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Our guide on how to import a car into Spain and register it
You want to import a car or another vehicle into Spain. You have looked at the used car market and found nothing that suits you. You have spent numerous nights on Facebook Marketplace, Autoscout24.es, Coches.net and searched the INVENTORY on Autobahn.es. Either the cars were to expensive or your used our VEHICLE REPORT and found out the car you wanted to buy has been clocked, was in an accident, or something else was dodgy with it.
This decision should be carefully considered since you could be paying almost half of what you paid for the vehicle itsself on taxes alone when importing it from a non EU country!
What country is the best to buy and import from?
Top Tip: If you purchase a car in a non-eu country and want to import it into Spain you will have to pay customs charges along with IVA. This applies to the UK, Switzerland and any other country not in the EU. Transporting a vehicle to Spain from the port of entry also gets complicated (if the port of entry is not Spain) due to regulations and fees. This makes buying a car in a EU member country the simplest solution. So if you are looking for a daily driver then look in the surrounding countries.
According to the statistics provided, Germany is the number one country when it comes to the origin of cars registered in Spain. The germans generally take excellent care of their cars and vehicles and have a “till the TÜV (MOT, ITV) do us part” attitude. The condition of the vehicles overall can only be topped by the Swiss who are known for keeping their cars in mint condition even years after the warranty has expired.
Make sure to keep an eye out for specific items of wear and tear that might be due to the climate. The northern countries will have more corrosion due to heavy salt use during the winter, and other countries will be more impacted by the sun or moisture.
Data provided by STATISTA.com and shows the import value of vehicle imports in Spain for 2020 in million Euros
Germany
0
France
0
Japan
0
United Kingdom
0
1. Bringing the car to Spain
There are only 2 options on getting a car to Spain. You either drive it, or have it delivered. Once the car is in Spain the clock will be ticking. You now have 30 days to register it with the spanish authorities.
If you are bringing your own vehicle with you from another EU country, then you have 6 months where you can drive your car without having to register it in Spain. This clock is reset when the vehicle leaves Spain, but you will have to prove this should it be necessary.
Exception to this rule: If you are in Spain for more than 183 days then you are not allowed to have your car registered in another country.
2. ITV - Spanish MOT / Inspección Técnica de Vehículos
As in with all EU countries, a technical inspection has to be done before your car can be registered in Spain. Even if the car has a valid MOT, TÜV, or any other technical inspection it must be done once again in Spain. Foreign technical inspections are not valid in Spain and vice versa.
Take the following documents along with the car to your nearest ITV station so they can do a physical inspection of your car and create the spanish ITV Card:
- Title or registration belonging to the vehicle from the last country it was registered in
- Certificate of Conformity (CoC) which was provided by the manufacturer.
- Bill of Sale / Invoice if you are not the last person recorded in the paperwork belonging to the vehicle als proof of ownership
- Spanish ID (NIE, TIE, etc)
The ITV Station will then give you the ITV Card (Tarjeta de Inspección Técnica) for your car in the spanish format. If your car fails the ITV then you will be given a document listing the faults found. You then have 2 months to repair the faults. Should a major fault (muy graves) be found then you will not be allowed to drive with the car. To avoid having to repay for another test we suggest having the faults fixed within 14 days and returning to the ITV for a new inspection where you will only be charged a reduced amount.
Some of the pitfalls and complications when doing an ITV Inspection:
Spain is notorious for red tape and having a complicated process for importing cars. Most of these pitfalls are with the ITV due to modifications made to the vehicle. For the smoothest import experience it would be wise to purchase a vehicle that has not been modified in any way. If you need more time to obtain important documents (a CoC for example) but need to use the car you brought to Spain then you will need green temporary registration plates.
3. Registering your vehicle
Now the paperwork begins. In order for your car to get spanish plates you have two options. Pay a Gestoria (which we would highly recommend) or be prepared to take a couple of days off of work and start running around town. Side note: You will require a NIE number to complete these tasks!
