What happens to my no-claims bonus if I make a claim?

It depends on the policy. A claim can reduce the bonus on a step-back scale or remove it, unless the policy includes no-claims bonus protection, which is an optional extra with some policies. Check the policy wording before you claim for a small amount, because the excess and the effect on the bonus can outweigh the payout.

How much is car insurance in Ireland?

There is no standard price. Each insurer weighs your experience, licence type, claims and points history, age, where you live, the car, what you use it for, the cover level and the excess, and each weighs them differently. The only way to know your price is to compare quotes with your own details. The Quick Quote on this page takes under 60 seconds.

Does a named driver build up a no-claims bonus?

Not a bonus of their own: the no-claims bonus belongs to the policyholder. A named driver does build named-driver experience, and Citizens Information notes that some companies offer discounts to young people insuring in their own name if they have been a named driver. Keep a record of the years and the policy so it can be declared.

How do I switch car insurance provider?

Compare quotes before your renewal date, using the renewal notice your insurer must send at least 20 working days before your policy ends. Choose the new policy to start on the day the old one expires, and give the new insurer your no-claims certificate. If you want to switch mid-term, check your current policy for its cancellation terms first.

Can I get temporary or short-term car insurance?

Car insurance in Ireland is normally arranged for 12 months. If you need cover for a shorter period, or for a car you are borrowing, tell our team what you need and we will check what our panel can offer for your situation.

What is a named driver?

A named driver is someone added to your policy so they can drive your car under your cover. Years as a named driver build driving experience that you can declare when you insure a car in your own name. The main driver must be declared truthfully: naming a more experienced driver as the main driver to lower a young driver’s premium is called fronting, and it is illegal.

What happens if I drive without insurance?

It is an offence that goes to court. On conviction you get 5 penalty points and a fine, and the court can impose a prison term of up to six months or disqualify you from driving instead of imposing points. Victims of uninsured drivers are compensated by the Motor Insurers’ Bureau of Ireland.

The amount you pay yourself towards any claim, for example the first part of a repair bill. You cannot claim for amounts below the excess. Most policies have one, and Citizens Information notes that in most cases choosing a higher excess lowers the premium. Set it at a level you could pay on the day.

What do I need to get a quote?

For the Quick Quote: the car’s registration and value, your area, your name, date of birth, licence type, no-claims years, contact details, cover start date and Eircode. To complete the policy you will also need the driver number from your licence or learner permit for every driver on the policy, your no-claims bonus letter, and details of any claims, points or convictions in the period asked.

Car insurance in Ireland

GMIB.ie compares car insurance quotes from 14 different insurers in one search. Enter your registration in the Quick Quote below, answer a few questions, and you will see what the panel returns in under 60 seconds. Where an instant price is not available, one of our agents reviews your details and calls you back with the options.

GMIB.ie is a Killarney insurance broker, regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland, arranging car insurance across Ireland since 1986 and rated 4.6 out of 5 on Trustpilot.

Have your registration number, your driving licence and your no-claims bonus letter to hand.

Excellent 4.6 out of 5 · 5,504 reviews on ★ Trustpilot

very helpful

Tony Gormley · 2026-09-07

Excellent service

Staff very helpful Price good Service excellent

Helena Hazizi · 2026-09-06

Gmib are a great insurance company…

Gmib are a great insurance company their staff are so helpful and actually want to get you over the line every time can’t forget the amazing...

Matthew Duffy · 2026-09-05

The three levels of car insurance cover

Third party is the legal minimum in Ireland and across the EU. If you cause an accident it pays for injury to other people, including your passengers, and damage to their property. It pays nothing towards your own car.

Third party, fire and theft adds cover for your own car if it is stolen or damaged by fire. It still pays nothing for damage to your car in an accident you cause. Our third party, fire and theft page explains where it fits.

Comprehensive adds accidental damage to your own car, whoever is at fault. Extras such as windscreen cover, breakdown assistance, no-claims bonus protection and personal injury cover may be included or offered as options, and they differ from one policy to the next, so check what is in the price. See our comprehensive car insurance page.

Whatever the level, you must display a current insurance disc on the vehicle whenever it is driven. Driving without insurance is an offence that goes to court: on conviction you get 5 penalty points and a fine, and the court can disqualify you instead of imposing points.

What sets the price, and what you need to quote

Insurers price on how experienced you are and whether you hold a full licence or a learner permit, your record of claims, penalty points and convictions, your age, where you live, the car’s age, value and engine size, what you use it for, the level of cover and the excess you choose. Each insurer weighs these differently. Driving electric? Our guide to electric car insurance in Ireland covers what changes on the policy.

