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How to Import or Re-register a UK Car In Spain

The law in Spain states that you are required to register your Vehicle with Spanish plates within 6 months of bringing it into the country.

How to Import or Re-register a UK Car In Spain

The law in Spain states that you are required to register your Vehicle with Spanish plates within 6 months of bringing it into the country. After 6 Months it must have Spanish registration or it must leave the country for a continuous 6 month period. Why? - Think about the situation in reverse : Imagine that you are driving your completely legal UK registered car in the UK and you are involved in a minor accident with a foreign registered car which has been in the UK for over a year but still has foreign plates on it. After being in the UK for 12 Months it would not have a certificate of road worthiness (MOT) from its own country which will automatically render its insurance null and void and leave you with a legal and financial headache!

Now reverse the above situation and you have your answer! (but this time it's you who are at fault!)

One of the popular comments that you will hear from the various expat "experts" in your local bar could be " Tell them you are here on Holiday and then take the car back to the UK and get it MOT'd and Taxed and then bring it back again "

Wrong! Unless you have resident status in Spain you can only keep a car here for up to six months. Then it has to go back to the UK for a further six months. You might bluff a routine roadside stop from the Guardia Civil (of which there are surprisingly many) once or twice with that story but, in the event of something more serious, you would have to prove that the car was only here for six months of the year in a court of law and that might be a little difficult when the local Guardia Civil has been taking notes in his black book over the last year.

In the unfortunate event of you being involved in a serious traffic incident you would probably be asked by your insurance company to provide proof of continuous residence in the UK for a full six month period within the twelve months up until the date of your accident. This would include credit card receipts, debit card receipts, petrol receipts, rent/ mortgage payments etc... They could also ask to see your passport stamped at the correct dates with entry and exit stamps.

There have been many recent cases of cars being impounded byVarious Town Halls - reason being given that they had exceeded the six month time period and had still not been re-registered with Spanish plates.

The easiest way to avoid this unnecessary hassle is to....

  • Re-register your car.
  • Change your driving licence to a Spanish one.
  • Buy Spanish insurance.
It really is a simple as that.

If you are still in any doubt as to the legality of your car then simply ask your insurance company for a letter stating that they are aware that you are a permanent resident in Spain but that you are still driving a UK registered car with no Tax or MOT but they are quite happy to carry on insuring you on a fully comprehensive basis until the policy expires.

Once you have that letter, keep it with you at all times.

There are many Specialist Car Importation Companies that can do this for you, but most Gestors are also able to undertake this kind of work.

A special registration Tax of around 12% is payable which is calculated on the Vehicles Current Value (based on the vehicles original market value in Spain)

Comment on this Article

 

John : A couple of Guides we have written on the subject might help shed a bit of light ...

* "How to legally import your Spanish Vehicle into the UK" (Click >> HERE <<)

* "How to buy or sell a Spanish Vehicle in the UK" (Click >> HERE <<)

Tumbit - Admin - Sat, 18th May 2013
Very interesting. I am in the opposite position,needing to re-register my Spanish car in U.K. Are there any companies that can deal with this for me. I have all the paperwork from D.V.L.A but find it impossible to understand it
John Pittard - Sat, 18th May 2013
About €450 plus the cost of new headlights, changing fog lights, speedometer etc...
Carbine - Sat, 11th May 2013
I would like to know how much it costs to register a uk car in Spain
Michelle Sales - Sat, 11th May 2013
Yes is the simple answer. Many people that have only holiday homes out here have purchased spanish cars or re-registered their UK cars for use out here.
Carbine - Thu, 2nd May 2013
3 years ago rented an apartment in Barcelona. I have since brought my car a Jaquar XK to Spain and its parked in a lock up garage next to the apatment . I took out spanish Insurance for 12 months which has been continued. in 2012 and 2013. I now understand that this insurance is not legal on a uk plated car so the car cannot be driven in spain . The car no longer has UK insurance, mot or UK car tax. I think I have two choices: 1. Get the car registered in spain or 2. Transport it to a port ,ship it to the UK and get it MOtd ,taxed and insured back in the UK. My issue is I am now thinking of buying the apartment and spending more time in Spain (though not more than 182 days per year so I would not be resident in spain). Which of these two options would you advise? Can I register a car with spanish plates if I am not a resident in Spain ?
Kevin Houston - Thu, 2nd May 2013
Thanks but I'm in UK and just trying to get as much info as poss, regards who what and how.
Dave - Fri, 26th Apr 2013
Personally I think this question has been answered many times over. You just have to scroll back through the messages to find all the answers needed. Go to Traffico or possibly your local town hall, depends on where you live, get the forms, get an ITV done on the vehicle or better, use a Gestoria, the Spanish equivalent of a Legal Executive who can do the paperwork and sort it out for no more than a few hundred euros, Plus of course any mechanical changes you may need to make, change of speedometer, headlights, foglights etc.
Carbine - Fri, 26th Apr 2013
I understand what is required to register your car from England ,but you dont explain who or what to do about it. IE who do I contact and whats the cost?
Dave - Fri, 26th Apr 2013

