How to Fill Out the European Accident Statement Form: Field-by-Field Guide
Published on: March 24, 2026 Updated on: March 24, 2026
You’re standing at the side of the road, accident statement form in hand, and you’re not sure what to write. Every field matters. A wrong date, a missing policy number, or an incorrectly ticked circumstance can delay your claim by weeks - or shift liability against you. This guide walks you through every section of the European Accident Statement form, field by field, so you fill it out correctly the first time.
Fill out the European Accident Statement online now → easf.eu
Before you start: what to have ready
Before you pick up a pen or open easf.eu on your phone, gather these items:
- Your insurance certificate or Green Card - you need your insurer’s name, policy number, and Green Card number (Section 8)
- Your driving licence - for your full name, date of birth, and licence number (Section 9)
- Your vehicle registration document - for the make, model, registration number, and country code (Section 7)
- A pen (if using the paper form) - ballpoint only, so the carbon copy is legible
- Your phone - for photos and, if using easf.eu, for filling the form digitally
If you cannot find your policy number, check your insurer’s mobile app or the certificate in your glove compartment. Your Green Card contains all the insurance details you need for Section 8.
Fill out the form at the scene, not hours later from memory. Details fade quickly, and the form is designed to be completed while both drivers are present to agree on the facts.
Front page: section by section
The front page is the critical document. It is completed and signed by both drivers at the scene. The official EAS form has 15 numbered sections on the front page. The form has two mirror columns - Driver A on the left, Driver B on the right. Each driver fills in their own column only.
Section 1: Date and time of the accident
What to write: Exact date (DD/MM/YYYY) and time (24-hour format).
Mistake to avoid: A vague time like “around noon” cannot refute the other driver if they later claim a different time.
Section 2: Place of the accident
What to write: Street name or road number, city, country, and direction of travel for each vehicle. Be specific - “N7, 2 km south of junction with D104” is useful; “near the highway” is not. Include the country name, as it establishes which country’s law applies.
Mistake to avoid: A vague location like “main road” cannot refute the other driver if they later claim a different location.
Section 3: Injuries
What to write: Whether anyone was injured (yes or no). This covers drivers, passengers, pedestrians, and cyclists.
Mistake to avoid: Writing “no” because injuries seem minor. Whiplash and soft tissue damage often appear hours or days later. If you wrote “no injuries” but later make a medical claim, the insurer will question the inconsistency. When in doubt, write “possible - to be confirmed.”
Section 4: Property damage
What to write: Damage to anything other than the two vehicles - barriers, road signs, fences, buildings, posts, parked vehicles. Describe what was damaged and who owns it. “Metal guardrail damaged on north side of road” is clear; “some damage to roadside” is not.
Mistake to avoid: Ignoring third-party property damage. If you damaged a guardrail and did not record it, you may face a separate claim later with no documentation.
Section 5: Witnesses
What to write: Full names, addresses, and phone numbers of anyone who saw the accident. Ask before they leave the scene - insurance industry guides recommend collecting witness details immediately.
Mistake to avoid: Skipping witnesses because it feels awkward. If the other driver later disputes the facts, a witness is your strongest evidence. Without one, it is your word against theirs.
Section 6: Policyholder / insured party
What to write: Full name, first name, address, phone number, and email of the policyholder (the person in whose name the insurance policy is held). If the driver is the same person as the policyholder, fill in the details in both Section 6 and Section 9.
Mistake to avoid: Leaving this blank when the driver is not the policyholder - for example, if you are driving a company car or a family member’s vehicle. Without the policyholder’s details, the insurer cannot identify the correct policy.
Section 7: Vehicle details
What to write: Make, type/model, and registration number with country code (e.g., PL, D, F). The country code is critical for cross-border identification - the same letter-number combination can exist in multiple countries.
Mistake to avoid: Omitting the country code. Without it, the registration number is ambiguous and the insurer may not be able to identify the vehicle.
