About the GPCV
The GPCV is a non-profit professional association of indefinite duration. Its fundamental objective is to act in the same capacity as the Portuguese National Insurance Service, within the scope of the Green Card System, acting as both the Guaranteeing Bureau and the Handling Bureau.
For those who live in Portugal, its most important role is as Handling Bureau, which guarantees compensation for the victims of road accidents that occur in Portugal and are the responsibility of vehicles from foreign countries adhering to the Green Card System. This protection is also applicable when the foreign vehicle is uninsured, although in this case it must be normally based in one of the countries that are signatories to the “Multilateral Agreement” (section III of the Internal Regulations, which lays out specific rules on contractual relations between National Insurers’ Bureaux based on deemed insurance cover).
You might feel it does not make much difference to you, as being involved in an accident is always unpleasant (sometimes even dramatic!) regardless of the vehicle having a domestic or foreign license plate, but a non-Portuguese registered license plate may hide extra difficulties, the first of which might be that you do not know how to proceed.
- We exist to protect the victims of cross-border road accidents.
- We handle and settle claims and pay compensation for the liability of foreign vehicles, directly or through the intervention of Correspondents, but we are always the ultimate guarantors of this liability.
- We authorise the issuance of Green Cards by our associates, acting as a guarantor of their undertaken responsibility, namely for compensation for damage caused by a Portuguese vehicle abroad.
Useful resources
Here you can find documentation on the GPCV and also relevant legislation and links on motor vehicle insurance.