Phil : No, the law still states that you can drive your UK registered vehicle in Spain for 6 months before re-registering (Maybe your friend is thinking about Residency, which is 3 Months ?)

Littlebeach :If you take your car back and forth to the UK every 6 months (twice per year ?) You wouldn't need to import you car anyway. You would probably find it a costly and pointless exersize to do this, unless you dislike the drive.

Tumbit - Admin - Fri, 19th Apr 2013
My position is that I am not a resident but spend quite a bit of time in Spain. I have a house and I bring my car over twice a year with full MOT and insurance (from SAGA) who allow the car to be outside the UK for the whole year. I would love to register the car in Spain but as I am not a resident I can't! Or can I?!!
Littlebeach - Wed, 17th Apr 2013
I have recently been informed by a friend who lives in Spain that the law regulating the usage of an English registered car in Spain has changed from six months usage to three months before you need to register for Spanish registration. Is this the case please ?
Phil H - Wed, 17th Apr 2013
Joy : The Information you require (How to Buy a Car in Spain) Can be read by clicking the link >> HERE << - Also, I would urge you to check that there are no outstanding debts on the car, given that it is currently untaxed.
Tumbit - Admin - Wed, 17th Apr 2013
I have seen a car advertised here in Spain for sale that I would like to own. It is a RHD MG two seater sports 2001 and is advertised for €1400. I am living in Spain but have not taken residencia as yet. What I would like to know is if it is worth my buying this car, which incidentally has no Tax or MOT, and getting it onto Spanish plates. I would appreciate knowing how to go abut that and the likely cost complete. Thanks.
Joy Nudds - Wed, 17th Apr 2013
Many thanks Carbine. will update when received the certificate, albeit that we have to wait minimum 35 days. Appreciate all your advice.
Teresa - Wed, 20th Mar 2013
Yes, that is correct. My car was first registered in Germany and I had no problem matriculating it in Spain even though paperwork was only in German & English. As I said, many Spanish have a knack of stretching the truth to suit themselves, especially if they think they can make a few hundred Euros out of it. £120 seems reasonable, better than the ITV station.
Carbine - Wed, 20th Mar 2013
Hi, I make you right. I had a conversation directly with Mitsuibishi who said the CoC only comes in the language where the car is originally registered (English) and the cost is only £120. Then I went to the website you advised and their answer was:

" CoC is furnished in the language of the constructor, if your Mitsubishi were first registered in EU since 1996 and was produced for EU market than it is generally in English. However CoC has to be accepted in all EU countries in all EU languages, because COC has all anticpoy signs requested by European Union."

The way I read it is that they have to accept it in English. Am I reading it correctly do you think ?

