If you are planning to move to Spain and bring your English car with you, you may be wondering how to register it in your new country. It can be a difficult and expensive process to register an English car in Spain but not impossible. Here are some tips and guidelines for dealing with the bureaucracy and avoiding fines.
ITV Inspection
Firstly, check whether your vehicle meets Spanish technical and ecological standards. This implies that it must have a valid MOT certificate (or ITV Certificate as known in Spain) and a European Certificate of Conformity (COC). The COC is a document which proves that your automobile complies with safety, emission control, noise level limits set by the EU. You may get COC from manufacturer or authorized dealer of your car brand. If there is no COC available for your specific type/model of vehicle then an individual approval certificate will need to be obtained through Spanish technical service.
Cost To Register English Car In Spain
Secondly, pay taxes & fees relevant for importing/registering your vehicle into Spanish territory. These include:
Registration tax (Impuesto Especial sobre Determinados Medios de Transporte -IEDMT) based on CO2 emissions of the car being registered; rate varies between 0% -14.75%, depending on eco-friendliness rating.
Road Tax (Impuesto sobre Vehículos de Tracción Mecánica -IVTM) paid annually to local council where owner resides; amount depends upon engine power output & age category within which subject vehicle falls under.
Import Duty (Arancel Aduanero Común – AAC), applicable only if manufacture took place outside EU borders otherwise exempted by virtue of Free Trade Agreements signed between Community member states such as UK & Spain; duty rate equals 10% value at customs entry point.
VAT (Impuesto sobre el Valor Añadido – IVA), applied when car is less than 6 months old or has done less than 6000 km; rate equals 21% value at customs entry point.
Registration Fee (Tasa de Tráfico) a non-refundable administrative charge of €97.80 for registering your car in Spain.
Documentation To Register English Car In Spain
To complete payment of these taxes & fees, certain forms must be filled out together with presentation following documentation:
- Passport/ID card
- NIE number (Número de Identificación de Extranjero), which is a tax identification number for foreigners living in Spain.
- Proof Of Address In Spain- Rental Contract Or Utility Bill
- Proof Of Ownership – Log Book(V5C)/Invoice etc..
- Insurance coverage must be valid throughout Spanish territory.
- MOT Certificate or ITV Certificate
- COC or Individual Approval Certificate if COC not available for specific type/model of vehicle then obtained through Spanish technical service.
Payment can be made at any branch office/bank counter using cash/card transaction facilities. Alternatively, you may also choose to pay electronically via Agencia Tributaria website where after successful payment process receipt will be issued as evidence that duty has been discharged.
- Receipt of payment for taxes and fees
- Original & copy of your passport or ID card
- Original & copy of NIE number
- Original & copy of proof of address in Spain
- Original & copy of proof of ownership of the car
- Original & copy of proof insurance for the car
- Original & copy MOT certificate or ITV certificate
- The original and a photocopy COC or individual approval certificate.
You will need to pay 27.30 euros for the license plate and registration certificate as well. They will give you a temporary license plate that you can use until they mail the permanent one to you.
English Plates To Spanish Plates Switching Over Instructions
Lastly, remove your old English license plate and put on your new Spanish one. Also, inform DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) in UK that you have exported your car by filling out section 11 on your log book (V5C) and mailing it back to DVLA.
Registration Of An English Car In Spain: A Summary
It may be difficult to register an English vehicle in Spain but this is necessary if you want to drive legally and safely with your own car while staying abroad. Keep all documents/receipts related to registering cars as they might come in handy later on.