Porth

I drive a Honda lhd diesel which was purchased as new in France but is now on UK plates insurance (Obviously) has the headlights changed as well as the rear fog lights. For our return to Spain headlights will be changed as will the fog lights to comply with driving on the right.

For the move we have been dealing with a Liberte Seguros agent with a good reputation and recommended both by friends and indeed our bank which is Deutsche Bank.

The agent suggests that he can insure our car for driving in Spain and with the policy being registered with the DVLA in Swansea so I can continue to tax in the UK but insure in Spain.

However I cannot see any advantage here for whilst resident in Spain the car has to be in the Spanish system? However the costs of getting it in the system are substantial. Nothing in Europe is standard for if I wish to get it back into the French system it is 146 euros. There is no taxation. Indeed for a brand new car one pays only once for their cartre grise and which is the registration document. You do not pay again!

Simple concept I wish to be totally legal in Spain. Do I bite the bullet and get it into the Spanish system? I will retain headlights and fog lights for left hand drive so when I return to the UK just change them around once more!

Fred James

As you intend to become resident in Spain you must register the car in Spain within 6 months of arrival.

If you do so within 60 days you will avoid paying the registration tax which can be quite high on newish or large cars.

Most people choose to get a gestor to sort it all out for them. I suggest you look at this site http://www.replatematecostablanca.com/ as they explain the process very clearly. I don't know anyone who has used them so I am not making a recommendation - I just came across their site some time ago.

Bri and Katee

We used the above company and while we eventually got the car re-registered there are quicker and better ways of doing it. Ours dragged on for five months before it was finally completed, let us just say that Spanish rules changed between our quotation and having the car done which threw a spanner in the works!

If you go to an ITV (spanish mot) station get the car done, then take that and all your paperwork to a gestor they will complete it all for you. Make sure you have a padron, traffico will accept nothing less. In our case we had handed over copies of the escritura which we were told was acceptable, only to find out after badgering 3 months later that it was no longer accepted as proof of address- you had to have a padron from the townhall.

Porth

thanks everyone have a good week end. £ again strong although gossip suggests that Greece has done a deal?

time4tea

You will find this website usefull - Car Import to Spain

Fred James

The information in that link is about 5 years out of date.

Porth

Thanks Fred. Having thought this through (my wife has) we have decided to travel to Spain on our existing insurance for we must be legal under the policy. Thus changing both headlights and fog lights to the European system would invalidate our policy. So we will bring with us the headlights and fog lights.

Then get them fitted in Spain up to Ondarra for their equivalent of our MOT and then insurance with Liberte Seguros. Then six months before we get it into the Spanish system.

Fred would that work please.

best wishes

snikpoh

... and reversing lights.

Porth

Hi Snikpoh as I understand matters the headlights and the rear fog lights have to be sorted. Reversing lights are universal? However I know nothing.

A development. I have found (Google) Headlights4u.com in Nucia which is near Alicante and not far from where we will be living. Everyone now seems to have such 4u or 2u. Does anyone know this company please?

Then and quite obviously from either a Honda dealer in UK or France (but of course £ benefit) are very much towards £500. Even from other sources UK they are over £300.

Spanish price is 299 euros and we shipped £ at around 1.34 so sensible to buy upon arrival. I am presuming that these headlights find their birthplace in the Far East? My only worry being that they will be acceptable to whatever the Spanish equivalent of the MOT is. The company says 'yes'

EsuriJohn

the quote down here in this part of SPAIN for both headlights for a Honda Civic was over €800 needless to say they were sourced from Portugal for half that cost.
Some cars have two reversing lights, mine did, other have only one and that has to be on the right side although I did not remember the technician checking that when he did the matriculation test although he did measure the height from the axles with a spirit level across the roof and a tape!

Porth

Good morning Snikpoh - I was looking forward to a quiet Sunday and the game this afternoon - rugby that is.

However you have confused me (which is easily done) The car was purchased in France and when we came back headlights were changed rear lighting system changed plus speedo. Foolishly I disposed of the headlights believing never returning either to France or Spain.

However have kept the rear lighting system and the speedo is not a stick on piece of kit.

I am now presuming I can use the original left hand drive rear lighting system and we reverse(sorry for pun) what has taken place in the UK?

best wishes

Fred James

Yes, but if you leave it that long you will have to pay the matriculation tax. If you do it within 60 days you can avoid it.

Tell me the make, model and year and I will tell you how much it will be.

Porth

Thanks Fred we will register within 30 days.

It is a 2005 CRV 2.2 diesel CTDI. Thanks Fred.

Fred James

If you do, you will save yourself about €450.

snikpoh

As per @EsuriJohn, some cars have two reversing lights and two rear fog lights.

If yours does NOT, then you need to make sure that the reversing light is on the right and the fog light on the left -that is, the opposite to how it is on RHD cars in UK.

As said, some centres don't check this but they should. It would be a shame to fail on such a silly thing.

Best of luck.