Teresa - Wed, 20th Mar 2013
Each manufacturers CoC is different, there is no standard layout/design, which I think is rather shortsdighted for an organisation that loves tinkering. Anyway, the language of the certificate will almost certainly be in the language of the home country of the manufacturer, unless they are from outside the EU in wjich case the language used will be a combination of English, French and/or German as laid down by the EU. I'm sure your local ITV can get one for €400! Just like the private organisations that can matriculate your car for €4000. Forget about the Spanish language, there is NO legal basis for this, it's just another bit of misinformation to persuade you to go with them. All the ITV stations have a copy of the various manufacturers CoC so they can do a comparison. Mine was in German and I had no problem what so ever. Unless of course the rules have been changed without anyone being told about it! www.certificate-of-conformity.co.uk
Carbine - Wed, 20th Mar 2013
Thank you so much for your reply, we will certainly try the web address you gave us. This car is 2004 so not that new but registered first time in England. Can you give me an idea of what the certificate looks like? We are in Huelva and our ITV says that they can obtain the certificate from Madrid but at a cost of 400 euros. They say the Certificate has to be in Spanish. Is this correct? will post results from eurococ later when have contacted them. Again many thanks.
Teresa - Wed, 20th Mar 2013
Yes, it is necessary to obtain a CoC for your car. Surprisingly some of the ITV centres seem to hold them for various vehicles. If you are in the area try Lorca. Otherwise, if new, you will either have to go to the garage you purchased the vehicle from or the manufacturers, most of them offer Certificates quite readily. Alternatively, or you could try these people: http://www.eurococ.eu/en. As for cost, it does depend to a certain degree on the country where the vehicle was registered for the first time and where you are now but generally I wouldn't expect the cost to be much more than around €80-€140 maximum.
Carbine - Wed, 20th Mar 2013
Re registering, can you tell me if it is necessary to obtain a Certificate of Conformity from the Maker of the car as we have been told this alone costs 400 euros before you start with any papers to re register. This has to be obtained (apparently) in Spanish. Can anyone tell us why or advise us please.
Teresa - Tue, 19th Mar 2013
Rachel, In all honesty when you have added up all the associated costs you may find that it is cheaper and easier to either Scrap the car in Spain (Click link >> HERE << for details), or to Sell the car to somebody planning on returning to the UK (Click link >> HERE << for details). It would be a pointless exersize to get a Spanish ITV for a UK vehicle in Spain.
Tumbit - Admin - Wed, 6th Mar 2013
Hi. My mother is currently staying with us for an indefinite period. She has her (old) car with her. The MOT is now due and we are comparing the cost of taking it back to the UK (for an MOT or to get rid of it) versus transferring it to 'Spanish'. The car would be worth about £400 in the UK. What would you advise?
Rachael Williams - Wed, 6th Mar 2013
I have a ford ranger pick up rhd uk registered 4 doors all with windows. I have been told i can not transfer it onto spanish plates I know this can not be possible with a panel van but this is just a 4x4 like most cars it does say on the registration book it's a light commercial. Please can you advise me
Karl Rutter - Tue, 5th Feb 2013
In a word, NO. Although the car already has a certificate of Conformity etc., it will still cost you as much as, if not more than, it is worth to get it Matriculated in Spain. If you wish to go ahead then unless you speak fair Spanish and can write it then use a Gestoria to do it for you. They will guide you through the whole process. Their should be at least one in every town. Askthe local inhabitants or at the local town hall. A Gestoria (gesture) is a like a Legal Executive or Assistant Solicitor in the UK. He is qualified to carry out certain legal duties and paperwork. In Spain they are able to work as individuals where as in the UK they are part of a legal practise and their work is signed off by a solicitor. For instance in the UK they will probably carry out the majority of the conveyancing work when buying or selling a house.