The Spanish Traffic Department (Jefatura Provincial de Trafico) will need the following from you:
- The application form (available at your local traffic department)
- NIE Card
- Residence Card or Passport
- Proof of residency (Rental agreement / title deeds)
- Payment of the Impuesto municipal sobre vehiculos de traccion mecanica IVTM (local car tax) from your local town hall or traffic department
- Registration Document of the vehicle (Permiso de Ciculacion)
- Proof of registration tax payment (Impuesto Especial sobre Determinados Medios de Transporte)
- ITV Card (Tarjeta de Inspeccion Tecnica)
- Bill of Sale / Sales Contract for the vehicle
- Registration Fee
- CoC Document
You can sort this all out yourself, but we have come to the conclusion that a local gestor can do this much faster since they do it on a daily basis. Also the price you pay for this service would be equivalent to your own expenses when doing these tasks.
4. Open your wallet (Import fees and taxes)
EU Vehicles
When importing a vehicle you will have to pay import taxes. A new vehicle will be subject to 21% IVA if it hasn’t already been pad in another country. Used vehicles will be subject to a registration tax which is based on the amount of CO2 emitted from the vehicle per kilometer and the current market value.
Non EU Vehicles
If you are importing a vehicle from a non EU country then you will be paying 10% import tax with an additional 21% IVA.
Tax Rates / CO2 per Kilometer
00.00% | Less than 120g
04.75% | 120 – 150g
09.75% | 160 – 200g
14.75% | 200g and greater
12.00% | not rated
5. When the going gets tough (and complicated)
“COMPLICATED” is not only a Facebook relationship status. When importing a vehicle to Spain there are certain things that could have been avoided that have turned out to be a neverending nightmare. These are just some examples of what could make everything a bit more complicated and why we always advise on bringing a car into spain that hasn’t been modified.
Trailer hitches / Tow bars:
We love them and Spain hates them. We suggest purchasing a car without a towbar (unless it came from the factory with it) and having one fitted when the car is registered in Spain. Tow bars have caused so many headaches when attempting to import a vehicle that one could be tempted into buying pharmaceutical stocks. Having a towbar fitted in Spain is much easier and less complicated.
CoWHAT?! (CoC)
The hassles of that pesky little document know no ends. ALWAYS ask the seller and VERIFY that a CoC document is present and will be handed over with the vehicle. If you got a sweet deal on a nice vehicle and a CoC is not available then it isn’t the end of the world. You can easily get one from the manufacturer. Visit a dealership near you to order a replacement CoC. Just be aware it will take some time for it to arrive!
Rims / Wheels / Alloys
Make sure the car in question has the rims fitted from the factory and the tyre sizes mounted that are also listed in the CoC. If not be prepared to spend some money on a failed ITV and also a new set of tyres!
Other Modifications
Vehicles have failed an ITV inspection for the smallest of modifications. Be it a fuel burning heater or a spoiler that isn’t in the paperwork. If the imported vehicle has any modifications made to it then remove them all before going to the ITV. You can always reinstall the modifications and have them put in the paperwork.
When things get REAL complicated: Green Tags to the rescue!
Imagine the following: you sold your car and now you have only the car imported. You live out in the country miles away from the nearest town. You also didn’t read our little expert guide and now own an imported car that has a tow bar, no CoC, aftermarket alloys and a spoiler big enough to use as a bar when throwing a party. You went to the ITV to have the car checked out and they just laughed. Politely, but they laughed.
Or maybe you drove your foreign registered car a bit too long and the police have now made it a guest of the state in the local impound lot.
What now?
The answer is: Green License Plates! Should you need some more time to get that CoC needed and all the other things sorted out then you can easily get green registration tags for your car. You then have 2 months in which you can legally drive the car and sort out all the things to get it registered. Should there be even more complications then they can be extended. You will have to explain why 2 months wasn’t enough time to sort everything out.
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