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If you are resident in Spain and want to import a car from the UK must register it in the province where you live?
Importation and registration:
If you are a UK national you may bring your car into Spain but you may not use it for more than 6 months in any one year. However if you are a resident in Spain and you import your existing, or new UK car you must register it with the local Spanish Province where you live. Once you have registered they will grant you permission to drive a foreign plated car in Spain. For the most authoritative source of information on this subject please contact the Directorate-General of Customs in Madrid +34 915 826 805. The RAC and the AA can also provide guidance on this issue. If you are an EU citizen who is taking up official residence in Spain you may bring your own car with you - exempt from import duties. Those outside the EU may get the exemption from Spain’s 10 per cent import duties. However, the following conditions apply:
* prior to importing your car into Spain you must own it for at least 6 months.
* if you have not paid VAT in your country of origin then IVA must be paid in Spain.
If you are an EU resident and have not owned your car for more than 6 months prior to importing it to Spain you must pay impuesto municipal sobre circulación de vehículos. This is a tax is calculated on the vehicle's current value (based on the original market price in Spain). Cars owned for 6 months or more prior to importing to Spain are not subject to this tax. However you must obtain a residency transfer certificate from a British Consulate (alta/baja consular).
Temporary registration plates will be issued - once the importation procedure is completed, you will be able to drive your imported car in Spain. Only people who have taken out an official residence permit in Spain may be able to recieve any concessions on the duty-free import of cars.
The procedures relating to registration are very complex therefore we stongly advise that you contact the Directorate-General of Customs in Madrid +34 915 530 200 Fax: +34 915 535 2 42, or the Jefatura Provincial de Tráfico in your area. For a local translator click here...
Insurance Regulations:
The Spanish insurance regulations are vastly different to those of the UK. Please check what your cover actually provides.
UK Driving Licences:
If you hold a UK driving licence issued from 1990 or a photo card licence issued from 1997 both are accepted in Spain.
Licences prior to 1990 must be accompanied by an official translation into Spanish ( this is available from the Spanish Embassy in London and the Real Automóvil Club de España +34 902 404 545, if you are already living in Spain).
If issued after 1990, you may keep your UK licence or exchange it for a Spanish one, subject to the same medical examinations as Spanish nationals. It is advisable to exchange UK licences for Spanish ones (which are also valid for visits to the UK). The DVLA will not put a non-UK address on a replacement licence nor send one out of the UK. Therefore, if your UK licence is lost or stolen in Spain, you will not be able to obtain a replacement licence from the UK. Spanish authorities are not able to replace licences that they did not issue. For information on how to apply for a Spanish driving licence, please contact the Jefatura Provincial de Trafico in your area. The cost for this is about 60€.
Spanish driving licence renewals:
Spanish driving licences are valid for ten years if the licence holder is under 45 - 5 years from 45 to 70 years and two years thereafter. To renew a licence the applicant needs a medical certificate issued by an officially recognised centre. Ask at your local pharmacy for costs and which morning medicals are held.
Registering on Spanish plates:
The procedures relating to registration are complex. The motoring associations in Britain and the Real Automóvil Club de España can provide guidance, but the authoritative source of information is the Directorate-General of Customs in Madrid +34 915 530 200 Fax:+34 915 53 5 242.
Detials of organisations mentioned in the above article can be found in TrafalgarLife´s Business Directory Cars section
