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Q/ Why do I need to
re-register my vehicle in Spain?
A/ EU regulations state that a
vehicle must be registered, taxed and inspected (MOT/ITV) in the country
where the vehicle is normally kept
Those drivers that are part time
in Spain must also comply with this if their vehicle is to be based for
more than six months in Spain. Otherwise a non-Spanish vehicle can only
remain in the country for 6 months in any 12-month period
Permanent residents must
register their vehicle in Spain.
For further information see
www.ukinspain.com or
www.britishembassy.gov.uk
Q/ How long does it take to complete
the re-registration process?
A/ Once your vehicle has been
matriculated and passed the ITV (about two hours); the documentation
normally takes about 4-7 working days after this. Public holidays, Red
Days and Fiestas will add to this timescale
Q/ At the end of the re-registration process,
what do I get?
A/ Your car will have been
accepted into Spain and inspected, as being in a legal, roadworthy
condition and you will receive:
A brand new Spanish
registration document (log book)
ITV card, similar to the MOT
certificate
ITV sticker for the
windscreen
Road tax receipt
Import tax receipt, where
applicable
Spanish number plates
suitable for your vehicle
Q/ What type of vehicles can be re-registered to
Spanish plates?
A/ The vast majority of vehicles
are re-registered under a set of rules called “Change of Residence”.
These rules are designed to enable people to bring their personal
vehicles with them when they move to Spain. Where you buy a vehicle
after you have moved to Spain, different rules apply (see below)
Cars, motorcycles and
campervans, whether right or left- hand drive can be imported under
“Change of Residence”
The general exception is
commercial vehicles such as panel vans, pick-ups mini-buses, and
car-derived vans that are right-hand drive.
In certain circumstances,
left-hand-drive commercials can be re-registered
Q/ How long will I be without my vehicle?
A/ The engineer’s inspection and
ITV (MOT equivalent) can take anything from 1-3 hours. This is the only
time that your vehicle is needed and you can legally drive it
immediately as a document is provided by the ITV station that explains
that the vehicle is being re-registered; very handy if stopped by the
police
Q/ Can I accompany you to the
ITV station?
A/ Yes, we prefer customers to
be with us when the vehicle is inspected, so that they can witness the
process and be on hand should there be any queries. If this is not
possible for example due to work commitments, then we can collect the
vehicle from your home or place of work
Q/ What if my vehicle fails
its ITV test?
As with the UK MOT test, it is
prudent to check your vehicle over before submitting it for test, for
example, ensure that all of the lights are working and pay particular
attention to the tyres. Tyres on the same axle must be the same
type with exactly the same tread (though all four tyres need not be
identical).
Should it fail the test, any
remedial work will need to be undertaken before re-submitting the car
for a further test, which will be at the customer’s cost.
One of the advantages of having
your vehicle tested in Spain is that the ITV station is government
appointed and only carries out tests. The station cannot undertake
repairs no matter how minor; this means that they cannot be tempted to
fail a car and charge you for the remedial work as can happen at some UK
MOT stations.
Should you need work
undertaken either before or after your ITV test, we have relationships
with a number of workshops that will be happy to provide a service at
competitive rates.
Q/ If I am already a
resident in Spain, can I import a vehicle from the UK or any other
country?
A/ In most cases, yes;
however recent tightening of the legislation means that they can only be
imported if the vehicle has European type approval (homologation) or if
no type approval, it may be possible to import as a unique vehicle
(called SVA in the UK), though this is more expensive and a lengthier
process than normal
If resident, before buying
a vehicle registered in any country other than Spain, we would strongly
recommend that you seek advice to ensure that it can be imported before
committing to the expense
Q/ Can I import a brand
new vehicle?
A/ Yes, the advantage of
doing this is that the cost of cars in other EU countries is
generally much less than in Spain, and you may still qualify to avoid
import tax, thereby saving you money.
The car should be registered
at DVLA in the normal way using a UK address. If you register the car on
an export registration document, you will have to pay IVA in Spain plus
import tax, irrespective of your circumstances
Q/ I have a classic
vehicle; can this be imported?
A/ Any vehicle over 25 years
old can be classed in Spain as “Historical”. Vehicles falling into this
category can generally be imported, “as built” with no changes to the
vehicle needed
As this requires a special
process, please contact us for further advice
Q? I have a caravan, does
this need to be registered also?
A/ Yes, unlike in the UK, all
caravans, irrespective of carrying capacity and all other towed
vehicles, if over 750Kg in carrying capacity have to be registered
Caravans and trailers over
750 kg will be supplied with a separate red number plate showing the
vehicle registration.
Trailers of less than 750Kg
are not registered with the authorities, but are still required to have
the correct paperwork, including a one-off ITV pass
The requirements for
registration are different depending upon the towed vehicle type, but as
with cars, European Type Approval or inspection as a unique vehicle is
needed. Either way, we can arrange all of this for you as part of our
service
Q/ Will I need to change my
headlights?