Section 8: Insurance details
What to write: Insurer’s name, policy number, validity period (start and end dates), Green Card number, and agency or branch name. Copy everything from your insurance certificate or Green Card.
Mistake to avoid: Leaving the Green Card number blank. While not legally required within the EU/EEA - thanks to mutual agreements between national insurers’ bureaux that guarantee coverage for vehicles registered in member states - the Green Card number is the fastest way for a foreign insurer to trace your policy.
Section 9: Driver details
What to write: Full name, first name, date of birth, address, driving licence number, licence category, and licence validity date. Copy these from your driving licence.
Mistake to avoid: Omitting the licence number or category. This information helps the insurer verify that the driver was legally authorised to drive the vehicle at the time of the accident.
Section 10: Point of initial impact
What to write: Mark the point on the vehicle diagram where the first contact occurred. Use an arrow or cross to indicate the exact spot on the outline of your vehicle.
Mistake to avoid: Skipping this section. The point of impact helps the insurer cross-reference the damage description (Section 11) and the circumstances (Section 12) to reconstruct how the collision occurred.
Section 11: Visible damage
What to write: Specific description of damage to each vehicle. Write “dented rear right bumper, cracked right tail light, scratches along right rear panel” - not “rear damage.”
Mistake to avoid: Vague descriptions make it easier for the other party to claim pre-existing damage was caused by this accident.
Section 12: Circumstances
What to write: Tick every circumstance from the 17 standard options that applies to your own actions. Count the ticked boxes and write the total. Read each option carefully - tick only what applies to you, not to the other driver. Recording the total prevents later manipulation.
Mistake to avoid: Ticking circumstances that describe the other driver’s behaviour - you are attributing those actions to yourself. A missing total count means someone could add ticks after signing without detection. This is the single most important section for determining liability.
Section 13: Sketch
A diagram showing road layout, vehicle positions before and after impact, direction of travel, road signs, and lane markings. See the dedicated sketch section below.
Section 14: Remarks
What to write: Anything not covered above - disagreements with the other driver, road conditions, weather, visibility, nearby cameras. Note any disagreements here clearly.
Mistake to avoid: Leaving this section blank. It is your opportunity to add context that could affect liability - rain, sun glare, an obscured road sign, an uncooperative other driver.
Section 15: Signatures
Both drivers sign the completed front page. See the dedicated signing section below.
Section 12 deep-dive: the 17 circumstances explained
Section 12 is the most important part of the form. The 17 tick-boxes are numbered identically in every language version. Each driver marks only the circumstances that describe their own actions.
1. Was parked (at the roadside)
Tick if: Your vehicle was parked at the roadside. On many continental versions of the form, this box also covers being stopped (in traffic, at a red light, or at a stop sign) - check the wording on your form. Do not tick if you were still moving, even slowly. Example: you were parked at the roadside when the vehicle behind hit you.
2. Was leaving a parking place (at the roadside)
Tick if: You were pulling away from a parked position. On many continental versions, this box also covers opening a vehicle door into traffic - check the wording on your form. Example: you pulled out of a roadside parking spot and were hit by a passing vehicle.
3. Was entering a parking space
Tick if: You were moving into a parking space - parallel parking, reversing into a bay, or pulling into a spot. Do not confuse with circumstance 5 (entering a car park or private premises). Example: you were reversing into a parking space and hit the vehicle behind you.
4. Was emerging from a car park, private grounds, or a track
Tick if: You were driving out of a parking area, private driveway, or track onto a road. Applies to the transition onto a larger road, not to normal driving. Example: you pulled out of a supermarket car park and hit a vehicle already on the road.
5. Was entering a car park, private grounds, or a track
Tick if: You were turning into a car park, private driveway, garage, or private property from the road. Do not confuse with circumstance 3 (entering a parking space) or circumstance 4 (leaving). Example: you turned right into a private driveway and collided with a vehicle behind you.
