Motor Insurers’ Bureau of Latvia (LTAB), together with other Baltic Sea countries’ Green Card offices reached an agreement in April on ceasing cooperation with Russian and Belarusian Green Card offices. LTAB recommends insurers to refrain from issuing green cards for trips to Russia or Belarus. Motorists who want to travel to these countries are invited to acquire permits from customs services on the border of those countries.
In April 2022 Baltic Sea countries’ Green Card offices agreed on ceasing cooperation with Russia and Belarus. Other green card offices of countries of the European Economic Zone have already joined in on this, BNN was told by LTAB.
«The agreement reached by green card offices provides for maintaining cooperation contracts with Russian and Belarusian offices until 05.05.2023. This means the already issued green cards are valid. However, motorists have to keep in mind existing inconveniences when planning to get insurance for trips to Russia and Belarus,» explains LTAB board member Juris Stengrevics.
«Cooperation with Russian and Belarusian offices is ceased due to the aggression of those countries in Ukraine, as well as western nations’ imposed sanctions, which make cross-border transactions basically impossible with those countries,» says Stengrevics.
LTAB recommends insurers to refrain from issuing green cards for trips to Russia and Belarus. If such a need arises, it is possible to receive a short-term Latvian green card to enter both countries under the condition that the end term does not go farther than 6 May 2023.
«Motorists who have plans to visit those countries should consider acquiring insurance on the border with Russia and Belarus,» reports Stengrevics.
The Green Card system was adopted in 1953 and its goal is to avoid the need for motorists to acquire insurance on the border with countries that use OCTA system. The Green Card system also provides protection for motorists in foreign countries in the event of damages caused by third parties. It also protects motorists from damages caused in road accidents in foreign countries and their country of residence.
Latvia adopted OCTA system in 1997.