Motor Insurance

The third party motor vehicle insurance scheme, otherwise known as the Yellow Card, is a regional insurance card system recognised by participating statesparty to the Yellow Card Scheme as evidence of guarantee in compliance with the national laws or regulations governing liability in respect of motor vehicle accidents.

The scheme provides the following covers:

The minimum compulsory third party motor vehicle insurance cover as those required by laws in force in the territories of each of the participating states party to the Yellow Card Scheme.

Third party motor vehicle property damage, in those participating states party to the Yellow Card Scheme where such cover is not included in the minimum compulsory cover subject to the limit of indemnity, and

Extra benefit for Emergency Medical Treatment Expenses cover to travelling motorists and passengers for a limited sum of indemnity.

The Yellow Card

The Yellow Card is an equivalent of a policy of insurance recognised as a valid motor insurance certificate and evidence of a guarantee to provide the compulsory minimum insurance cover required by the laws of the participating states party to the Scheme, in which accidents have occurred in respect of vehicles from other member countries.

The Card is standard and uniform in appearance throughout the Yellow Card Scheme region so that it can be readily identified and accepted as a certificate of insurance at border posts.

Participation in the Scheme

The Scheme operates between the participating states that have fulfilled the requirements for implementation of the scheme and have signed the Inter-Bureaux Agreement and the Constitution on the Establishment of the Yellow Card Reinsurance Pool.

The current participating states of the Scheme are DJIBOUTI, BURUNDI, DR CONGO, ERITREA, ETHIOPIA, KENYA, MALAWI, RWANDA, SUDAN, TANZANIA, UGANDA, ZAMBIA & ZIMBABWE.

 Policies Applicable

The types of motor insurance policies applicable for the Yellow Card cover shall be:

• Private Car,
• Motorcycle, and
• Commercial Vehicle insurance policies.

Scope of Cover: The Minimum Compulsory Cover

The Yellow Card shall provide the minimum compulsory third party motor vehicle liability Insurance cover, as required by the law in force in the territories of the participating states in the Scheme, when the vehicles insured are transiting or visiting such other territories.

In participating states where motor third party liability is not compulsory by law, the Yellow Card Scheme shall correspond to the Motor Liability Insurance Cover on the Motorist in accordance with the laws and regulations in force in the country where the accident occurred.

The prime policy should be endorsed to reflect that a Yellow Card cover has been issued under the concerned prime policy.

Additional Cover: Third Party Property Damage Cover

The Scheme shall provide additional cover to include liability for motor third party property damage, when the vehicles insured are transiting or visiting the territories of other participating states where liability for third property damage is not compulsory subject to standard maximum limits of liability payable.

Claims

When an accident occurs in a country which is party to the Scheme in which a holder of a Yellow Card is involved and which may give rise to a claim against the policy holder, the National Bureau in that country in which the accident has occurred shall be notified and shall handle the claims on behalf of the issuing bureau so long as the genuineness of the Card has been established.