The use of International Motor Insurance Certificates (IMIC), also known as ‘Green Cards’, must be accepted in electronic PDF format in 3 months’ time, COB and has warned.

From the 1^st January 2025, all countries within the Green Card circulation area including North Macedonia must accept either the paper or electronic, PDF format versions of IMIC as proof of insurance.

Border security and legal authorities across the Green Card area are being encouraged to familiarise themselves with the updated provisions.

The Green Card or IMIC is an international certificate of insurance accepted without any obstacle or cost by the authorities of all countries within the Green Card system. The Green Card/ IMIC can be delivered by a Bureau, an insurance undertaking or an insurance intermediary, but it is always issued under the authority of a Green Card Bureau.

The Green Card system facilitates the free movement of cross-border road traffic by removing administrative barriers across 48 different countries, including North Macedonia. It is estimated as many as 500 million road vehicles are potentially provided with this freedom across the Green Card zone.

While these electronic PDF format IMICs or Green Cards must be accepted across the Green Card area, it is at the discretion of the respective National Bureau in each individual country as to whether they wish to issue them in this format.

Speaking about this development, Greet Floré, Managing Director of COB said: “From 1^st January 2025, electronic PDF format Green Cards may be used by motorists travelling across borders in the Green Card circulation area, so long as they come from a country where that format is issued. We would like to remind anyone involved in facilitating the movement of cross border road traffic that these new provisions will take affect within 3 months.”

Green Cards certify that a visiting vehicle has at least the minimum compulsory Motor Third Party Liability Insurance cover as required by the law of the country visited. It also provides a guarantee for the visited country that the insurer of the vehicle’s country of origin will reimburse the victim’s damage in accordance with the rules applicable in the visited country. In this way, the victim of an accident by a foreign vehicle is properly compensated for the damage suffered. 

COB, formerly known as the Council of Bureaux, is an international organisation active in the motor insurance sector and acting for the protection of cross-border road traffic victims. It co-ordinates the Green Card system and the Protection of Victims system. The mission of COB is to facilitate free movement in cross-border road traffic by removing administrative barriers and to offer a high level of protection to victims of cross-border traffic accidents by facilitating the compensation procedures. Originally founded in 1949, COB is celebrating their 75th anniversary in 2024.