Van insurance
Compare cheap van insurance quotes and you could save up to £264[1]
Van insurance explained
Van insurance protects you, your van and its contents , so you can confidently go about your business knowing you’re fully covered – just like car insurance. It's a legal requirement to have van insurance, just like with cars. But van insurance differs from car insurance, particularly if you use your van for business or commuting.
The type of van insurance you need depends on what you use your van for. Business van insurance provides cover for your van, and - depending on the cover level you choose - your possessions, when you're using your van to get to work. If you're doing deliveries, you'll need courier or haulage cover too. Private van insurance covers you for social use only - you can't do any commuting.
If you’re unsure which type to choose, our handy guide will help you pick the right type of van insurance cover.
You’ll need to decide on the level of cover as well - comprehensive, third party fire and theft or third party only. Whatever you choose, the right policy can offer peace of mind and protect you from the unexpected.
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What level of van insurance cover should I choose?
There are three levels of van insurance to choose from. Legally, you only need to have third party cover, but it won’t offer you, or your van, any protection. It’s best to compare different types of policies to find the level of cover you feel most comfortable with.
Comprehensive
This is the highest level of cover you can get. Fully comp insures your van against theft and fire, as well as proving cover for you, your van and third parties involved in motoring incidents.
Third party, fire and theft (TPFT)
Third party, fire and theft is the middle ground between comprehensive and third party only cover. You’ll be covered for damage or injury to third parties and for fire damage, or theft, of your van.
Third party only (TPO)
This only covers injuries or damages to third parties – legally, you need it to drive your van. Just because it’s the most basic cover, don’t assume it’ll be the cheapest.
Van insurance types
How you use your van is defined more strictly than with a car. You’ll need to work out whether you need commercial or private insurance first. Then, the type of cover you need depending on how you use your van.
Commercial and private van insurance differences
Private van insurance is for ‘social use only’ – driving to see friends, do the shopping, etc. Unlike car insurance, there’s no ‘social and commuting’ class of use for van insurance. So even if you commute to a single workplace, and your employed rather than self-employed, you'll need commercial insurance.
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Haulage
This is cover for delivering large loads over long distances. With this type of insurance, your goods in transit will be covered too.
Haulage cover is for single destinations though, so if you make multiple drops, you’ll need courier insurance instead.
You’ll also have cover for social use included.
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Courier
You'll see this called ‘carriage of goods for hire and reward’. It’s cover for delivering other people’s goods or property - and getting paid for it.
It’s usually for deliveries in a localised area and provides additional cover for the goods that you transport.
Social use is included too.
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Carriage of own goods
If you use your van to get to work, you’ll need this cover. You can get cover for your tools or goods too if you need it.
You’ll need to let the insurer know what you carry in your van. If you don’t specify it, it won’t be covered.
Social use is included as standard.
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Social use
For private use, like visiting friends and family and doing the shopping.
You can't commute - even to a single place of work.
Helping you get the cheapest insurance quotes you can
Five ways you could make your van insurance cheaper:
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Pay for the year upfront
If you can afford it, it’s always cheaper to pay for your insurance in one go
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Avoid modifications
Try to avoid modifying your van, it’ll make you insurance more expensive
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Improve security
Alarms, trackers and immobilisers can lower your premiums. Park your van securely in a garage or driveway if you can too
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No-claims discount
The longer you go without making a claim, the bigger the discount you’ll get
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Put your excess up
Generally, if you increase the amount you’re prepared to pay towards the cost of a claim, you’ll get cheaper quotes. Keep it affordable though, in case you need to pay it
83% of customers would recommend GoCompare for van insurance [3]
Any-driver van insurance
With any driver insurance, anyone can drive your van at short notice - you don’t need to name them on the policy.
It means team members can easily share a van. And if you have a growing business, or temporary workers, you don’t need to add them to your insurance short term.
Watch out for age restrictions though - under 21s aren’t usually covered as standard.
Add-ons for van insurance
There are plenty of extras you can bolt on to your van insurance. Some you’ll pay extra for, while others are included as standard, depending on the insurer.
