Switching Sides - how do I register my UK bought left-hand drive car in Spain?
Case Study: Colin and Penny Lake
Penny and Colin Lake own a property in Mojacar and fed up with the high car rental prices they have decided to purchase a car to keep at their property permanently. Worried about buying a car in Spain as they don’t speak very good Spanish however, they have bought a car from a Left-hand drive specialist in the UK and plan to drive the car over themselves. Their question is – how and what do they need to register the car in Spain?
First of all let’s take a step back
If you can’t speak Spanish then it is actually going to be easier for you to buy a car in Spain rather than to buy a car in the UK and then import it into Spain and register it there. Dealing with a car dealer or garage to buy a car, particularly in an area like Mojacar that is used to British visitors, is going to be relatively easy whilst the process of registering a car in Spain isn’t necessarily easy. The other thing to bear in mind is that even though you may have bought a make and model that is sold in Spain subtle differences between different countries can mean that certain parts may be more difficult to get hold of or that the part numbers are different and can be difficult to identify. There may even be differences that need to be changed in order to make the car legal in Spain (for example, some cars will need new headlights to make them suitable to drive on the other side of the road).
Having said all of that, if you have already purchased the car and need to register it in Spain then there is a procedure that needs to take place. You must register your car within 6 months of arriving in Spain. You must also tell you insurance company that you intend to take the car permanently out of the country, which in itself can cause problems.
In order to register the car in Spain you will need several different documents and information;
In order to register the car in Spain you will need several different documents and information;
- The original title document
- Proof of sale (i.e. the sales receipt / proof of payment)
- Your ID documents (normally a passport and NIE number)
- Proof of insurance
- Technical specifications for the car / Statement of Conformity. These are normally available from the manufacturer and shows that your car conforms to EU Regulations
You will probably have to get any documents that are in English translated into Spanish.
You will then have to pay the appropriate Import Duty and Tax based on the value of the car and CO2 emissions.
Once the Import Duty and Tax is paid you can take the car for an ITV Inspection (the equivalent of an MOT) to make sure that the car is not only roadworthy but also conforms to local legislation.
Assuming that the car passes you will then be issued with an ITV Certificate which can then allow you to register the car at the equivalent of the DVLA and pay a registration tax. Once all of that is done you can then put on the Spanish plates and you have imported your car into Spain. Please note that you will also have to tell the DVLA in the UK that the car has been exported.
Case study update:
This from Penny Lake:
“We followed the advice given from The Alliance and after a successful crossing with the car, it took just less than 2 weeks to complete the paperwork and it all went really smoothly costing about €300. We were so pleased that we had all the documents that we needed – it definitely saved us money!”
We were delighted to be able to help Penny and Colin – and thanks to them for the photos of the car changing nationality from British to Spanish!!
Here again is what you will need:
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The original title document
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Proof of sale (i.e. the sales receipt/proof of payment)
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Your ID documents (normally a passport and NIE number)
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Proof of insurance
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Technical specifications for the car / Statement of Conformity. These are normally available from the manufacturer and shows that your car conforms to EU Regulations
Our thanks to AIPP Member Peter Esders of Judicare for the advice given in this article.
International solicitors dealing with a wide range of international legal issues ranging from conveyancing to litigation, investment recovery, probate, wills, accidents and timeshare problems. Judicare Legal Director Peter Esders is currently Deputy Chairman of AIPP and has sat on the Board for a number of years.
Contact Judicare at the AIPP site here.
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