Carbine - Mon, 31st Dec 2012
Hello Im after advice for exporting an Opel corsa 1.4 1995 which is owned by my son which Iwould be looking to buy off him. It has been registered in Germany Is LHD It has high mileage and is of very little value. Maybe £300 pounds Would It be worth the expense of going though all the legal marlarky to get It there Also who or what is a gesture (spelling)that you keep refering to and If they can help how do you get hold of one. I read in one of your earlier reports that it would be better if we didnt have padron which we dont be we do own a house there . The car currently in England and until recently was German legal.Hope the above makes sense to you and look forward to hearing from you.If you do reply please make the instructions as simple as possible
Harry Clark - Mon, 31st Dec 2012
Many cars built in the last 10 years or so do not need their headlights changed instead the aligment can be changed from within the engine compartment. Consult the owners handbook.
Carbine - Thu, 15th Nov 2012
Dan : You need to change the headlights as soon as you import your RHD UK vehicle onto Spanish plates as this is a requirement of the ITV / MOT (Where if you are just here on holiday or for a short period of time the headight stickers will usually be ok). If you think about it, the RHD lights are deflected slightly to one side of the road, away from the glare of any oncoming drive, whereas if the same car was driven on the opposite side of the road the light would dazzle the oncoming driver.
Robster - Thu, 15th Nov 2012
Correct. I did mention about changing the headlights!! Why, do you have a question about this?
Carbine - Wed, 14th Nov 2012
Hi. You mentioned about changing the headlights??
Dan Moxon - Tue, 13th Nov 2012
what is the cost of re register your car to spainish plates thanks ron
Ron Beach - Sat, 20th Oct 2012
@ Carbine - The car is in Spain about a year. It is still on UK plates and has not gone through the ITV yet. I am hopping the will switch the lights before the test, The owner will put it through the test prior to the sale. The car is a 2001 model. I am here about a year. I have residencia/DNI.
David - Fri, 5th Oct 2012
The original certificate of compliance should have been issued by the manufacturer, however you will probably find that the ITV station has it on their computer system, particularly if you go to Lorca. Alternatively try a local Mercedes dealer. It is issued against the make and model, not an individual car. How have you calculated the Import Tax? it sounds a bit high to me. It used to be based on a percentage of the original value of car minus 10% per annum, down to zero after 10 years. However, it has recently changed and is now done on emissions, which seems in most cases to work in the importers favour. The other questions are: How old is the car? How long have you owned the car? How long have you been in Spain? Do you have your residencia/padron, if so when did you get them? How long has the car been in Spain? These can all make a difference to what you have to pay. Saying that,€800-1000 including replacing of headlights seems pretty reasonable. Remember you may also have to change your headlights !
Carbine - Thu, 4th Oct 2012
I have researched the transfer of paperwork, number plates etc for the Mercedes E320 listed below. Initial step: Visit local Traffic Police Station to acquire the Matriculacion Ordinaria de Vehiculos form which breaks down the procedural steps (in Spanish). Step 1: Go to Hacienda/Tax Office (not customs). They calculate the import tax by using the original RRP, the age and some other aspects which are minor. ie: RRP = €33,000 Import Tax = €435.oo (Plates could be an extra €70 max. Step 2. Change of headlights €200 on this car. (price is taken from ebay, D.I.Y). Step 3. Visit the I.T.V. (vehicle transport inspection). Cost = €70.oo approx. Bear in mind none of the above is valid unless your car has the E.U. headlights. I figure it will cost me between €800 and a €1,000 Can someone inform me who issues the EU Certificate of Compliance, should the original owner/seller have this documentation and if not, what happens?
David - Wed, 3rd Oct 2012
