You've bid, or your dealer has, and a new car is on its way. Between the Certificate of Entitlement (COE) result and collection day, one piece of paperwork is easy to leave to the salesperson: the insurance.
This guide is for anyone buying a new car around the COE round of 19 to 21 October 2026, or at the Car Expo expected after it. By the end, you'll know when cover has to start and how to weigh the dealer's offer. You'll also know how to bring your No Claim Discount (NCD) across, and what a new car does to the premium.
A quick note on the backdrop. COE bidding runs twice a month. In the first round of October 2026, Category A closed at S$130,001 and Category B at S$130,100. That's before you pay for the car itself, so it makes sense to look just as closely at the yearly costs that follow. You can follow the results on the COE prices page.
Get cover in place before collection day
A car can't be registered and driven on Singapore roads without motor insurance. Cover has to start before the car is registered and handed to you, not on your first weekend drive. Dealers usually handle registration, so they will ask for your insurance details early.
- Ask for the timeline. Find out the expected registration and collection dates. That tells you when cover must begin.
- Leave time to compare. If you plan to arrange your own insurance, tell the dealer early. Then get quotes on the car insurance quote page while there's still time.
- Have your details ready. You'll need the model, the engine size, the main driver's details and your current NCD.
- Check the start date. Make sure the policy is in force on the day you drive away.
Weigh the dealer's insurance offer
Many dealers offer insurance as part of the car package. Sometimes the first year is built into the deal. It's still a policy like any other, and worth reading line by line.
Pros
- Less admin. The dealer links the policy to the registration, so there's one less thing to chase.
- Part of the negotiation. Insurance can be one more item on the table when you agree the price.
Cons
- Harder to compare. When the premium is folded into the car price, you can't see what you're paying for it.
- Terms you didn't choose. The excess, the workshop rules and the add-ons are picked for you.
- Renewal is a separate matter. Next year's premium is priced on its own, without the package.
Here's what to check before you say yes:
- The excess for damage to your own car.
- The workshop rule, whether you must use authorised workshops or can choose.
- Named drivers, and whether everyone who will drive is on the policy.
- An NCD protector, if you want one.
Then put those terms next to quotes from the comparison. Ask the dealer whether the package price changes if you arrange your own cover.
Carry your No Claim Discount over from your old car
Your NCD belongs to you, not the car. If you're selling or scrapping your old car, the discount follows you to the new one. It also moves with you to a new insurer, which checks it with your old one.
It builds by 10% for each year without a claim, up to 50% after five years. It's the single biggest discount, worth up to half the premium. One at-fault claim usually cuts it by 20 to 30 points.
- Confirm your current level. Ask your insurer what your NCD is and whether any claim is still open.
- Mind any gap. If there's a gap between the old car going and the new one arriving, ask your insurer how long an unused discount stays valid.
- Check who the main driver is. The discount is tied to a person. If someone else will be the main driver, their record counts.
- Consider an NCD protector. This add-on, offered on many plans, keeps your discount after one claim. Compare what it adds to the premium.
Expect a new car's age and value to show in the premium
Insurers price on the model, the engine size and how old the car is. A bigger engine or a pricier model usually costs more to insure. A brand-new car is also worth the most it will ever be worth, which is why most drivers of newer cars choose comprehensive cover.
Comprehensive pays for damage to your own car as well as what you do to others. Third party only covers others, and suits older, lower-value cars. Third party, fire and theft sits in between.
To see how far prices spread, take today's examples for a standard driver. A 5-year-old Toyota Corolla Altis 1.6 with 50% NCD is priced by 8 insurers, from about S$636 to about S$1,375. A 3-year-old Honda Vezel 1.5 with 20% NCD runs from about S$1,145 to about S$2,033. These are older cars and a set profile, so your quote will differ. The gap between insurers is the point.
- Find your model. Pages include the Toyota Corolla Altis, Honda Vezel, BYD Atto 3 and Tesla Model 3. The full list is on the price pages.
- Check the excess. Young or new drivers often pay a higher one.
- Compare side by side. Use compare two insurers to line up the terms.
Settle the workshop question
Some plans send you to the insurer's authorised workshops. Others let you choose. Plans that use authorised workshops usually cost less. With a new car, many owners would rather have repairs done at the agent's own workshop, so this choice matters more than usual.
- Ask the dealer whether the warranty terms say anything about where accident repairs are done.
- Ask the insurer whether the agent's workshop is on its authorised list.
- Weigh the price gap between an authorised-workshop plan and a plan that lets you choose.
- Read how claims work. Our claims page explains the steps after an accident.
Name every driver and check the use
A new car often gets shared around the family. The exclusions are where that can go wrong. Car insurance here does not cover drivers not named on the policy, outside its terms. It also excludes private hire, racing and rallies, and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
- Name everyone who drives. That includes a spouse or an adult child who borrows the car for the weekend.
- Check the use. A private-use plan won't cover private hire trips. If you plan to drive for a ride-hailing app, say so upfront.
- Know what is a warranty matter. Wear and tear and mechanical breakdown are excluded. A fault in a new car goes to the dealer, not the insurer.
What is not worth worrying about
- Losing your NCD by switching insurer. It belongs to you and moves with you.
- Picking the wrong cover type on the first try. You can switch between comprehensive, third party fire and theft, and third party only on the results page without answering again.
- Being tied to the dealer's insurer. You can compare again when the policy comes up for renewal.
- Roadside help. Car insurance here generally includes 24-hour roadside assistance and towing, plus windscreen repair or replacement. Just confirm both are on the plan you pick.
The bottom line
Sort the insurance before collection day, not after. Read the dealer's offer as closely as any other quote, bring your NCD across and decide the workshop question with the warranty in mind. Then compare what's on offer for your car on the car insurance page.