1. When travelling abroad by a motor vehicle and a trailer, out of the borders of the R.of Macedonia, it is obligatory to possess a Green Card for the motor vehicle and for the trailer, too.
2. The Green Cards, in compliance with the international agreements (Internal Regulations i.e. the Crete Agreement and the Explanatory Memorandum), are issued upon authorization of the National Insurance Bureau of the R. of Macedonia(NIBM), by the insurance companies-members of the Bureau. Actually, the Green Cards are continuation of the Motor Third Party Liability Insurance (MTPL) which is compulsory by law for all parties who have motor vehicles and trailers, for possible claims that could be caused to third parties by driving the motor vehicles, when travelling abroad, namely in the countries that are members of the Green Card System.
3. Direct control of the Green Cards is made by the Police authorities at the border crossings (at the entrance or exit of a country). Entering the territory of one of the 28-th countries – members of EU, the first control, actually, enables circulation with the vehicle within all countries – members of the Union.
4.The Green Card issued by a member of NIBM is not valid if:
- it is wrongly or not completely filled, such as: there are no data for the trade mark or registration plate of the corresponding vehicle, or these do not correspond to those data mentioned in the traffic license or MTPL policy;
- the validity period is expired or it does not correspond to the MTPL policy validity period;
-there are no data (name and address, signature and stamp) of the insurer;
- the same is damaged, torn or its contents cannot be determined;
- it is drawn, the letters and figures are rewritten, etc.
In all separate cases, when invalidity of the Green Card is found out, a new Green Card is to be purchased, and the insured can provide it from the insurer, from the subsidiaries or the broker companies which issue Green Cards at the borders on behalf of the insurance companies.
PROCEDURE IN CASE OF A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT ABROAD
1.Traffic accident occurred abroad:
- the claim as a result of a traffic accident abroad is reported in the country where the accident occurred and also, the legislation of the corresponding country is applied as to the liability of the participants in it;
- in case of a traffic accident with insignificant material damage, the European Accident Report is to be filled (the contents of the European Accident Report is identical in all languages, so that the appropriate graphs can be used from the Macedonian specimen);
- in case of a traffic accident with significant material damage or/and bodily and death consequences, the police authorities has to be called in order to make inspection on the spot and make a police report, accordingly;
- if you are not responsible for the traffic accident, and the claim is caused by an insured vehicle, report the claim to the Bureau in the country where the accident occurred (find the contact of the corresponding Bureau on the rear page of the Green Card).
- if the claim is caused by an uninsured vehicle (irrespectively whether it is a case of a vehicle with registration plate of the visited country or any other foreign vehicle with registration plate from a country – member of the Council of Bureaux (CoB), the claim is reported in the Guarantee Fund in the country where the traffic accident occurred. Here, have in mind that 34 countries – members of CoB are signatures of the Multilateral Agreement by means of which the registration plates are an evidence for existence of insurance.
- in case when you are responsible for the accident, immediately after your return in your country, you are obliged to inform the insurance company which issued the Green Card, for all relevant moments connected to the accident (follow exactly the instruction received by the insurance company).
ENTRANCE IN R. MACEDONIA WITH MOTOR VEHICLES AND TRAILERS
1) All parties that enter the territory of the R. of Macedonia with motor vehicles and trailers with foreign registration plate, should obligatory have:
- valid Green Card for the territory of the R.of Macedonia (the international letters “MK” must not be crossed), beside for the Greek vehicles;
- any other recognized evidence for existence of MTPL insurance (signed special agreements between NIBM and other National Bureaux), such as:
● the registration plate of the vehicles from Slovenia, Hungary and Croatia are considered as an evidence for existence of a valid insurance;
● the Green Cards of the vehicles which have Greek registration plates are valid in the R.of Macedonia, although the international letters “MK” are not included;
● the insurance policies from R.of Kosovo which are called MTPL Kosovo plus, are valid.
2) In the following cases, it shall be considered that a party does not possess a valid document for entrance:
- wrongly or incompletely filled Green Card or MTPL policy (no data for the trade mark or registration plate of the vehicle or these do not correspond to the actual situation on the spot);
- if the validity of the Green Card i.e. policy is expired;
- if the international letters “MK” are crossed in the Green Card;
-if the international letters “MK” are not mentioned in the Green Card, except for the vehicles from Greece;
In all individual cases, when invalidity of an international Green Card shall be found out, namely policy or registration plates, a border insurance policy of one of the insurance companies which sell insurance policies at the border crossings has to be bought by the foreigner.
In cases when the Green Card validity expires, and the vehicle is still in the territory of the R.of Macedonia, a border insurance policy has to be provided.