A high fine, loss of driving licence, confiscation of the vehicle or even imprisonment may be imposed for lack of valid third party insurance for vehicle owners in some European countries. In Poland, the highest fine will be paid by drivers of uninsured lorries - 8,400 PLN or approximately 1,880 euros. Passenger car owners face a sanction of 5,600 PLN or around 1,250 euros. For comparison, in Belgium, the highest fine can be as much as 8,000 euros. You can also go to prison for six months there. In countries such as Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Ireland or Malta, uninsured drivers will pay between €5,000 and €7,000.

All European countries are confronted with the problem of uninsured vehicles. They therefore apply various penalties to irresponsible motorists. Some countries rely on high financial penalties. Some rely on a variety of penalties, such as confiscation of vehicles, withdrawal of driving licences or even imprisonment.

For a lack of a third-party liability insurance policy, the owner of a passenger car in Poland will have to face a fine imposed by the Insurance Guarantee Fund of 5,600 PLN (1,250 euro), and a truck of 8,400 PLN (1,280 euro). Meanwhile, in comparison, in Belgium you can pay 8,000 euros for not having a policy and even go to prison for six months. In countries such as Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Ireland or Malta, fines can range from €5,000 to €7,000.

- Motorists travelling abroad by car should definitely check whether they have a valid third-party liability insurance policy. The penalties for lack of a policy are in some countries many times higher than in Poland. In several countries, this offence is punishable by even confiscation of the vehicle or imprisonment, warns Mariusz Wichtowski, President of the Management Board of the Polish Motor Insurers' Bureau.

Imprisonment penalties for lack of vehicle insurance are provided for by the legislation of 9 countries: Belgium, Cyprus, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Serbia and Switzerland. Confiscation of the vehicle or withdrawal of number plates can be encountered in: Cyprus, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Malta, the United Kingdom and Italy. On the other hand, you can lose your driving licence in Cyprus, France, Greece, Ireland, Malta and Italy. Penalty points are applied in 3 countries: Ireland, Serbia, United Kingdom.

- The level of penalties for lack of third party liability in a country, as well as other sanctions, apply to all road users. It does not matter whether you are a resident or a visitor travelling through its territory. An irresponsible driver may pay a fine in the amount set by the regulations of the country in which he or she is caught. Irrespective of this, the penalty fee for lack of insurance on the part of the driver of a vehicle with Polish plates will also be imposed by the Insurance Guarantee Fund, warns Mariusz Wichtowski, president of the board of the Polish Motor Insurers' Bureau.

	Country	Financial penalty	Vehicle impoundment	Deprivation of liberty	Loss of driving licence	Rock growth	Penalty points
	Belgium	✅	✅	✅
	Bulgaria	✅
	Czech Republic	✅
	Denmark	✅
	Estonia	✅				✅
	Finland	✅
	Greece	✅		✅	✅	✅	✅
	Netherlands	✅
	Ireland	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅	✅
	Iceland
	Lithuania	✅
	Latvia	✅					✅
	Norway	✅					✅
	Portugal	✅
	Russia	✅		✅
	Romania	✅
	Serbia	✅		✅			✅
	Slovakia	✅
	Slovenia	✅
	Switzerland	✅		✅
	Sweden	✅
	Hungary	✅					✅
	United Kingdom	✅	✅		✅	✅	✅