We just moved in valencia 2 weeks ago from U.K. we drove our 4 year old car to spain.
We want to keep our car in spain so need to change uk number plate to spanish number plate.
I heard that we need to pay import tax 12% of car value since law has been changed recently.
Does anyone know recent procedure of changing number plate in spain(where we have to go??? where we can find info…etc..)??
We live in the Malaga area and went to a local car sales room in the village where we live, the guy was more than helpful despite the language problem (at the time), the basic is that somone from the local automobile institute (not what it’s called but you get the jist) comes and measures the car to see that it conforms to their data, the car goes to a local ITV (MOT) station with the paperwork the institute stamps for you and issues, has an import ITV corresponding to the data laid down by the institute guy, all the paperwork goes to your local Haciendsa (tax office) and the import tax is paid, the paperwork then goes to Traffico and the new matricular is generated. From this matricular and paperwork your new numberplate is made up.
All in all this process took about 3 weeks from start to finish, we did some of the easier legwork ourselves to save on cost and when it was all over our ?5000 UK plated car had new Spanish matricular and we were 727 euros lighter in the pocket.
The whole process was far easier than we were ever given to believe and as we blundered through some of the running about for ourselves it kept the cost down.
Another person in our village paid 1700 euros for the same vaule car to be processed but he left it all in the hands of a gestor and paid the bill.
Buen suerte!
Lizzielogs, do you have any more information about this ‘Automobile Institute’?
I have a LHD Astra Estate on UK plates, which was originally purchased new in Spain with Spanish plates. I have all of the original paperwork, original matriculation, previous ITV’s, etc. so I was rather hoping it would be easier (and cheaper) to get it back onto Spanish plates.
My local gestor has never come across this situation before, so does anyone have any suggestions where to start?
Sorry Alan I really can’t remember exactly what the place was called, and the vehicle was sold a year or more ago. It was something like ‘Instituto Tecnica de ? de M?laga’ but what they in essence did was supply a ‘ficha t?cnica’ for import of the vehicle.
I really think your best bet if you can is to go to a local car sales hombre as I did, I found that importing vehicles from France and Germany is rife in the Spanish second hand car market. Because they are left hand drive vehicles it is easy to get the paperwork changed and sell them on here as the price for second hand vehicles is astronomical compared to France and Germany.
If I happen to see the man I sold the car to I will ask him if he can look out the paperwork and I will get back on here and post another reply.
Regards Trudi
You may well be right, the certificate of conformity came from the ITV station but we had to take this form from the institute to get the certificate of conformity. The guy from the Institute came and took dozens of measurements from the car - wheel to wheel along the side of the car/ front wheel to front wheel across the front of the car/ back wheel to back wheel etc etc.
Originally the ITV station turned us away because of a mistake on the form and we had to get the guy from the Institute to come back and measure again.
If this is the case (and the following assumes a seller and a buyer) and you have the certificate you will need a Transmission form, which provides the new owner’s details (although these are your own in both cases) , and a 620 form (from the Hacienda) completed in order to pay the 4% transfer tax. The
Permiso de Circulacion and Ficha Technica documents are required, the Permiso de Circulacion should be completed and
signed on the back by the seller (in this case yourself I suppose), and if the car is over 4 years old, it must have a current ITV, the details of which should be stamped on the back of the Ficha Technica. The Road Tax must be up to date, so the latest Impuestos Vehiculos Certificate should be included with the paperwork. Trafico will require a photocopy of the seller’s Residencia, or a photocopy of the passport and original NIE form if they do not hold a Residencia card. The buyer must provide their original
Residencia, or their original passport and NIE form if they are not Residencia holders. Non resident purchasers must also prove
their address, and the preferred method is to include a Certificate de Empadronamiento with the other documents. This can be obtained from your local Ayuntamiento (Town Hall). Alternatively, you can use your Escritura to show your address, but it has to be the original registered version; a copia simple will not be accepted.
I should think as you have been here for some time that you know most of this, sorry if I am teaching my mother etc!!
Regards Trudi
Thanks for the info Trudi, but I can see that I am going to have a few problems ahead!
The car was bought brand-new in 2000 by a lady in Alicante, who sold it to someone (her brother, I think) in 2005, who then brought the car back to England and swapped it onto UK plates.
I bought the car from a dealer in England in January 2007, and I have been using it over here ever since.
The last ITV expired in 2005, but it has a UK MOT and UK Road Tax, which will both expire soon, but I could easily nip back to the UK to get them renewed.
As my circumstances are not a perfect fit for the normal process, I imagine it is probably going to be easier to either sell the car back in the UK and buy a new one here, or go back to the UK every year to get a new MOT and Tax, but that will probably give me another problem with insurance! UK insurers will only cover a vehicle if it is on UK plates if it is ‘normally kept’ at a UK address, and Spanish insurers will only cover a car on Spanish plates.
I have only been here for a few months, but I don’t think I will ever understand the Spanish red tape and bureaucracy - I have been waiting 3 months for a licencia de obras from the local Police - just to repair a leaky roof. They originally wanted me to apply for a ‘Project Licence’ and get an architect to submit drawings, and it has taken considerable negotiation to convince them it’s just a simple DIY job!
