What to Do After a Car Accident in Another EU Country

A road accident abroad can bring unfamiliar procedures, language difficulties and uncertainty about insurance. These steps explain how to protect everyone involved, document the collision and pursue a claim across EU borders.

Rain has made the unfamiliar road slippery. Two damaged cars stand beneath flashing hazard lights, surrounded by number plates from different countries. Nobody appears seriously injured, but the drivers do not share a language and disagree about what happened. The decisions made during the next few minutes may determine how easily the insurance claim is resolved.

1. Stop safely and check for injuries

• Stop immediately and switch on your hazard lights.
• Move to a safe place if this is possible and permitted without disturbing evidence needed by the authorities.
• Check whether drivers, passengers, cyclists or pedestrians have been injured.
• Call 112 if anyone needs emergency assistance. The number works free of charge throughout the EU.
• Do not leave the scene until you have complied with the rules of the country where the accident occurred.

Local law governs the immediate procedure. Requirements concerning warning triangles, reflective clothing, police attendance and vehicle movement may therefore differ from those in your home country.

2. Call the police when necessary

• Contact the police if anyone is injured, the road is obstructed, a driver leaves the scene or alcohol or drugs may be involved.
• Call them if the other vehicle appears uninsured or its driver refuses to provide identification.
• Police attendance is also advisable when the drivers strongly disagree about the circumstances or when there is substantial damage.
• Ask for the police unit’s details and, where available, a report or reference number.

National rules differ, so a minor collision that would not require police attendance at home may need to be reported abroad.

3. Record the essential information

• Note the date, time and precise location.
• Exchange names, addresses, telephone numbers and driving-licence details.
• Record each vehicle’s registration number, country of registration, make and model.
• Obtain the other driver’s insurer, policy number and insurance contact details.
• Collect the names and contact details of independent witnesses.
• Photograph the vehicle positions, visible damage, road markings, traffic signs and surrounding conditions.
• Keep receipts for towing, transport, accommodation, medical treatment and other costs caused by the accident.

Take wide photographs before close-ups if it is safe to do so. Images showing the overall road layout can be as important as photographs of the damaged vehicles.

4. Complete the accident statement carefully

Many European insurers provide a common European Accident Statement. Its standardised layout can make exchanging information easier even when the drivers use versions in different languages.

• Complete the form at the scene if circumstances allow.
• Describe observable facts rather than speculating about fault.
• Check all boxes, vehicle diagrams and personal details before signing.
• Do not sign a statement that you do not understand or that contains facts you dispute.
• Do not admit legal liability at the scene.
• Keep your copy and photograph every completed page.

A signature normally confirms the information recorded on the form. It should not be given simply because another driver, police officer or tow operator is pressing for a quick conclusion.

5. Notify your insurer promptly

• Report the accident to your insurer even if you do not intend to claim for damage to your own vehicle.
• Follow the reporting deadline and procedure stated in your policy.
• Send the accident statement, photographs, police details, witness information and relevant receipts.
• Ask before authorising major repairs, except where urgent work is necessary to make the vehicle safe.
• If you were driving a rental car, contact both the rental company and the insurance or assistance provider named in the rental agreement.

Compulsory third-party motor insurance issued in an EU country generally covers liability throughout the EU. However, optional protection for damage to your own car, theft, breakdown assistance or a replacement vehicle depends on the policy.

6. Understand which country’s law applies

According to the EU’s official guidance on car insurance and accidents abroad, the law of the country where the accident happened normally governs liability and compensation. This can affect:

• how responsibility is determined;
• which losses may be compensated;
• the evidence required;
• the calculation of personal-injury damages; and
• the deadline for bringing a claim.

Your insurance contract may still be governed by the law of your home country. The accident itself and your relationship with your own insurer can therefore involve different legal rules.

7. Make the claim from abroad or after returning home

If another driver caused the accident, you can normally submit the claim directly to that driver’s insurer. After returning home, you may instead be able to contact the insurer’s claims representative in your country.

• Ask your national insurance information centre to identify the foreign insurer or its local claims representative.
• If the vehicle was uninsured or cannot be identified, contact the national compensation body.
• Submit a clear written claim with evidence of damage, injuries and related expenditure.
• Keep copies of all correspondence and record when each document was sent.

Where liability is not disputed and the damage has been assessed, EU rules provide for a reasoned compensation offer within three months. If liability or the amount remains disputed, the insurer should provide a reasoned reply within that period.

8. Escalate an unresolved cross-border claim

• Use the insurer’s formal complaints procedure first.
• Contact the insurance ombudsman or alternative dispute-resolution body in the relevant country.
• Ask your national compensation body for guidance if the foreign insurer has no claims representative at home.
• Seek independent legal advice promptly where there are injuries, disputed liability, significant losses or an approaching limitation period.

The Council of Bureaux provides contact information for national Green Card bureaux, information centres and compensation bodies. These bodies form part of the system supporting victims of cross-border motor accidents.

Before driving across a border

• Carry your driving licence, vehicle registration document and insurance information.
• Save your insurer’s international claims and assistance numbers.
• Keep a blank European Accident Statement in the vehicle.
• Check whether your policy covers your own vehicle, towing and repatriation.
• Review the road and safety rules of every country on your route.

The European debate on safer mobility continues alongside reforms to licensing and enforcement. The European Times has also reported on the agreement to modernise EU driving-licence rules.

How many people are affected yearly?

Preliminary European Commission figures show that approximately 19,400 people died on EU roads in 2025. The Commission estimates that, for every death, around five people suffer serious injuries. That means approximately 100,000 people are seriously injured in EU road crashes each year.

These figures do not include the much larger number of people involved in collisions causing minor injuries or property damage. See the European Commission’s 2025 road-safety statistics.

Cross-border travel is part of everyday European life, but an accident should not leave a victim without an effective route to compensation. Common insurance arrangements, national information centres and claims representatives help bridge legal and language differences. Knowing how to preserve evidence and where to submit a claim makes those protections usable in practice.