6. Was entering a roundabout (or similar traffic system)
Tick if: You were entering a roundabout or similar circular traffic system from an approach road. If you were already circulating, tick 7 instead. Example: you entered the roundabout and hit a vehicle already on it.
7. Was circulating in a roundabout
Tick if: You were already circulating in the roundabout. Do not tick both 6 and 7 unless you had two separate collisions. Example: you were on the roundabout when another vehicle entered and hit you.
8. Was striking the rear of the other vehicle while going in the same direction and in the same lane
Tick if: You drove into the back of a vehicle ahead, both in the same lane and direction. If you were also changing lanes, tick 10 as well. Example: traffic braked suddenly and you could not stop in time.
9. Was going in the same direction but in a different lane
Tick if: You and the other vehicle were in different lanes, same direction. This describes the situation - if you were also changing lanes, add tick 10. Example: you were in the right lane, the other vehicle in the left lane, and you sideswiped each other.
10. Was changing lanes
Tick if: You were moving from one lane to another at the moment of impact. Only tick this if you were changing lanes - if the other driver changed into your lane, they tick it on their side. Example: you moved from the middle to the right lane and hit a vehicle already there.
11. Was overtaking
Tick if: You were actively overtaking - pulling out, passing, or pulling back in. Simply driving in a faster lane does not count. Example: you pulled into the oncoming lane to pass a slower vehicle and collided with an oncoming car.
12. Was turning right
Tick if: You were making a right turn. A bend in the road is not a right turn - this applies to turning at a junction. Example: you turned right at a junction and collided with a vehicle on your right side.
13. Was turning left
Tick if: You were making a left turn at a junction. Left turns across oncoming traffic are a frequent accident scenario. Example: you turned left and were hit by an oncoming vehicle you did not see.
14. Was reversing
Tick if: Your vehicle was moving backwards. If reversing into a parking space, you may also tick 3. Example: you reversed out of a driveway and hit a vehicle on the road.
15. Was encroaching in the opposite traffic lane
Tick if: You crossed the centre line into the oncoming lane, outside of an overtaking manoeuvre. If you crossed while overtaking, tick 11 instead (or both). This covers drifting or cutting corners. Example: you cut a corner on a narrow road and hit an oncoming vehicle.
16. Was coming from the right (at road junctions)
Tick if: You were approaching a junction from the right side relative to the other vehicle. This describes your position, not your priority - the box is about where you were, not who was right. Example: you entered a junction from the right and hit a vehicle entering from the left.
17. Had not observed a right of way sign
Tick if: You failed to obey a yield or stop sign. On many continental versions, this box also covers failing to observe a red traffic light - check the wording on your form. Only tick this if you are certain you violated the signal. If the light was amber or you believe you had right of way, note the details in Remarks (Section 14) instead. Example: you entered a junction without stopping at the yield sign.
After ticking: Count the total number of boxes you ticked and write that number in the space provided. This total prevents anyone from adding extra ticks after the form is signed.
The sketch (Section 13): how to draw it correctly
The sketch is visual evidence that supports the tick-box circumstances. Include:
- Road layout - road shape, lane markings, centre lines
- Vehicle positions before impact - simple rectangles labelled A and B
- Vehicle positions after impact - where each vehicle ended up
- Direction of travel - arrows on each vehicle
- Road signs and traffic signals - stop signs, yield signs, traffic lights
- Street names or road numbers - label the roads
Common mistakes: drawing only vehicles without the road; forgetting direction-of-travel arrows; not labelling A and B. Always draw a bird’s-eye view. It does not need to be artistic - it needs to be clear. On easf.eu, you draw the sketch on screen and it is embedded in the PDF.
Back page: completed separately, not shared
The front page is a joint document signed by both drivers. The back page is your private account, sent only to your own insurer.