The no-claims bonus

Each claim-free year earns a discount on a rising scale, usually up to five years. The bonus is yours: it transfers from one insurer to another and from one car to the next, but it applies to one car at a time. If you go two or more years without insurance in your own name, many insurers will not reinstate it. Your renewal notice, which the insurer must issue at least 20 working days before your policy ends, includes the no-claims certificate you need to move insurer. An insurer cannot raise your premium because you stayed, but premiums do change at renewal, so compare before you renew.

Answering the questions

Under the Consumer Insurance Contracts Act 2019 you must answer an insurer’s questions honestly and with reasonable care. Points, claims or convictions left off a proposal can affect what is paid on a claim. If you have points, our penalty points and car insurance page explains what is asked.

What to have ready

For the Quick Quote, the registration number and a few details about you are enough. To complete the policy you will need the driver number from your licence or learner permit for you and any named driver, your latest no-claims bonus letter, and the dates and details of any claims, points or convictions in the period the proposal asks about. Young or first-time driver? See our young drivers and first-time drivers pages. Licence from outside Ireland? See foreign licence driver insurance. Imported the car from Japan? See car insurance for Japanese imports.

Prefer to talk it through? Call 0818 92 92 42, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5.30pm.

Sources: Citizens Information – motor insurance; Consumer Insurance Contracts Act 2019; Road Safety Authority (RSA) – penalty point offences. Last reviewed September 2026.

Car Insurance in Ireland: Frequently Asked Questions

What happens to my no-claims bonus if I make a claim?
It depends on the policy. A claim can reduce the bonus on a step-back scale or remove it, unless the policy includes no-claims bonus protection, which is an optional extra with some policies. Check the policy wording before you claim for a small amount, because the excess and the effect on the bonus can outweigh the payout.
What is the difference between third party, fire and theft, and comprehensive?
Third party covers other people and their property only. Third party, fire and theft adds your own car if it is stolen or damaged by fire. Comprehensive adds accidental damage to your own car, whoever is at fault. Windscreen, breakdown, bonus protection and personal injury cover are extras that vary by policy, so check what each quote includes.
How much is car insurance in Ireland?
There is no standard price. Each insurer weighs your experience, licence type, claims and points history, age, where you live, the car, what you use it for, the cover level and the excess, and each weighs them differently. The only way to know your price is to compare quotes with your own details. The Quick Quote on this page takes under 60 seconds.
Does a named driver build up a no-claims bonus?
Not a bonus of their own: the no-claims bonus belongs to the policyholder. A named driver does build named-driver experience, and Citizens Information notes that some companies offer discounts to young people insuring in their own name if they have been a named driver. Keep a record of the years and the policy so it can be declared.
How do I switch car insurance provider?
Compare quotes before your renewal date, using the renewal notice your insurer must send at least 20 working days before your policy ends. Choose the new policy to start on the day the old one expires, and give the new insurer your no-claims certificate. If you want to switch mid-term, check your current policy for its cancellation terms first.
Can I get temporary or short-term car insurance?
Car insurance in Ireland is normally arranged for 12 months. If you need cover for a shorter period, or for a car you are borrowing, tell our team what you need and we will check what our panel can offer for your situation.
What is a named driver?
A named driver is someone added to your policy so they can drive your car under your cover. Years as a named driver build driving experience that you can declare when you insure a car in your own name. The main driver must be declared truthfully: naming a more experienced driver as the main driver to lower a young driver’s premium is called fronting, and it is illegal.
What happens if I drive without insurance?
It is an offence that goes to court. On conviction you get 5 penalty points and a fine, and the court can impose a prison term of up to six months or disqualify you from driving instead of imposing points. Victims of uninsured drivers are compensated by the Motor Insurers’ Bureau of Ireland.
What is an excess?
The amount you pay yourself towards any claim, for example the first part of a repair bill. You cannot claim for amounts below the excess. Most policies have one, and Citizens Information notes that in most cases choosing a higher excess lowers the premium. Set it at a level you could pay on the day.
What do I need to get a quote?
For the Quick Quote: the car’s registration and value, your area, your name, date of birth, licence type, no-claims years, contact details, cover start date and Eircode. To complete the policy you will also need the driver number from your licence or learner permit for every driver on the policy, your no-claims bonus letter, and details of any claims, points or convictions in the period asked.