People say "classic", "vintage", "oldtimer" and "youngtimer" as if they mean one thing. In law they do not. Every country picks its own age and its own conditions, and the label you qualify for changes what you pay in road tax, whether you need an inspection and which plate you carry. This guide puts the main rules side by side. Always check the official page before you buy, because the rules move.
The Netherlands: 40 years for tax, 1978 for blue plates
A motor vehicle is exempt from road tax (motorrijtuigenbelasting) when it is at least 40 years old and was first registered before 1 January 1988. The 1988 cut-off matters because it freezes the exemption: from 2028 only vehicles first registered before 1 January 1988 qualify, so a bike from 1990 will never get it. Motorcycles that fall just short can use a transition scheme: you pay a quarter of the normal tax, capped at €158 in 2026, and you may not use or park the bike on public roads in January, February and December.
Motorcycles have no APK (periodic inspection) in the Netherlands at all, old or new. The dark blue historic number plates are a separate matter: they are for vehicles first used before 1 January 1978, and they are available for motorcycles but not for mopeds.
Belgium: the O plate
An oldtimer in Belgium is a vehicle that has been in use for more than 30 years and carries a plate whose letters start with an O. Motorcycles and other category L vehicles may be registered as oldtimers from 25 years. The bike goes through an oldtimer inspection to get the plate. In return you accept restrictions: no commercial use, no commuting to work or school, no paid transport. Road tax and inspection rules are regional, so read the page of your own region.
Germany: the H plate
The H-Kennzeichen is for vehicles first registered at least 30 years ago that are preserved in largely original condition and judged worth protecting as technical cultural heritage. An expert report under section 23 of the StVZO (from TÜV, DEKRA or similar) is required. The reward is a flat annual tax: €46.02 for a motorcycle, whatever the engine size. If you only ride at events, a red 07 plate can be enough, and an H plate can be combined with a seasonal plate.
The United Kingdom: a rolling 40 years
Vehicle tax: from 1 April 2026 you can stop paying if the vehicle was built before 1 January 1986. MOT: no test is needed if the vehicle was built or first registered more than 40 years ago and has not been substantially changed. Replacing the chassis, body, axles or engine in a way that changes how the vehicle works counts as a substantial change and removes the exemption.
France: the collection registration
A collection registration (carte grise de collection) needs a vehicle that is at least 30 years old, of a type no longer produced and kept in its original state, plus a dating and characteristics certificate from the manufacturer or from the FFVE, the national federation. Without that certificate the application cannot go ahead.
FIVA: the international yardstick
FIVA, the international federation of historic vehicle clubs, defines a historic vehicle as a mechanically propelled road vehicle that is at least 30 years old, preserved and maintained in a historically correct condition, not used as daily transport and therefore part of our technical and cultural heritage. A FIVA Identity Card is issued only after a physical inspection against the FIVA Technical Code. It is not a legal document, but it is accepted as proof of authenticity in many places and buyers value it.
What this means when you buy
Age is counted from the date of first registration or manufacture, so ask for it in writing. A bike that qualifies in one country may not in the next, which matters when you buy across a border. Read buying a classic motorcycle abroad before you commit, and use the buying checklist to check the papers. Browse what is on offer in the live auctions.
