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Driving In Spain
UK Registered vehicles in Spain.
As either a resident or non-resident, you may bring a British registered car to Spain, but if the car is here for more than 6 months, you must re-register the vehicle onto Spanish plates.
The police have closed their eyes to the amounts of illegal cars for a long time, but the current economic climate means that they are now clamping down heavily on ILLEGAL cars and heavy fines are being imposed on vehicles which can be proved to have been here for more than 6 months.
If your car has been here for more than 6 months, whatever its age, and has not been re-registered it is ILLEGAL and if you are stopped when driving, you could face steep fines.
Any UK plated car which has been here for 6 months, must be re-registered with the Spanish authorities, Spanish plates issued and Spanish taxes paid.
If you are a resident, you can avoid payment of import tax on newer models by obtaining a Baja Consular from the British Consulate, which we are able to undertake on your behalf.
Non-residents must pay import duty, which is calculated according to the make and model of car, and its CO2 emissions.
We will undertake the entire process to re-matriculate your car for only 275 euros, which is a complicated process involving several stages and takes 7-14 days.
This fee covers our services , please note additional taxes and administrative fees are at your own expense. Please contact us for full details
An important point worth noting- If your car has been here for more than 6 months and is illegal, your insurance will also be invalid.
Change of Car Ownership.
Only vehicles on Spanish plates can be legally transferred to new owners.
Be very careful to ensure that any vehicle you purchase has a valid ITV certificate, up to date road tax and legal sellers documentation.
Be aware when changes are made to a vehicles' owners there is a 4% government tax to pay on the book value.
We will complete all paperwork for you or check the documentation before you purchase a car. We also offer a Sales Service and will market your car for you, arrange viewings and test drives and guarantee smooth transfer of ownership.
Buying or selling a used car in Spain can be a hazardous business, but if you take care to ensure that all the necessary paperwork is completed to cover yourself against liabilities, things should go smoothly. Any Spanish car must have two documents: a permiso de circulación, which makes it legal to drive the car on public roads, and a tarjeta de inspección technical de vehiculos or certificate of roadworthiness.
If you sell a car, you must sign the section on the back of the permiso de circulación which begins ‘Transferido ...'. To make sure no problems arise you should also write in the date of the sale. This obliges the new owner to complete the paperwork within 10 days. You can also notify the jefatura provincial de trafico of the sale, to cover yourself in case the buyer omits to change the name on the car's papers.
If the car is still in your name after the sale, the new owner could be running up fines for which you will be liable. You can check this: ask at the jefatura for the form called solicitud de datos del registro de vehiculos (request for vehicle registration details). This will tell you whether or not you are still the car's registered owner. It is however a legal requirement for the buyer to transfer the vehicle into their name as soon as possible after its purchase
Be careful to check the legal status of any car you buy. All cars over four years old must be inspected and must pass the inspeccion technical de vehiculos (ITV), equivalent to the MOT test.
In order to buy any vehicle, you must have a NIE/NIF Number.
If you buy a vehicle from a reputable car dealership, they usually handle all the paperwork on your behalf to complete the ownership transfer. However, they will look to you for payment of Trafico's transfer tax and fee.
If you purchase a vehicle privately, you should produce the following first at the Hacienda then the Trafico office:
Ficha Tecnica and Permiso de Circulación (signed on the back by the Seller)
Current ITV (stamped on the back of the Ficha Tecnica)
Original Road Tax Certificate (Impuestos Vehiculos) + 1 photocopy
Copy NIE & Passport/Residencia of the Seller + 2 photocopies
Original NIE/Residencia of the Purchaser + 2 photocopies
If the Purchaser is non-resident, original Passport (or copy certified by the Ayuntamiento), plus a Certificado de Empadronamiento from the Ayuntamiento to confirm the address, plus a signed declaration that the Purchaser has a valid licence + 1 photocopy of both
The relevant Trafico transfer forms, duly completed and signed by both parties
The transfer will take a minimum of fifteen days. Trafico charges are approximately 40 Euros plus a tax amount that is 4% of the book value of the vehicle.
Change of Driving Licence.
