In Case Of Accident

We Help

For any accident, in Portugal or abroad, and immediately at the scene.

Before setting off on your journey, check the prevention and safety recommendations of your insurer and the competent authorities and drive with caution.

No matter how careful you are when driving, the unfortunate possibility of being involved in an accident with one or more foreign-registered vehicles cannot be ignored.

While the majority of these vehicles are perfectly documented, there is a minority that is undocumented and, more seriously, that drives in our country with false license plates or without valid insurance.

To ensure that the claim is duly settled, especially when a third party is liable, the GPCV gives you some advice on how to act in the event of an accident:

ASSESS THE SITUATION AND CONTACT 112

If there are injured people, call 112 immediately and ask for authority intervention (you can call 112 in any emergency that requires an ambulance, the fire department or the police). 112 is the Single European Emergency Number, available throughout the EU, free of charge and accessible from landlines and mobile phones.

SET HAZARD WARNING DEVICES

In this case, road signs and warning devices are more important than ever. It is essential to set hazard warning devices to warn other drivers of what has happened.
Turn on all four indicators, put on the reflective vest before getting out of the vehicle and place the warning triangle at a distance of no less than 30 meters from the vehicle, so that it is visible from at least 100 meters away.

FILL IN THE ACCIDENT REPORT

Have both drivers fill out and sign the Accident Report (DAAA – Declaração Amigável de Acidente Automóvel), whenever possible.

The DAAA is the European accident report, commonly accepted in different countries, and is a document that gathers the personal details of those involved and details the circumstances of the accident.

All the fields of the DAAA must be filled in legibly, but the date, time and location of the accident, the identification of the insurers, the license plate number and make of the vehicles and the circumstances and layout of the accident are absolutely essential.
Each driver should keep a copy of the DAAA or choose to take a photo with their mobile phone.

COLLECT WITNESS DATA

Make a note of the name, address, telephone number or other contact details of any witnesses who witnessed the accident. Witness testimony can make all the difference when it comes to proving the circumstances of the accident.

IF CASE OF HIT-AND-RUN, CALL THE POLICE

Ask the competent authorities to intervene immediately if the other vehicle flees, if there is a conflict or if there is disagreement about the circumstances of the accident.

IF IT IS AN ARTICULATED VEHICLE, WRITE DOWN THE TWO LICENSE PLATES

If the other party is an articulated vehicle (tractor/trailer), you must write down the two license plates and the two proofs of insurance, both for the tractor and the trailer.

Use your mobile phone’s camera to obtain a copy of all the documents and to photograph the scene of the accident, the vehicles and the damage suffered by each of them.

Accident in Portugal with a Foreign Vehicle

We operate within the Green Card System.

I KNOW THE INSURER OF THE FOREIGN VEHICLE, BUT NOT WHO REPRESENTS IT IN PORTUGAL

This is where the Correspondents come in, that is, the entities appointed by the insurers in the Green Card System adhering countries to represent them in Portugal.

You should submit your claim to the foreign Insurer’s Correspondent in Portugal, as they will be responsible for handling your claim. The Correspondent will arrange the expert’s appraisal and the investigation process, will establish liability and, if necessary, will pay any compensation that may be due.

Go to the “Correspondents” page for more details and to use our Correspondent search system.

I DON’T KNOW THE INSURER OF THE FOREIGN VEHICLE. HOW SHOULD I PROCEED?

If you don’t know the Insurer of the foreign vehicle, or if a search for the correspondent returns the GPCV, then contact the GPCV to formalize your claim.

The GPCV will contact the Green Card Bureau of the country where the vehicle is registered in order to establish whether the foreign vehicle is normally based in that country and which Insurer insures it and its Correspondent.

If there is no valid third party liability insurance of the foreign vehicle (in the case of signatory countries to the “Multilateral Agreement”) or if its Insurer has not appointed a correspondent in Portugal, the claim will be handled by the GPCV itself.

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO RESOLVE?

The duration of the process depends on several factors, such as the correct identification of the foreign vehicle and the respective Insurer, which will allow you to quickly find the Correspondent in Portugal and to start the claim handling process through the appointed Correspondent, after confirming the insurance cover.

It also depends on whether there is the need to confirm if the foreign vehicle is normally based in a certain country (or has valid insurance), which can take up to 42 days (the maximum period for this).

Unfortunately, despite technological advances, the deadlines to resolve accidents involving foreign vehicles are always longer than claims involving only domestic vehicles.

Accident abroad, with injured party resident in Portugal

In case of a claim for an accident that took place abroad, its resolution is outside the scope of action of the GPCV. It then falls under the Protection of Visitors system, implemented by the 4^th Motor Insurance Directive, for which the Motor Guarantee Fund (FGA) is the competent body.

Compensation Body

The FGA, as the Portuguese Compensation Body, is the body responsible for paying compensation to injured parties resident in Portugal who have been victims, in another Member State or in a country adhering to the Green Card System, of a road accident caused by a vehicle normally based and insured in another Member State, other than that of their residence, in the following situations:

The foreign Insurer has not appointed a claims representative in Portugal.
Lack of a reasoned response from the foreign insurer or its claims representative within the time limit set for reporting liability.
Impossibility of identifying the vehicle responsible for the accident.
Impossibility of identifying the vehicle’s insurer within two months of the accident.

Information Centre

If you don’t know the insurer or the claims representative of the vehicle responsible for the accident that occurred abroad, you can use the license plate of the foreign vehicle to request that information from the Information Centre. In Portugal, this is the FGA’s responsibility. You can submit your request here.

Search for Claims Representatives

You can search here for the Claims Representatives of foreign insurers (ASF).

FAQ’s

Do you have a question?

We can help.

Find out more

My policy also covers own damage. Is this cover valid in all the countries not crossed out in the Green Card?

No. One thing is mandatory third party liability cover and another is optional cover (own damage); they do not apply equally to all territories. The Green Card covers mandatory third party liability only and this is valid for all countries whose acronym is not crossed out. To learn about the territories where own damage applies, please check the special and particular conditions of your insurance policy or contact your insurer or insurance broker.

My policy has the minimum cover mandatory in Portugal. However, I had an accident abroad where personal injury liability is unlimited. Should I be worried?

No. Whenever you travel abroad, your liability is, at least, the mandatory minimum liability established in the legislation of the country you are visiting, even if your policy covers a lower amount. If the driver of a motor vehicle covered by a Portuguese insurance policy, with mandatory minimum cover, causes bodily injuries in France (where liability is unlimited) of a value exceeding your liability, your Insurer will cover such damages (or, if everything else fails, GPCV will cover them, as the ultimate guarantor).

What is frontier insurance and what can it be used for?

It is a temporary mandatory third party liability insurance policy covering injured third parties in the country you are entering. Whenever entering a country outside the EEA that is crossed out in your Green Card, you must acquire frontier insurance to be duly insured. This is the only way to be insured for any damages you may cause to third parties with your vehicle.

What is the mandatory minimum coverage in different countries?

Find out what the mandatory minimum motor third party liability insurance coverage is in different countries here

The foreign third party fled the scene of the accident, and I only had time to note down the licence plate number. How can I find out the name of the Insurer?

Contact the Portuguese Information Centre here. If the foreign is registered in a country which is not a signatory to the Agreement on the European Economic Area, contact the GPCV.