John, the simplest way is to use a Gestor. The paperwork itself can be a bit complicated and it may well involve a couple of journeys to your local ITV centre. The actual cost of the inspections and registration etc shouldn't come to more than a few hundred 's. Depending of whether you have an EU Certificate of Compliance etc. I imported a 12 month old 4x4 into Spain in 1998 and it cost me just over 400€ including Road Tax for 16 months. I would say that anyone quoting you more than around 600$ without a very good reason, maybe having to pay to change headlights or foglights or similar, is taking the michael!
Carbine - Tue, 2nd Oct 2012
John : On top of knowing the age, make and model of your car, It would also depend how good your Spanish is, how far you are prepared to travel and how long you are prepared to wait to undertake the process. It is quite likely that it CAN be done done cheaper, just whether or not it can be done cheaper by you and for your car.
Tumbit - Admin - Tue, 2nd Oct 2012
Can someone tell me in simple terms how to import my UK registered vehicle to Murcia, Spain? I hav been quoted 1000 euros plus by my solicitor which seems excessive.
John - Mon, 1st Oct 2012
First, because of the age of the car it is doubtful if you will have to pay anything, Spain writes down the value of the vehicle by 10% per annum over 10 years, as it is 11 years old now it should be exempt. As to headlights, then try a dealer on the way down through France or somewhere, don't wait until you get to Spain. Prices will be horrendous and it will take months if not longer, to get them. Also try Ebay or Amazon but be sure you put in European Union as your search parameter otherwise it generally just shows what is available in the UK.
Carbine - Sat, 22nd Sep 2012
Hi, there's some great info on here, thanks all. I am in a position where I can buy a right hand drive British car with British plates at a good price. It is a 2001 Mercedes E320 CDI Diesel with an Engine Capacity of 3226cc and a value of 3,000 euro. I believe it is cheaper to do things directly by going to the Customs Office (oficina de aduanas, near the bus station in Malaga). The Gestor is always more expensive. Is there an alternative solution to buying new or second hand head lights for this car? Please advise asap. Thanks again. David.
David - Sat, 22nd Sep 2012
David : Yes, that's the deal !
Tumbit - Admin - Sat, 22nd Sep 2012
Hello and Thank you for the very useful information on this page regarding the Re-register of a car in Spain. Am I right in saying that if I buy a UK in Spain at the value of €3000, I would be required to pay about 12% (about €350) of that value to have the car Re-registered here in Spain? Regards David
David - Sat, 22nd Sep 2012
Hi everyone, Can anyone please give me a step by step set of instructions as to what is required for me to register my UK vehicle in Spain. I have had it here and back to the UK over the years and now as I am a resident and have been on the voting register for some time now I know I would not benefit from the discounts available. I think I have to pay the following Registration/Co2 Tax Engineers Report ITV Traffico payment Annual road tax but in which order to do things I am unsure. Can anyone please help to clarify this process? And in the end, where would i get the registration plate? Do i have to go to a ferreteria and get one or do they supply it as part of the procedure? Thanking you in advance John
John - Mon, 30th Jul 2012
Oh dear! How long is a piece of string? It all depends on the make. original cost of the vehicle, how old it is, engine size/CO2 emissions, how long have you owned it? how long has it been in Spain? Do you already have your Residencia/Padron? Anything from a few hundred to a few thousand.
Carbine - Sun, 15th Jul 2012
How much would it be to make my car legal in spain ?
Sue - Sun, 15th Jul 2012
If you wish to do it yourself you will need a good level of Spanish. A gestoria should have the paperwork and be able to do it for you for no more than a couple of hundred.
Carbine - Mon, 9th Jul 2012
Hi : Can I do the transfer for my car myself as I was quoted 600 euros but was told I could do it myself for half the price. I need to know where to go and what forms I need etc... any help would be great !
Mavis Chadderton - Mon, 9th Jul 2012
