Learning to drive is one of life’s major milestones – exciting for you, a little nerve-wracking for your tutor, and often more expensive than you expect. With professional driving lessons now costing as much as £50 per hour, many learners are choosing to take at least some private lessons with friends or family – if only to keep their eye in while they wait (seemingly forever) for their test date. But before even stepping into the car, learner driver insurance is a must.
Before you drive, you’ll need to be insured. Simple as that. If you’re learning with family or friends in their vehicle and something does happen, they could lose their No Claims Bonus. The best solution is to have your own insurance policy. Whether you opt for temporary learner driver insurance or an annual policy will depend on your own circumstances.
Let’s take a closer look at the best learner driver insurance providers in the UK, comparing both annual policies and temporary cover so you can decide which option best fits your needs and budget.
1. Temporary Learner Driver Insurance
The UK now has several providers who offer temporary insurance for learner drivers. If, like most learners, you don’t have your own vehicle and only practice occasionally, then temporary learner driver insurance makes a lot of sense.
Below, we have compared a selection of providers, highlighting their individual features and benefits.
| Provider | Key Features | Typical Duration | What Makes It Stand Out |
| Zixty | Flexible cover from 1 hour to 28 days, fast setup. Options for Breakdown and excess protection. Each policy Carbon-offset through tree planting. | 1 hour – 28 days | Quick, affordable, and environmentally responsible. |
| Collingwood | Comprehensive temporary cover, option to add breakdown protection, well-reviewed. | 28 days – 12 months | Great for consistent practice over several months. |
| Marmalade | Lets learners drive a friend’s or family member’s car without risking their no-claims discount. | 30 days – 240 days | Simple, trusted, and designed specifically for learners. |
| Veygo | Flexible hourly, daily, or weekly options backed by Admiral. | 1 hour – 180 days | Easy to renew or extend. |
| GoShorty | Fast online setup and options from a few hours to several months. | 1 hour – 28 weeks | Broad duration ranges. |
| Cuvva | App-only, pay-by-hour model, instant digital documentation. | 1 hour – 3 hours per day | Perfect for tech-savvy drivers wanting total control. |
Each provider may have additional eligibility criteria. Please check their websites for a full list.
There are other providers offering this type of cover within the UK motor insurance industry.
2. Annual Learner Driver Insurance
If you have your own car, or ready access to a vehicle, and you intend to practice for many months before taking your test, you might consider getting an annual learner driver policy – especially if you can maintain the same policy after you pass your test.
| Provider | Key Features | Transition After Test | What Makes It Stand Out |
| Marmalade (Own-Car Policy) | Full annual learner policy that converts automatically into a full licence policy post-test. | ✅ Yes | Seamless switch once you pass your test. |
| Admiral Learner Driver Insurance | Traditional annual product, optional add-ons like breakdown and black box. | ✅ Yes | Competitive pricing and strong customer trust. |
| AA Learner Driver Insurance | Annual learner cover with optional breakdown recovery. | ✅ Yes | Backed by one of Britain’s most trusted motoring brands. |
| RAC Learner Driver Insurance | Annual learner policy with optional telematics and breakdown. | ✅ Yes | Ideal for learners who drive regularly. |
| Collingwood (Annual) | Annual own-car cover with flexible mileage and straightforward conversion after passing. | ✅ Yes | Consistent pricing, solid reviews, and long track record. |
Each provider may have additional eligibility criteria. Please check their websites for a full list.
There are other providers offering this type of cover within the UK motor insurance industry.
2. Annual Vs. temporary. Which is right for you?
| When to Choose | Annual Policy | Temporary Policy |
| You have your own car | ✅ Best choice for full-time learners | ❌ Potentially less cost-effective |
| You practise occasionally | ❌ You’ll overpay for unused cover | ✅ Pay only when you need it |
| You’ll pass soon | ❌ May not get full value | ✅ Stop at any time |
| You share someone else’s car | ❌ May affect their main policy | ✅ Keeps their no-claims bonus safe |
Ready to drive?
Temporary learner driver insurance offers a flexible, affordable, and hassle-free way to gain experience behind the wheel – without risking someone else’s no-claims bonus. Annual cover can make sense for those with their own car, but for most learners, short-term insurance is the most flexible, more economical option.
With providers like Zixty, you can get insured in minutes, start driving instantly, and even help the planet along the way – thanks to Zixty’s tree-planting partnership that offsets carbon emissions from every journey.
If you’re 17+, visit our quote page. Enter a few details, and voila, after we’ve done a few checks you should be ready to get going.
Environment and sharing economy
If you’re concerned about how driving impacts your carbon footprint, we understand you completely. Where possible, we recommend travelling by public transport. However, when that’s not practical, borrowing a vehicle rather than owning one can at least reduce your carbon footprint – according to one study, car sharing for every shared vehicle, between 9 to 13 privately owned cars are removed from the road. Pretty awesome if you ask us! Furthermore, here’s a little extra bonus for you: If you sign up for our Zixty Miles program in the app, we plant enough trees to offset up to 100 miles of your journey each day you’re insured with us.
Find out more about our partnership with Eden Reforestation by reading this article all about Eden. Or visit Eden’s own website.
The information on this article is correct as of October 2025.
