The Green Card Paradox! How SIGAL Filled Its Pockets… While Compensation Payments Fell by More Than 60%

Albanians are traveling abroad more and more, and a large proportion of them choose to travel in their personal vehicles. According to data from the Institute of Statistics (INSTAT), during 2025, residents of Albania made around 4.5 million trips for personal purposes. The months with the highest volume of travel were August (12.6%), June (10.9%), December (10.2%) and July (9.8%), confirming that the summer season remains the period when Albanians are most mobile. Most of these trips were made in personal vehicles.

For thousands of citizens traveling by car outside Albania, one of the required documents is the Green Card, the international certificate proving coverage under compulsory third-party civil liability insurance in countries where this document is required.

However, insurance market data highlights a development that deserves attention.

An analysis of data from the Financial Supervisory Authority (AMF) shows that during 2025, SIGAL, the country’s largest insurance company, recorded an increase in gross written premiums for Green Card insurance, while at the same time paid claims fell significantly compared with 2024.

In June 2025, as the summer season began, gross written premiums for Green Card insurance were more than 15% higher than in June 2024. The trend continued in July, when premiums rose by 14% compared with the same month a year earlier.

But the picture changes when compensation payments are analyzed.

According to AMF data, in July 2025 SIGAL paid 14% fewer claims under Green Card insurance than in July 2024.

The decline became even steeper in the following months, precisely during the period when the number of Albanians traveling abroad reaches its peak.

In August 2025, compensation payments under Green Card insurance were more than 60% lower than in August 2024, despite the increase in premiums and the flow of citizens who purchased this insurance product for their travels.

The same trend continued in the following months. In September 2025, paid claims were around 58% lower than in September 2024. In October, the decline was more than 53%, in November 37%, while December 2025 closed with a fall of around 16% in compensation payments compared with the same month of 2024.

These figures point to an unusual development: on the one hand, revenue from Green Card sales increased, while on the other, payments for claims fell significantly./InfoNews