurance cost per week?

A week of cover costs more in total than a day, but the cost per day usually falls as the duration gets longer. That’s why it’s worth comparing a few durations if your plans are flexible – for example, if you need a car for five days, a seven-day quote may be only slightly more than five separate days, or the five-day price may be the better deal. Our cover runs from 1 hour up to 30 days, so you can price the exact length you need.

What affects the price of temporary car insurance?

Insurers look at the likelihood of a claim and how much a claim might cost. For short-term cover, the main factors are:

• Your age: younger drivers statistically make more claims, so they usually pay more.
• Your driving experience: how long you’ve held your licence and what type of licence it is.
• Claims and convictions: recent accidents, penalty points or motoring convictions push prices up.
• The car: its value, engine size, insurance group and how expensive it is to repair.
• Where you live and where the car is kept: some postcodes carry higher theft or accident risk.
• Duration: longer policies cost more in total but usually less per day.
• Licence status: learner cover is priced differently from cover for full licence holders.

The car matters more than people expect

UK cars are placed in insurance groups from 1 to 50, based on things like repair costs, parts prices, performance and security. If you have a choice of which car to borrow, a modest car in a low group will normally be cheaper to insure than a high-performance or premium model – sometimes by a noticeable margin.

Why is temporary car insurance so expensive?

It’s a fair question, and the answer is mostly about comparing like with like. Temporary cover can look expensive when you divide an annual premium by 365 and compare it with a one-day price – but those aren’t equivalent products. Here’s why the cost per day tends to be higher:

• Fixed set-up costs: underwriting, documents and uploading details to the Motor Insurance Database cost roughly the same whether a policy lasts an hour or a year.
• Concentrated use: people buying temporary cover usually intend to drive during that period – sometimes a lot, such as a long road trip or a house move – whereas an annual policy also covers many days when the car sits on the drive.
• Unfamiliar vehicles: drivers are often using a car they don’t normally drive, which insurers may treat as a higher risk.
• No accumulated history: a short policy doesn’t build up the claims-free track record an annual policy does.
• Comprehensive cover: our policies are fully comprehensive, which costs more than the legal minimum of third party only.

The more useful comparison is with the alternatives for that specific situation. Adding yourself as a named driver to someone else’s annual policy may involve admin fees, often lasts for the rest of their policy year, and puts their no claims discount at risk if you have an accident. Buying your own annual policy for a car you’ll drive for a fortnight rarely makes sense. Against those options, a temporary policy can be very good value.

It also helps to remember that the cheapest quote isn’t automatically the best value. Two short-term policies at similar prices can differ in the level of cover, the excess and the exclusions. A third party only policy might cost a little less, but it won’t pay to repair the car you’re driving if you damage it.

Is temporary car insurance cheaper than annual cover?

In total, a short policy almost always costs less than a 12-month policy. Per day, it usually costs more. Whether temporary cover is the better deal depends on how often you drive. For occasional, one-off use it tends to make sense; if you’re driving the same car several times a month all year round, an annual arrangement may work out cheaper. Our guide to annual vs temporary car insurance looks at this in more detail.

How can I keep the cost down?

You can’t change your age or driving history overnight, but you can make choices that affect the price:

• Buy only the time you need – if three hours will do, don’t buy a day.
• Compare a couple of durations if your plans are flexible.
• Choose a lower insurance group car if you have a choice of vehicle.
• Give accurate information – incorrect details may lower the quote but could leave you without cover when you need to claim.
• Check the excess, so you understand what you’d pay towards a claim, not just the premium.
• Avoid buying cover you won’t use, such as a full week for a two-day trip.

What’s included in the price?

With Insure Car Cover, your premium buys a fully comprehensive standalone policy for the car and period you choose, with documents emailed instantly and your details uploaded to the Motor Insurance Database. Because the policy is separate, the owner’s annual policy and no claims discount aren’t affected if you claim. Breakdown cover isn’t usually part of a temporary car insurance policy, and the policy wording sets out exactly what is covered and the excess that applies.

The quickest way to find out how much temporary car insurance will cost you is to get a quote. It only takes a few minutes online, and you can try different durations to see which option suits your plans and budget.