Every autumn, MTPL (compulsory motor third-party liability insurance) is back in the news: campaign articles, calculator adverts, the general mood of "this is when you have to switch". The reality today is more nuanced: the year-end period is the switching season for calendar-year renewal policies – but most newer policies have their renewal date somewhere else entirely. Let's clarify who it affects, and who it doesn't.
- The year-end campaign is the switching period for calendar-year renewal policies – under the rules in force, typically older and fleet policies.
- Newer policies have a renewal date tied to the date the policy was taken out: for them, the "campaign" is the weeks before their own renewal date.
- For us, the campaign is a chance to compare the market, not pressure to switch: switching is worthwhile only if the full picture is better.
Where does the year-end tradition come from?
Under the MTPL market's earlier system, policies followed the calendar year: everyone's renewal date was 31 December, and switching decisions were made in November – which is what burned the "year-end MTPL season" into public memory. Under the current rules, the policy period for newer policies is tied to the start of cover, so renewal dates are now spread across the year.
The calendar-year renewal group hasn't disappeared, though: under the rules in force, it typically covers older policies and fleet holdings – for them, the year-end is still a genuine switching window today.
How do you know if it affects you?
A single piece of information decides it: your renewal date. If your policy or renewal notice shows a period start of 1 January, you belong to the calendar-year renewal group, and the year-end weeks are your switching period – you need to watch the cancellation deadline here too (typically at least 30 days before the renewal date). If a different date is shown, the year-end campaign doesn't directly apply to you: your schedule follows your own renewal date instead – here's how to find it.
For company vehicle fleets, the specifics of fleet MTPL are covered by flotta.biz – there, the year-end period is a key planning point.
What should you do if you're affected?
A calendar-year renewal policy deserves a full market comparison after the autumn tariff publications: insurers' tariffs are updated around then, and there can be a meaningful difference between offers – even for the same car. The process is the same as for any switch: compare on the full picture, decide, then follow the mostly gap-free switching order.
An honest note belongs here too: if the full picture of your existing policy – premium, extras, claims-handling experience – is good, staying put is just as valid a decision. The campaign exists so the decision is based on fresh information, not so that you switch no matter what.
And what holds true all year round
In the MTPL market, tariff publication under the rules in force isn't a single autumn moment: insurers can publish new tariffs at any point in the year – that is covered in the article on how tariff publication works. That's why comparing offers makes sense at every renewal date, not only in December. What this site offers is simple: before your renewal date – whenever it falls – we put the market back into competition for you, with your bonus-malus class protected and help avoiding non-payment-lapse traps.
A campaign primer for fleets and businesses
The business segment deserves its own paragraph: fleet MTPL policies typically live under the calendar-year renewal regime, so for companies the autumn weeks are a genuine planning period – reviewing the fleet, requesting quotes, deciding, all to deadline. If you manage a company fleet, the year-end campaign isn't a mood, it's a project: it's worth starting in September so the decision doesn't fall into the last week. The detailed fleet schedule is the territory of flotta.biz – and for private car owners, the takeaway is simple: if everyone is talking about MTPL in autumn, check your own renewal date first, and plan your actions around that.
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