Oh dear.. what a tangled web!! As you say the red tape is long and strong and if it is of any comfort I don’t think even the Spanish know what’s going on!
I must say that I know dozens of Brits on the coast who have insured through Knights Insurance Brokers with a UK plated car for years, it cannot be legal as the car should be legal in the country of registration and the lack of tax disc is a bit of a giveaway. I think to wander into this grey area is OK if you like living dangerously but doubt the consequences would be favourable if you tried to claim for an accident.
It seems the price for UK cars on the Costa del Sol is quite bouyant and when you add the cost of petrol, tolls, expences in the UK etc you might be as well to put an ad in one of the UK Costa papers and see what response you get.
Hi guys,
Algrif just posted an article about buying a second hand car in Spain which, hopefully, might help if you’re looking at buying one in Spain now. I know that’s not what this thread was originally about, but it might be relevant.
Hello
With regards to your car transfer, try calling Bev of Car Reg spain. Her number is 966420428. She will be able to help you to change the car over without any fuss. The process can be very lengthy without the help of someone and in the valencia Bev is most definately the lady to speak with
Good Luck
Amanda
I have recently heard that sometime in the near future (January 1st 2008 if I remember rightly) the necessity for a new matricular for foreign plated cars will be scrapped.. unfortunately I don’t know where to verify this info… perhaps someone more learned that me could investigate before people spend money on the process?
Trudi
Hello
Contact Bev who deals with the car registration process in the Valencia area. She knows all the rules and will be able to give you the correct advice needed to get your car legal to drive in spain. Her number is 966420428.
Goodluck
Amanda
Thanks for the info Trudi, but I can see that I am going to have a few problems ahead!
The car was bought brand-new in 2000 by a lady in Alicante, who sold it to someone (her brother, I think) in 2005, who then brought the car back to England and swapped it onto UK plates.
I bought the car from a dealer in England in January 2007, and I have been using it over here ever since.
The last ITV expired in 2005, but it has a UK MOT and UK Road Tax, which will both expire soon, but I could easily nip back to the UK to get them renewed.
As my circumstances are not a perfect fit for the normal process, I imagine it is probably going to be easier to either sell the car back in the UK and buy a new one here, or go back to the UK every year to get a new MOT and Tax, but that will probably give me another problem with insurance! UK insurers will only cover a vehicle if it is on UK plates if it is ‘normally kept’ at a UK address, and Spanish insurers will only cover a car on Spanish plates.
I have only been here for a few months, but I don’t think I will ever understand the Spanish red tape and bureaucracy - I have been waiting 3 months for a licencia de obras from the local Police - just to repair a leaky roof. They originally wanted me to apply for a ‘Project Licence’ and get an architect to submit drawings, and it has taken considerable negotiation to convince them it’s just a simple DIY job!
We just moved in valencia 2 weeks ago from U.K. we drove our 4 year old car to spain.
We want to keep our car in spain so need to change uk number plate to spanish number plate.
I heard that we need to pay import tax 12% of car value since law has been changed recently.
Does anyone know recent procedure of changing number plate in spain(where we have to go??? where we can find info…etc..)??
Best place to get the right information is Trafico ... but you need to speak Spanish ...
Why do you want to change the car plates?? Are you already a permanent resident in Spain??
If you are a permanent resident in Spain:
- coming from a EU Country you can keep the original plates for 6 months (but I kept them for 1 year and nothing happened :lol: );
- when you chanhe your original UK plates to Spanish ones you’ll be forced to get a Spanish insurance (which might as well be a good idea, if it’s cheaper than the English one you’re using now)
- as I said, to know the total amount you’ll have to pay, you have to go to Trafico: they’ll check the car documentation and tell you if it’s OK in compliance with Spanish regulations, if you have to pass an inspection (ITV: the first one is just after 4 years since you bought your car) and so on
If you are NOT a permanent resident (meaning you did NOT apply or are NOT going to apply for the NIE):
you shouldn’t worry at all. Save quite a lot of money, keep the UK plates and insurance and be happy with them. 😝
Joanne ^ Sorry if I am telling you stuff you already know, but I think it best to cover all the bases 😉
The transfer to Spanish plates is possible. Use a good, recommended gestor to do it for you. Of course checking how much they are charging you of course over and above the Taxes and ITV/new certificate etc.
But please be very aware that if you do this, although you will have a legal car to drive in Spain if you are resident for more than 3 months in any year (the old rule used to be that you could have a foreign plated car here for 6 in 12, but there is the issue of residency of course which is only 3 months max stay as a tourist 😉 The car will be devalued in the sense that if you wanted to take it back to the UK permanantly you would have to reverse the whole process (costing money), and that very few people will buy a RHD ex English car here - even if it is on Spanish plates. Basically it devalues it big time! As we found out to our cost… (We lost 1,000’s on our Cherokee Jeep.)
Just saying that it is best to research all options and go from there.
