If you are planning a trip and thinking about car rental in Israel, you will want to think about insurance in advance. Even if you think you are already covered or don´t need insurance, the rental agent may persuade you otherwise (after all it is in their interests!)

In order to be sure, you are best to check your existing situation and plan accordingly, that way you won´t end up paying for something you already have, or worse, being left without cover when you thought you already had it!

if you already own a car, but rent when travelling it is best to purchase insurance for your own car which specifically includes comprehensive worldwide cover for rental cars. This will ensure that you are covered wherever you go without paying more than necessary.

There are also policies for people who rent regularly but don´t have their own car. These are worth looking into if you are planning to rent regularly or already rent regularly.

Most credit card companies offer some sort of insurance cover if you are using the card to purchase car rental, but they are by no means comprehensive, and many have introduced limitations recently.

Often credit card insurance needs to be requested before you are covered. Often there are also limitations in the number of days you will be covered for. Many companies exclude cover for injury and damage to peoples property.

Many companies have made changes recently to the countries which they cover. Some of them now do not cover car rental in Israel, and you should check with your credit card company if you are unsure.

Having said the above, it is always worth checking whether already have cover. You may decide that the cover you already have is sufficient for your needs.

You should check carefully that the cover you require is provided by the rental company if you are purchasing collision damage waiver and loss damage waiver insurance.

Standard cover often excludes certain types of use, or areas, so if you are using the car for business, or planning on carrying valuable items in certain areas, you may want to check that the cover is valid in these circumstances.

You may also be surprised to learn that many policies include theft cover for the car, but not your personal items and luggage, which will obviously have disappeared with the car.

Even if you are not covered by your standard car policy for car rental in Israel, you may find that you are covered for other relevant insurance in some circumstances, such as your household or medical insurance.

Often you can have the equivalent of a comprehensive policy through several different policies. For example, although you may not be covered by the loss damage waiver for loss of items if your rental car is stolen, these may be covered by your household insurance policy if it includes cover for loss whilst on vacation.

The requirements of each insurer varies, but you will often need to get documents from the car rental company, so it is best to ask for these immediately. You will probably need most of the following documents:

A copy of the accident report form, and any claim documents.

A breakdown of any amounts you have been paid towards the costs of the claim already

A copy of any repair estimate or any repair bills relating to the claim

Photographs of the damage to your vehicle

A copy of any police report relating to the claim