It used to be that you had to re-register your car within 60 days of applying for your Residencia and/or Padron, whichever was first. As far as I am aware that hasn't changed. We didn't apply for our Residencia until we had been here for 5 months. The only changes that I know of have been to the levels of duty payable which have had to be very substantially reduced to comply with EU legislation.
Carbine - Sun, 1st Jul 2012
Please let me know the amount of time allowed to re re-register a UK plated vehicle here in Spain to avoid paying import tax. I understand it is 30 days from arrival date (personal property) and also requires the issue of residencia or green paper as it is now known. Help please !
Cynthia Clark - Sat, 30th Jun 2012
Many thanks for the prompt response Carbine! It IS 'quite old' - approaching 20 years, but in superb mechanical order and looks good too! We love it and would really want to keep going with it for a while yet, so I am very encouraged by your input! Sounds like the next step is a 'Gestor' and some thinking around the timing of our plans to relocate.
Sootyboy - Sun, 10th Jun 2012
Depends on what you mean by quite old! Spain writes down the value of the vehicle by 10% per annum over a ten year period so it could have little or no value by now. However, if you are concerned go to a Gestor, he has access to a website that will give the current value of the vehicle. Then you can decide whether to go through the process or not. If you do want to do it then a Gestor is as good a person as any and he will complete the paperwork for you. Your headlights should be fine if you take the deflectors off and your fog/reversing lamps need to be on the offside of the vehicle. Providing you have completed forms like the slip from the V5 declaring it has been exported permanently then it really shouldn't cost you more than a few hundred Euros. Remember that if you do the change over at the same time as applying for your Residencia/Padron, then it counts as personal property and there is not tax or duty payable.
Carbine - Sun, 10th Jun 2012
This is helpful stuff - BUT, I have an American vehicle, which has been registered in the UK for most of its life - and is not only quite old now, but has little financial value. It has USA headlamps, which get through the MOT each year with tape to 'deflect' the beams, so presumably it will not need any modification at the front end!? The Fog/Reversing lamps are single 'add-on' units which could be adapted with little/no cost....SO, how would/could it be valued and what would the likely TOTAL cost to make it fully legal in Spain?? (we are intending to spend more than 6 months a year there - and take residency!
Sootyboy - Sun, 10th Jun 2012
You will get all sorts of con artists telling you it will cost you €4,000 etc., etc. That is all bull, as the authorities have been forced to make changes to the rules by the EU. If the car was originally registered here then go and see a Gestoria as the car should have a Certificate of Conformity in which case it should only need an ITV to rematriculate it, about €70 the rest of the paperwork you get from your local Traffico office, depending on where you are, Almeria for me. for an import like mine about another €170 plus about €80 road tax. It also helps if you haven't registered as a Resident or on the Padron yet, though you can still get round that.
Carbine - Fri, 30th Mar 2012
Carbine, how did you import the car for €350 - I have a car to import but I am being quoted ridiculous amounts. The car was originally registered in Spain but imported into the UK ?
Stuart Burrell - Fri, 30th Mar 2012
Carbine, that just goes to show the importnance of fully understanding the law. You deffinately did the right thing by researching around the subject.
Jo Green - Thu, 22nd Sep 2011
There are few car importation organisations that won't try to rip you off. I bought a car in Germany and knew if I re-registered it when getting my residencia I would pay no tax and only about 350€ yet no one would quote me less than 4,000€ most knew about the scheme and others told me I was talking rubbish. It actually cost 338€
Carbine - Wed, 21st Sep 2011
Dot : The costs will very roughly be a 12% Tax on the Book value of the car The Cost of new headlamps The cost of an ITV Car Tax.