Legal expenses, breakdown cover, courtesy vans and protecting your no-claims discount are all options for you to consider.
They all add up, so only add the bits you really want or need. If you pay monthly for your insurance, you’ll pay interest on the extra cover too.
More van insurance cover options to choose from
The type of cover and van insurance you can get are pretty varied. You’ll still need to tell insurers how you use your van - whether that's commercial or private use, and with or without goods in transit.
But there are other types of policies that might work out better for you or your business.
Vehicle fleet insurance
If you run a business with more than one vehicle, this cover could be for you. It usually works out cheaper than insuring your workforce and each van or car separately.
Classic van cover
Make sure you’ve got the right protection for your prized motor. Lower mileage discounts are pretty typical for private use and commercial classics can get cover too.
Insurance for your minibus
The type of cover you’ll need for a minibus or MPV depends on the vehicle and usage, just like any van.
Pick-up trucks
If your car has a front cab and an open cargo area, you’ll usually need van insurance. They’re very rarely classed as cars by insurers.
Black box (telematics) van insurance
You can also get telematics insurance – commonly called black box policies – for your van, where the cost of your premium is based on how well you, or your employees, drive.
Temporary van insurance
One-day, short-term or temporary van insurance for light commercial vehicles (LCVs) is handy if you only need cover for a short while.
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Make sure you’re getting the right cover, for the right price
Frequently asked questions
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Is commercial van insurance an allowable business expense?
Yes, if you’re self-employed. Insurance, repairs and servicing, fuel costs and some other expenses are allowable business expenses. Which means you can deduct some of these costs from your taxable profits.
Instead of submitting all of your van expenses separately to HMRC, you can use a simplified process - a flat deductible based on mileage. The flat rate includes insurance costs.
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What age restrictions are there on van insurance?
Each insurer has their own rules. Some won’t cover drivers under 25, with others, it’s 21. Most insist drivers have held their licence for a year.
Age restrictions are common with fleet and any-driver van insurance too. It’s not impossible for younger drivers to get insurance, but expect less choice of insurers and higher premiums.
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How can your job affect your van insurance?
Some jobs require you to travel a lot or carry around expensive stock in your van. Even if you don’t use your van for work, you might still be charged higher premiums if your job is deemed risky.
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Why is van insurance so expensive for young drivers?
It’s not so much about age, as about experience. Inexperienced drivers are a high risk to insurers, so van insurance premiums are adjusted to account for the likelihood of needing to pay out for a claim.
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Can I add someone else to my van insurance policy?
You can, but whether an insurer will give you a quote depends on the other driver's details, driving and claims history. Remember, putting an inexperienced driver on your policy could push up your premiums. And incorrect information could invalidate your policy, so be honest about who the main driver is.
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Can you use a no-claims discount (NCD) on van insurance?
If you earned it in your van, then yes. But If you have an existing NCD for a car you own, or owned, you probably won’t be able to transfer it over to your van insurance.
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Can I cancel my van insurance?
You can cancel your insurance anytime - but expect to pay a charge. Whether you cancel within the 14-day cooling-off period or not, you’ll usually be charged an admin fee. You’ll have to pay for any cover you’ve had so far as well. To work out how much that is, your cover will be pro-rated.
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Am I insured to drive my van abroad?
It depends on the insurer and level of cover. But most fully comprehensive van insurance policies will offer you cover to drive abroad as standard – there are usually restrictions on how many days you’re covered for though, and the level of cover you have might reduce to third party only.
Van insurance guides and articles
Page last reviewed: 16 November 2020
Next review due: 18 January 2021
[1]Price savings are based on independent research by Consumer Intelligence, conducted between 1 July to 31 July 2020. It compared 11 insurers from our panel and found 51% could achieve a saving of up to £264.34 with us on their van insurance
[2]Based on www.reviews.co.uk: 612 van insurance reviews on reviews.co.uk to 31st March 2020
[3] Based on www.reviews.co.uk: 83% of customers who left a van insurance review recommend Gocompare.com as at 31st March 2020