A non-resident can use a British Licence to drive in Spain, providing they are here for less than 6 months.
If you are a Spanish resident, you have 2 options- you can either take your EU driving licence to Alicante to be stamped, or change your driving licence to a Spanish one, which is the preferred method.
Your Spanish licence will need to be renewed in accordance with Spanish Law, which means you will need to have a medical: those under age 45 every ten years, between 45 and 70 every 5 years and over 70 every 2 years. These are inexpensive and can be arranged locally.
We offer a full service to change over your licence for you.
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As either a resident or non-resident, you may bring a British registered car to Spain, but if the car is here for more than 6 months, you must re-register the vehicle onto Spanish plates.The police have closed their eyes to the amounts of illegal cars for a long time, but the current economic climate means that they are now clamping down heavily on ILLEGAL cars and heavy fines are being imposed on vehicles which can be proved to have been here for more than 6 months.If your car has been here for more than 6 months, whatever its age, and has not been re-registered it is ILLEGAL and if you are stopped when driving, you could face steep fines.
Any UK plated car which has been here for 6 months, must be re-registered with the Spanish authorities, Spanish plates issued and Spanish taxes paid.Non-residents must pay import duty, which is calculated according to the make and model of car, and its CO2 emissions.
An important point worth noting- If your car has been here for more than 6 months and is illegal, your insurance will also be invalid.
Change of Car Ownership.
Only vehicles on Spanish plates can be legally transferred to new owners. Be very careful to ensure that any vehicle you purchase has a valid ITV certificate, up to date road tax and legal sellers documentation.
Be aware when changes are made to a vehicles' owners there is a 4% government tax to pay on the book value.
We will complete all paperwork for you or check the documentation before you purchase a car. We also offer a Sales Service and will market your car for you, arrange viewings and test drives and guarantee smooth transfer of ownership.
Buying or selling a used car in Spain can be a hazardous business, but if you take care to ensure that all the necessary paperwork is completed to cover yourself against liabilities, things should go smoothly. Any Spanish car must have two documents: a permiso de circulación, which makes it legal to drive the car on public roads, and a tarjeta de inspección technical de vehiculos or certificate of roadworthiness.If the car is still in your name after the sale, the new owner could be running up fines for which you will be liable. You can check this: ask at the jefatura for the form called solicitud de datos del registro de vehiculos (request for vehicle registration details). This will tell you whether or not you are still the car's registered owner. It is however a legal requirement for the buyer to transfer the vehicle into their name as soon as possible after its purchaseBe careful to check the legal status of any car you buy. All cars over four years old must be inspected and must pass the inspeccion technical de vehiculos (ITV), equivalent to the MOT test.
In order to buy any vehicle, you must have a NIE/NIF Number.
If you buy a vehicle from a reputable car dealership, they usually handle all the paperwork on your behalf to complete the ownership transfer. However, they will look to you for payment of Trafico's transfer tax and fee.
If you purchase a vehicle privately, you should produce the following first at the Hacienda then the Trafico office:
Current ITV (stamped on the back of the Ficha Tecnica)
Original Road Tax Certificate (Impuestos Vehiculos) + 1 photocopy
Copy NIE & Passport/Residencia of the Seller + 2 photocopies
Original NIE/Residencia of the Purchaser + 2 photocopies
If the Purchaser is non-resident, original Passport (or copy certified by the Ayuntamiento), plus a Certificado de Empadronamiento from the Ayuntamiento to confirm the address, plus a signed declaration that the Purchaser has a valid licence + 1 photocopy of both
The relevant Trafico transfer forms, duly completed and signed by both parties
A non-resident can use a British Licence to drive in Spain, providing they are here for less than 6 months.If you are a Spanish resident, you have 2 options- you can either take your EU driving licence to Alicante to be stamped, or change your driving licence to a Spanish one, which is the preferred method.
Your Spanish licence will need to be renewed in accordance with Spanish Law, which means you will need to have a medical: those under age 45 every ten years, between 45 and 70 every 5 years and over 70 every 2 years. These are inexpensive and can be arranged locally.
We offer a full service to change over your licence for you.
