Do you have an e-scooter, self-balancing vehicle, unicycle, mini moped, or another light vehicle and want to know whether you need motor insurance to ride it? Read more here, and if you need to get insurance, send us your inquiry.
Motor insurance is liability insurance that covers damage caused by your vehicle to other people or their property. Motor insurance applies on roads used for traffic, parking lots, courtyards, and elsewhere.
In recent years, many light vehicles have appeared on our roads and in traffic, and unfortunately, accidents involving them have become more frequent, often injuring not only the driver but also other people. Therefore, from 1 December 2024, motor insurance is required for all vehicles that operate solely by motor power, have a design speed of over 14 km/h, and weigh more than 25 kg. Various light vehicles meet these conditions, including e-scooters, which must have valid insurance before you can ride them.
Please note: vehicles that can achieve speeds over 25 km/h may only be used in traffic if they are registered and have motor insurance.
Motor insurance is required for light vehicles not subject to registration participating in traffic, such as some e-scooters, unicycles, electric skateboards, self-balancing vehicles, mini mopeds, and electric bicycles. Check whether insurance is required for your light vehicle.
| Vehicle technical data | Motor insurance NOT REQUIRED | Motor insurance REQUIRED | MUST BE registered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Included | Not included | Not included | |
| Not included | Included | Not included | |
| Not included | Included | Included | |
| Included | Not included | Not included |
You may be as attentive and careful as you can on your e-scooter or other light vehicle, but it is hard to predict the behaviour of other people. A pedestrian, especially a child, or a dog on a leash may suddenly change direction, and a collision may be unavoidable. In such a case, motor insurance helps cover the victim’s medical costs.
Whether due to a narrow path, technical issues, or lack of experience, sometimes it is not possible to stop the e-scooter in time or reduce speed sufficiently. As a result, you may collide with another vehicle, bump into a fence, or scratch a car. Motor insurance helps cover damages caused to other people’s property.
We hope you will never face such a situation. Unfortunately, there have been cases where an e-scooter’s battery overheats during charging and causes a fire. Motor insurance helps cover the damages caused to other people’s property in such cases.
If you can see that you need motor insurance to operate your e-scooter or other light vehicle, please fill in the inquiry form and we will send you an insurance quote.
Motor insurance compensates for damages caused to others – both property damage and personal injury. But what can you do to protect your own property and improve your recovery if you are injured in an accident? Here are some suggestions.
Motor insurance is not required if:
You may take out motor insurance only for the active riding season. However, accidents can also happen off-season, and motor insurance can cover the loss caused. For example, if your e-scooter’s battery catches fire, it causes damage that is classified as a traffic-related accident. Therefore, when considering the length of the insurance period, think about whether your scooter or other light vehicle could potentially cause such damage.
Only an adult can conclude an insurance contract, so the policyholder must be at least 18 years old. Thus, for an underage child, the insurance must be taken out by a parent or another adult representative.
Yes, motor insurance is also valid outside Estonia – in the European Economic Area and in Green Card countries (Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, North Macedonia, Morocco, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, the United Kingdom, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine). If you plan to take your e-scooter to a European Economic Area country, a regular motor insurance policy is sufficient. For Green Card countries, bring the Green Card with you.
You need a Green Card if travelling outside the European Economic Area; for travelling within the EEA, including the neighbouring countries, a regular motor insurance policy is sufficient.
A Green Card is necessary in the following countries: Albania, Andorra, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Morocco, Moldova, Montenegro, the United Kingdom, Serbia, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine.
You can order the Green Card through self-service or by calling the insurance phone 777 1211. The Green Card is free of charge during the validity of your motor insurance.
You will find the weight and design speed of your light vehicle in its technical documents, which should be provided at purchase. You can also find the necessary information on the seller’s or manufacturer’s website.
Design speed is the maximum speed determined by the manufacturer at which the vehicle is designed to operate.
In such a case, personal liability insurance with broader coverage can help. You can add this to your home insurance policy with If Insurance, and it also applies outside your home. Learn more about home insurance coverage.
Motor insurance is required for an electric bicycle that operates solely by motor power and is essentially regarded as a mini moped. If the bike also moves when pedalled, motor insurance is not required. If you require insurance coverage for theft or other damages, you should get bicycle insurance.
If an e-scooter, electric skateboard, or other light vehicle can go faster than 25 km/h, it can only be used in traffic if it is registered with the Transport Administration and has valid motor insurance. Such fast vehicles cannot be insured without a registration number.
By law, the valid insurance contract automatically transfers to the new owner. However, if you want to cancel the insurance contract before selling the vehicle, please send us a termination request via our self-service portal.