A/ If your vehicle is right-hand
drive, then your lights are designed to point towards the left hand
kerb, these are not acceptable in Spain, so headlights designed to point
to the right are obligatory. The stick on “beam-benders” are not
acceptable for ITV
This applies to all vehicle
types including motorcycles, however with bikes, although the ITV
station will normally accept a “flat-lined” headlight, there is no
guarantee that they will do so
Some cars (though very few) can
be adjusted in order to comply with the regulations; please check your
handbook first
Also check your rear fog-light.
If you have two rear fog lights, then no problem. If you have only one
rear fog-light, then this must be on the left hand side of the car.
There are inexpensive ways to overcome this.
Due to our extensive contacts,
we are able to supply and fit headlights at competitive prices
Q/ My vehicle has been modified
since is what first registered; is this OK?
A/ It depends on the modification.
Please supply details and we will check it out first. As a guide, the
addition of bull-bars is normally OK, but alterations to the suspension
or engine size for example may be a hurdle
Q/ My vehicle has a tow bar; is this
OK?
A/ Tow bars are perfectly acceptable so
long as the data plate showing European Conformity is still in place.
This is a small plate that may be found anywhere on the tow bar
mechanism and can be made of metal or plastic. Where no data plate
exists, the tow bar will have to be removed prior to the ITV test
Q/ Can I keep my British registration?
A/ When you import your vehicle to
Spain and re-register it, your UK “logbook” is returned to DVLA in
Swansea, so you lose your UK registration.
However,
if you want to retain title to your UK registration (for instance if you
have a personalised number plate), then you may be able do this by
applying to DVLA to retain ownership. For a fee, they may allow you to
retain title and issue a certificate to this effect
Should you want to do this, please
contact DVLA directly at
www.dvla.gov.uk
Q/ Will I need to change my insurance
policy?
A/ Yes. It is recommended that you
obtain quotes and have your insurance ready to go as soon as possible
after you obtain your Spanish plates, meanwhile continue to drive with
your existing policy. (Note that British insurers will normally only
cover you for a period of 3 months whilst your car is outside of the UK)
Spanish Number Plates is not qualified
to give detailed advice regarding insurance, as it is a complex business
and once re-registered your vehicle will definitely need a new policy.
We fully endorse Expat Insurance, a
well-established company that has a wealth of experience in this type of
work.
To contact them their website is:
www.expatinsuranceinspain.com
or call
966 740 188 or 618 049 086.
Please mention Spanish Number Plates when making contact
Q/ How can I be reassured
that the process is fully legal?
A/ Not only are we registered
with the authorities and pay all necessary taxes into the Spanish
system, we work in conjunction with a firm of Gestors (lawyers) which
specialises in motoring law and are well used to dealing with the
bureaucracy that has to be undertaken during the re-registration
process. We are more than happy to supply their details so that you can
have any doubts put to rest
Q/ What do you charge?
A/ We charge a flat fee for
Ficha Reducida (engineer’s report), ITV testing, provision of all
Spanish documents, legal costs and number plates. Please contact us for
a full quotation which will include any taxes that are payable
Q/ What additional costs may
be involved?
A/ You will be liable for road
tax and possibly for import tax. These costs vary depending upon the
type and age of your vehicle and where you live.
Should your car fail the ITV
inspection, then any remedial work is at the cost of the owner, though
it is fair to say that not many vehicles fail, as owners would normally
check the vehicle over beforehand
Q/ How much tax will I be
liable for?
A/ Road tax for all vehicle
types is less than in the UK. The Road Tax is charged locally with the
rate being set by your SUMA office or ayuntamiento not nationally and so
varies in cost. For a full year it will be approximately 100-150
euros for a car, much less for motorbikes
Another quirk is that road tax
in Spain is levied from January 1st to December 31st, so it
will also vary depending upon the time of year that it is first paid
Import Tax (or matriculation
fee.)
As of 1st January
2008, the regulations regarding import tax changed significantly.
Calculating tax takes into
consideration the exact car, engine size and type and its age. The tax
authority has a table that we access in order to calculate the value of
the car based upon this information.
The value is then compared to
the below table of the vehicle’s CO2 emissions in order to determine the
level of taxation to be applied.
There are 4 bands of taxation
for 4-wheeled vehicles as follows:
CO2 emission of less than
120g/Km = 0% of the vehicle value
CO2 emission of between
121-159 g/Km = 4.75% of the vehicle value
CO2 emission of between
160-199g/Km = 9.75% of the vehicle value
CO2 emission of more than
200g/Km = 14.75% of the vehicle value
All cars registered before 1st
January 1997 are charged at a flat 12% of the Spanish valuation
irrespective of the CO2 emissions
Motorcycles, as of 1st
January 2009 are now assessed for tax in the same way as cars
Using the tax authority tables,
the valuation is calculated using very basic information, which is
merely the age and engine size in cc’s. The model and condition of the
bike is not taken into consideration
The 4 bands of taxation for
motorcycles is as below:
CO2 emission of less than
100g/Km = 0% of the bike value
CO2 emission of between
100-120 g/Km = 4.75% of the bike value
CO2 emission of between
120-140g/Km = 9.75% of the bike value
Larger bikes fulfilling the following
criteria = 14.75% of the bike value
CO2 emission of more than 121g/Km and more
than 100 Horsepower (or 74Kw)
The ideal document for showing
the true value of the CO2 emissions of all vehicles is the vehicle
registration document, or “Certificate of Conformity” or the vehicle
handbook
Where you have no document
showing the CO2 emissions, then we will use official websites to
calculate this
For an exact evaluation of taxes, please contact
us with full details of your vehicle
Spanish Number Plates will
arrange for your taxes to be paid and provide you with the receipts from
the relevant tax collecting authority. This way you can be certain that
you have only paid the right amount of tax and no “mark-up”
Q/ Can I avoid paying import tax?
