Hi.  The police are having a crack-down in my area re english reg cars, 

i am currently running with mot and road tax but cannot afford to and dont really want to change the plates to spanish.  i will take the car back to the uk to sell in october.

i?m a resident of a few years but the car did go back for MOT and repairs last year and was away for several months so didnt come back till end of october.

what will the guardia do if they stop me and ask for paperwork ?  do i get a warning notice to give me time to sort it out, or do they give me a fine, or are they entitled to just take the car off me?

Someone has said that if the guardia stop you and someone else is driving your english reg car with permission and insurance then they will not do anything -  seems unlikely, anyone heard of this?

help please

Hi,

I have heard that the Guardia Civil are really cracking down on UK plated cars. If you dont have up to date paper work in your car this could defintely cause problems. Maybe ask a local English car dealer to advise you on what to do, as I would imagine they would be intitled to take the car off you.

Hope you get it sorted 😊

thanks for your reply, i hope i get it sorted too!

unfortunately not come across any car dealers or garages that speak english in my area and the spanish ones that i use are unlikely to understand this problem.

i was hoping to hear from someone who had been stopped to see what the guardia said or did,  I?d like to be prepared coz the guardia are very unlikely to speak english also!

m

You do need to take care these days with British Reg cars as the Police are getting tough on cars that exceeed the allowable time in Spain.  Also those that they can prove are being driven by someone who is obviously resident in Spain. For example only last week we talked to a client who was stopped dropping of his Children at school.  This proved to the Police that he is resident and despite having all the correct papers, insurance and MOT he has received a fine and will likely get a court summons in due course.

You need to clarify ITV or MOT and Insurance.

If you only have UK insurance and an MOT, there probably not worth the paper there written on, as UK Insurance normally only covers UK residents, so needs to be checked and an MOT also only covers UK residents, any time beyond 90 days away from the UK and there both invalid and your then illegal.

All UK plated cars need to be registered and replated within 6 months of arrival in Spain if owned by a resident of Spain, no exemptions I’m afraid.

Without the correct Spanish laws being followed then you need to stop using the vehicle until you are legal.You will be fined, it is unlikely the vehicle would be removed from you, but if your stopped again you could be held in custody and under Spanish law you can be held indefinitely until trial, which can be months or even yrs, that is unlikely but it is possible.

Please stop giving Expats a crap name in Spain and get it sorted, its not difficult, may also help to learn the lingo, Guardia and authority in general really hate expat residents that have time in Spain, cannot communicate in Spanish and break the law.

The law is very clear regarding UK cars in Spain - those that break the law must expect to face the consequences.

http://ukinspain.fco.gov.uk/en/help-for-british-nationals/living-in-spain/cars

The days of ignoring the law are long over. This applies to cars, tax, bank accounts, and everything.

You are not allowed to drive a UK plated car as a resident of Spain so either re-register it or take it back to the UK.

When I first came to Spain in the early 90’s, I was living in Cantabria. When my car had been about 7 months in Spain, the Guardia pulled me over. They knew my car, and they knew more or less how long it had been here. I was fined and given 2 weeks to demonstrate that I was in the process of importing it. Every 2 weeks, during the importation process, I had to pay a temporary matriculation fee, until it was finally legally imported. I learned, through a Policia Nacional who lived near me, and with whom I had developed a friendship, that the Guardia keep records of all the foreign numberplates they see, and check them very regularly. They always have done, and they always will do. I give you this experience so that we all finally understand that the Spanish police work behind the scenes, just like any police force in the world. A UK car is NOT invisible. Quite the contrary. And they already have them on file. So please take note of the warnings you see in this thread.

thanks algrif

m

It?s impossible to say what the Guardia will do if you are stopped as you could get a slap on the wrist or a fine, depends entirely on the individual.  You will need to have an import ITV done which can be up to 200 euros.  Normally you will also need to change the headlights as well.  If it?s an older car it may not meet current c02 emission standards, in which case you can?t import it.  You will then have to go to hacienda and pay the tax which is based on the co2 emissions.  then you need to register at trafico. 

best bet if you can?t speak Spanish is employ a Gestor who are normally quiet reasonable.  However if you register your car within 30 days (some areas 60 days) of obtaining residency you will not need to pay the c02 tax as you are allowed to import your car as personal possessions when changing residency.

I got stopped in my company vehicle by Guardia within the first month of me workin on my own, I suddenly realised that I hadn’t been given any docs, could not find them in the vehicle and only had my UK license.

They did not care, they stopped me as one of them needed my services and I happened to pass before they rang the office.

No penalties, nothing, they found it funny, this pink guiri panicking by the side of the road.

We since meet a few times around the town, great guys, there local and joked about it to my OH, had a beer with them and I sorted out the problem one had.

My neighbours son was also a Local Policia, who offered to sort any penalties we may get.

I think a lot of Brits get hassle because they make it difficult for themselves, follow the laws, learn the lingo and intergrate beyond an hola in the shops.