Hi Mervyn,

OK, on the NCT: from 2020, cars over 40 years old will be exempt from the NCT, and between now and then vehicles between 30-40 years old (on a rolling basis) will have to have an NCT every two years. At 30 years old, a car is officially considered a classic (or ‘vintage’ as it’s erroneously called) and you only have to pay a flat rate of €58 a year for motor tax, and €200 of Vehicle Registration Tax if you’re importing a ‘vintage’ car. Classic insurance is occasionally available for cars younger than 30 years, but in most cases you’ll be saddled with a tight mileage limit and most insurers will insist that you have another ‘normal’ car taxed and registered for daily use.