A/ Yes, the Spanish authorities
will class your vehicle as part of your personal possessions brought
with you to Spain and will exempt you from tax, but only within 60 days
of your arrival (see below) and if you can meet the following criteria
a)
You have owned the vehicle for more than 6
months (as shown on the vehicle registration document)
b)
Your original “Padron” is less than 60
days old
c)
You have a Baja Consular from the British
Consulate (or Consulate of the country in which you last lived and in
which the vehicle is presently registered)
Please note that for
importation purposes, the date of your arrival in Spain is taken as the
date that you APPLY for your FIRST Padron at your present address, (or
“Residencia” at any address) so in practice, you could have been in
Spain for a some time before obtaining your Padron
Should you need a Baja Consular, then a trip to the British consulate in
Alicante, which covers both the Community of Valencia (including
Alicante) and Region of Murcia, is necessary as you have to apply in
person, though we will be happy to accompany you there, should you wish
us to do so at no extra cost. The cost of a Baja Consular is presently
143 euros (December 2009), which is usually less than the cost of import
tax
Q/ Can I import a car originally registered outside of Europe for
example the USA?
A/ Yes. We have successfully done so on a number of occasions, but
please note the following:
If the car is being imported under the “Change of Residency” rules,
there should be no problem, but please read below:
Cars originating in the USA (or
anywhere else outside of Europe) often do not conform to Spanish
standards. For example it is important that the indicators are orange,
not red and that the car has reversing and rear fog lights, with the
fog-light being fitted on the left hand side of the car
It is better if your car has a
European homologation (or type approval) number; many US cars do not.
The number is sometimes shown on the logbook, or on the car itself. It
will look similar to this e13*97/27*0040*
Without this number, it may be
costly in terms of time and money to re-register the car. We would urge
you to contact the main dealer who supplied the car and ask them to
provide proof of the homologation number if you do not already have one
If no European homologation
exists, the car may be able to be imported as a unique vehicle, but in
these circumstances must conform to modern protocols and in particular
the emissions standards which are presently “euro 4” or equivalent. This
process is more expensive, and long drawn out, so we strongly recommend
seeking our advice before buying any car from outside of the EU
Q/ I am thinking of buying a Spanish registered
car, is it simple to put it in my name?
A/ Normally yes and we can take
care of it for you, but there are a number of documents that are
necessary from both you and the seller and these are not always
available, especially if the car is being bought in the UK
Also bear in mind that under
Spanish law, when you buy a Spanish registered car, you also buy any
unpaid taxes, fines etc, so it makes good sense to have a background
check undertaken first. Our lawyer can do this on your behalf for a
small fee; it takes about 24 hours
When cars are bought and sold in
Spain, a tax of 4% of the value is payable. To find out what this may
be, please get in touch
Q/ Do I need a Spanish driving licence if I live
in Spain?
A/ Licenses issued by EU Member States
under Community law remain valid in Spain under the conditions in which
they have been issued in their country of origin with a couple of
provisos
The holder of
a licence issued by another EU state whose normal residence is in Spain.
(Normal residence means the place where a person usually lives,
generally defined as being for at least 185 days per year, because of
personal and/ or occupational ties) is subject to the same
provisions as Spanish licences relating to the duration periods of
licences as well as control of their psycho-physical skills.
This means that licences have
to be renewed in line with Spanish licences and a medical examination
will be required at some stage
Normally, no medical is
required for the first issue of a Spanish driving licence, though the
licences have to be renewed every few years and a medical is required at
the time of renewal
However, all people over the
age of 70 have to have a medical before a first licence will be issued
Again, we can assist you in
obtaining a Spanish driving licence
Q/ This all sound very complicated and confusing,
can it be made simpler?
A/ To someone not familiar with
all of the processes involved and in particular dealing with the Spanish
authorities, it can seem very daunting. Spanish Number Plates is well
established and its sole purpose is to make the whole process as simple
and easy for the client as possible
Q/ How do I go ahead?
A/ Contact us on:
605-319-889
966-753-375
Or email:
info@spanish-number-plates.com
http://www.spanish-number-plates.com/
ALL VALUES WHERE QUOTED ARE CORRECT AS AT
DECEMBER 2009
Please note that we do our
utmost, with the assistance of our Spanish legal advisors, to ensure
that the information supplied is factual and up to date. However changes
in rules and regulations and the interpretation of these can and does
occur periodically, sometimes with no or little notice and for which we
cannot be held responsible.
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