If you use the services of a Gestor you will need to allow for this aswell. A cost saving tip is to buy the headlamps from E Bay and fit them yourself.

I would 'Guesstimate' a cost to be between 300-400 Euros all in.

Tumbit - Admin - Fri, 12th Aug 2011
HI, I actually own on the Costa Blanca but dont live there. I am thinking of buying a British car in Spain so I can use while I am there. Do you have any idea of the cost to re-register it in Spain ? It is a 1.4.Corsa 2001 16v, 3 door Hatchback £1450 Thank you
Dot - Fri, 12th Aug 2011
Just one word of caution on your ITV : It is not legal or valid on a UK car. A Spanish ITV on a UK registered car is basically a voluntary safety check on your vehicle to check it's roadworthy-ness and nothing more. It does not replace an MOT and I would check the small print on your Insurance policy to see if it is invalid in the case of accident with regards to this matter. I am sure that you should be able to legally import your car aslong as you have a Spanish NIE number and address.
Mr Grumpy - Wed, 27th Apr 2011
Thanks for these helpful comments. I want the car to be legal in Spain I do not intend taking it away from Spain to any other country. As i have already invested in Spanish headlights, a 2 year ITV Certificate, fully comprehensive car insurance which was issued in Gibralter for driving in Spain and am probably still driving illegally it seems only sensible to resolve the problem by completing the process and importing the vehicle but I have been unable to discover the answer as to whether I, as a UK resident, can import a UK registered car into Spain? I wonder if anyone can tell me if I can do this. and if so what documents do I need? ThanQ
Carole Macintyre - Wed, 27th Apr 2011
@Carole - the other thing to consider here is that if you are not paying UK road taxes and have a valid MOT (many don't bother), in most cases your Spanish Insurance will be void in the event of anything happening, as the vehicle has to be legal in it's country of registration.
Mr Grumpy - Wed, 27th Apr 2011
Carole, what you are 'supposed to do' and what you can 'get away with' can often be two different things. Importing your car legally obvioulsy comes at a cost and you need to decide what this cost is likely to be compared with the true financial value of the car to decide whether it will be worthwhile to do this or sell it and buy a Spanish registered vehicle. I believe that you have been advised that you will be ok in your situation due to your vehicle being parked 'off the road' for long periods at a time and that 'it could be argued' that the vehicle was out of the country during this time. It all sounds good in theory, doesn't it ? - I doubt that you would have a leg to stand on if you were ever involved in an accident.
Tumbit - Admin - Tue, 26th Apr 2011
Reading this article I think I may have been ill advised by my insurers and Spanish garage. I am a UK resident with no Spanish property but I keep a UK plated car permanently in a Spanish airport garage for my use when visiting. It has fully comprehensive Ibex insurance from Gibralter, a current ITV certificate and Spanish headlights is it illegal and as a non resident what should I do?
Carole Macintyre - Tue, 26th Apr 2011
You would have thought so wouldn't you ? The problem is that with regards to motoring, the EU allows a certain amount of leeway to each member state with regards to how they interpret certain recommendations. An example of this would be how the regulations differ between the UK and Spain with Tow bars.
Tumbit - Admin - Fri, 4th Mar 2011
Recently arrived from South Africa and thinking of taking a UK registered car to Spain. Useful content on the site and an 'Interesting argument' proposed by the author re the MOT period. Surely the MOT regulations across all EU member states are linked to the MOT expiry date itself not some arbitrary 'other period' i.e. do not all countries in the EU simply require that the MOT be renewed where the car is 'resident' at the time that it expires and why should you need to do an MOT just because the car has been for 6 months in another country (Spain in this case) when the current MOT is (irrepective of its origin within the EU) still valid? Of course this implies a Union in the real sense which judging by the constant 'bickering' between various member states seems to be a long way off!
John C - Fri, 4th Mar 2011
John, when you legally import your UK regsitered car into Spain and register it with the Spanish DGT, part of the procedure involves obtaining a new Spanish ITV (MOT), without which it will not be road legal. Your car will be legal up to it's being here for 6 months, at which point you will need to take action. Many people do not import their vehicle - however a Spanish ITV on a UK regsitered vehicle is nothing more than a 'voluntary safety check' and could invalidate your insurance in the event of an accident.
Tumbit - Admin - Tue, 15th Feb 2011
The above info is interesting but does not cover my situation I have brought my car over, I plan to visit about 4 times a year and leave my car in the garage when I am away. At the moment it is insured and has a current MOT. I want to register it in Spain and leave it hear for my use when I am here. I also want to insure and MOT it in Spain Is this possible? Hope you can help
John Gibson - Tue, 15th Feb 2011
Andrew, for the purpose of clarity here we have taken your suggestion and removed the 'International Model' wording, however, it is stil a good idea to obtain a Spanish licence.
Tumbit - Admin - Tue, 13th Jul 2010
Will you please delete reference to the "International model (Driving Licence)" as all the information I ever see about it on websites is invariably wrong. Firstly, there is no such thing. Secondly, an International Driving Permit is a document to accompany a full driving licence when travelling abroad (i.e. outside the EU) as a tourist. It is valid for up to a year, but can be renewed. It serves to authenticate the holder's normal licence, and does NOT take its place and it has no status as an "international driving licence". Within EU countries it is a useful document to have for those who hold older non-photo licences, although a photocard licence is a much more sensible idea.
Andrew - Mon, 12th Jul 2010
Alvin, this is a service that any Asesor or Gestor should be able to assist you with. Altrnatively, there are also a number of specific Re-registration companies in operation throughout Spain. A local company is always better as it saves the risk of sending important documents in the post. If you mail your location we can advise.
Tumbit - Admin - Tue, 22nd Jun 2010
I would like to Re-register my UK car in spain and need help to do it. Kind regards Alvin
Alvin Karia - Tue, 22nd Jun 2010