What to write:
- A detailed account of how the accident happened, in your own words - sequence of events, what you saw, what you heard
- Additional information about passengers, vehicle ownership, and any pre-existing damage
- Whether the vehicle is driveable
- Additional photos or documentation
Be factual, not emotional. “I was driving east on the N7 at approximately 50 km/h. The vehicle ahead braked suddenly” is more useful than “He stopped for no reason.” Include details the front page cannot capture - weather, sun glare, road surface, faded markings.
You do not need to complete the back page at the scene. Take it home, write it carefully, and send it with the front page within your policy’s reporting deadline.
Signing: what to check before you sign
The signature confirms that both parties agree on the recorded facts. It does not admit fault - the form states this explicitly.
Before you sign, verify:
- Your column is complete - every section filled in
- The other driver’s column is complete - ask them to fill in any blanks
- The circumstances (Section 12) are correct - re-read both sets of ticks
- The total tick count is written for both columns
- The sketch matches the circumstances
- The damage descriptions match the actual visible damage
If you disagree with the other driver’s column: do not refuse to sign. Write your disagreement in the Remarks section - for example: “I disagree with Driver B’s circumstance ticks - Driver B was changing lanes, not me.” Your signature confirms the recorded facts on the entire front page. Use the Remarks section to note any points you disagree with.
If the other driver refuses to sign: fill in your side completely, note the refusal in Remarks, photograph their registration plate, and collect witness details. Your insurer can process a claim with a one-sided form and supporting evidence.
What happens after: where the form goes
Each driver takes a copy - the paper form has a self-copying carbon page; easf.eu emails both drivers the same signed PDF. Insurers then use the form to identify the parties (Sections 6-9), determine jurisdiction (Sections 1-2), assess liability (Sections 10-13), cross-reference both drivers’ accounts for discrepancies, and process the claim. Under EU Directive 2009/103/EC (the Motor Insurance Directive), insurers have 3 months to make a reasoned offer or provide a reasoned reply to any claim.
A fully completed EAS gives your insurer everything they need without follow-up calls or weeks of back-and-forth. For cross-border accidents, Section 8 is especially critical - the Green Card number traces your coverage through a system of over 40 member bureaux.
Frequently asked questions
What if I don’t know my policy number at the scene? Check your Green Card, insurance certificate, or insurer’s mobile app. If you cannot find it, write your insurer’s name, full name, and registration number - your insurer can look up the policy. Do not leave Section 8 blank.
Should I fill out the form in my language or the other driver’s? Each driver fills in their own column in their own language. The layout and numbering are identical in every language version, so insurers can process the form regardless. On easf.eu, each driver selects their language independently.
What if I tick the wrong circumstance in Section 12? On paper, cross out the incorrect tick clearly and initial the correction, then recount your total. On easf.eu, simply untick the box. Do not leave an incorrect tick - it directly affects liability assessment.
Can I add information after both drivers have signed? No. Once signed, the front page facts are fixed. Additional information goes on the back page, sent to your own insurer separately.
What if the damage is too minor to bother with the form? Fill it out anyway. Damage that looks minor often costs more than expected. Without a completed EAS, you have no documented proof, and the other driver may later deny involvement.
Do I need to draw the sketch if I already ticked the circumstances? Yes. Circumstances describe what each driver was doing; the sketch shows where it happened. Insurers use both together. A form without a sketch is incomplete.
Sources
- Your Europe - Car insurance cover abroad, official EU portal.
- Insurance Europe - Accidents: information for consumers.
- Citizens Advice UK - Road accident abroad.
- European Consumer Centre - Car accident in Europe.
- EUR-Lex - Directive 2009/103/EC (Motor Insurance Directive), European Parliament and Council.
- Council of Bureaux - Green Card system statistics (FIAR 2022 presentation).
- ADAC (Germany) - Unfall im Ausland: Was tun?.
- Europäisches Verbraucherzentrum Deutschland - Autounfall im EU-Ausland.
- DFIM (Denmark) - European Accident Statement (PDF).
- Service Public (France) - Constat amiable.
- EASF - European Accident Statement Form.