Buying a car!
 

Hi
We are moving to Arboleas in August 2016 into a long term rental cortijo.
My question is...can we buy a car from a dealer or privately with just our passports and without having a NIE number?
What about car insurance in Spain, do we need an NIE number for that?
Thanks for your help!
Rose:cool::cool:

Re: Buying a car!
 

Hi and a warm welcome to the Spanish forum on BE. Myself and Fred James are the moderators for the Spanish forums whilst BEVS moderates Europe. Moderators are there to ensure that the site runs smoothly within the rules of BE. This is so that members gain the information that they are looking for and find their experiences on the forums to be friendly and worthwhile.

Problems and complaints should always be addressed to a moderator who will look into the matter and deal with it efficiently and fairly. Our members who post in the Spain Forums are usually friendly and helpful with a wealth of knowledge about the issues of living in Spain. I hope that you enjoy your time participating in the forums.

Please let me know if you need any further help.

Rosemary

Re: Buying a car!
 

No.


You will need at least an NIE plus proof of where you live. Some companies (wrongly) insist on a copy of the padron but a copy of your deeds or a rental contract should suffice.

Re: Buying a car!
 

Even if we just flew into the country the night before?

Re: Buying a car!
 

Hi Snikpoh!
Thanks for replying btw!

Re: Buying a car!
 

Buying a car in Spain is not like buying a car in anywhere else I have been. You cannot see car, slap money on table, drive off.
You have to provide documents,these have to go to Trafico, ownership needs to changed, and then you can have the car. Takes time.
My recent purchase involved NIE, Empadronamiento, and Passport, for all of which except Empadronamiento I used Notarised copies.

Re: Buying a car!
 

This is putting me off! í ½í¸µ

Re: Buying a car!
 

I would arrive, rent a car for a couple of weeks, and look round for the car of your desires. Sort out the paperwork that dealer requires, they will differ, and go for it.
Balance the cost against a long term rental deal, if you are not stopping for years it may be a better bet.

Re: Buying a car!
 

We have a few bits like a sewing machine and a couple of guitars we want to bring over with us but I don't think you can hire a car in uk to drive in Spain... This is becoming a bit of a nightmare!

Re: Buying a car!
 

I think they meant hire in Spain ! As already said the paperwork required differs from area to area the joys of Spain. Just make sure YOU check it has no fines or back payments for non payment of sellers bills. Some debts are left unpaid till they sell something then the paper chain joins it up :-)

Re: Buying a car!
 

Yes hire in Spain.

Re: Buying a car!
 

We hired a car in Spain last week when we house hunting...Gold car! Perfect! No problem. I understand car rental in Spain is what we would call car leasing.
We don't want to do that because we have some fiddley stuff like sewing machine, golf clubs and guitars that we want to bring with us from UK to Arboleas.

Re: Buying a car!
 

Can we buy a LHD uk registered car in UK, load it up and drive it across to Arboleas, then pay to change the plates and have it matriculated? Or are we supposed to have owned the car for six months before we bring it over?

Re: Buying a car!
 

If you want to avoid paying the registration tax, then you must have owned it for 6 months. Depending on the car you buy, that can be expensive.

Re: Buying a car!
 

Surely even then you would still need an NIE etc to re register a vehicle as you would if you bought one in Spain?

Re: Buying a car!
 

Yes, you would still need an NIE but doing things this way gives you time to set things up as re-registering can be done after obtaining all of the other documentation that is required.

Rosemary

Re: Buying a car!
 

Do you have a UK car? If not buy one. Drive that over with your goods and chattels and trade it for a Spanish car once you have your NEI and pardon.

Re: Buying a car!
 

Yes Missile! That was the conclusion I came to earlier today... We plan to drive over our Toyota Yaris. The only trouble is I am having a bunion op a few days before and it is not an automatic! í ½í¸³

Re: Buying a car!
 

Pardon? Pardon what? í ¾í´”

Re: Buying a car!
 

It was a typo. The correct word is Padron.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/residenc...ments-in-spain

Re: Buying a car!
 

Yes, I meant padron - my auto spelling "corrected" it to pardon.


My sympathies for your bunion op. I remember mine was very sore and the joint still gives me pain. Perhaps your partner could drive?

Re: Buying a car!
 

Ahh! Yes just had right foot done after Christmas. It is fine now, no pain. Left one in July.

He might have to! But it is a bit of a long way for one person to be the sole driver...í ½í¸ª

Re: Buying a car!
 

I have done it many times. Why rush? Make the journey a holiday, there are many places worth stopping for a day or two on route.

Re: Buying a car!
 

Not a very good idea, we have our English car here in Spain, had it Matriculated now looking to sell it and buy a new Spanish one, the garages wont even look at it as its right hand drive?.

Ken.

Re: Buying a car!
 

Ahh thanks Ken! We plan to drive it all the way home again to give to our daughter or swap it for a LHD from an expat wishing to drive back to the UK...

That's the plan, anyway.

Re: Buying a car!
 

Missile, we would take our time but we have the whole family flying out to Arboleas for a big family holiday starting 1 August!

Re: Buying a car!
 

You need to make the rules or you will get visits from family you never new you had. Just a word from one who learned the hard way xxx

Re: Buying a car!
 

Haha! Everyone is welcome any time, otherwise I will end up killing my husband! X

Re: Buying a car!
 

Gold car will not permit one of their rentals to go to the uk. That's what they told me.

Re: Buying a car!
 

You mis read! We went at Easter on holiday to house hunt! We used Goldcar...they were brilliant and very cheap. We are going to drive our RHD car over when we move...road trip! í ½í¸ƒ

Re: Buying a car!
 

You wasted your money. Not a good idea to matriculate a RHD car, unless you plan to keep it.


When I first came to Spain we drove our car over, ran it for a few months until we were settled and bought a Spanish car. We got as much if not more for our UK registered car than we would had we sold it in the UK.


I don't know where you are(?), but there are several dealers in CBS who will buy RHD UK registered vehicles for cash.

Re: Buying a car!
 

Thanks Missile! That's just what we plan to do, failing that we will just drive it back when we have purchased a LHD Spanish reg car and give it to our daughter.

Re: Buying a car!
 

Pleased to help. Have a safe journey :-)

Re: Buying a car!
 

Been matriculated about two years now, and saved the cost of taking it back for Mot, Wife's happy with it, nothing wrong with the car its only 2009, its me who wants a new one?, were down by the border, Ayamonte Huelva,


Ken.

Re: Buying a car!
 

... and at least you're legal!

Had you gone back and got an MOT, the vehicle would still have been illegal (as you are Spanish resident ISTR).

Re: Buying a car!
 

Yes, gone through this process a couple of times. Cannot for the life of me see why the whole process cannot be simplified. As it stands IMO it's just a bureaucratic system to keep people in employment and make money! By comparison, how simple and straightforward the system is in the UK.
On a separate but slightly related issue I've never understood why the Spanish don't introduce a form of personalised registration number system. Maybe it wouldn't take off or be of any interest to the general population, but I do know it's a good earner in the UK for the DVLA and ultimately the government.

Re: Buying a car!
 

It would be a big challenge to personalise a number that always starts with four numbers, ends with three letters and never uses vowels!

Re: Buying a car!
 

Always? Your describing the new numbering system. Mine still has the old style. Begins with an A and has two letters one of which is an E.
And are you really saying a government department couldn't introduce a system of personalizing plates if it really wanted to? It is of course a totally different argument as to whether they'd want to or whether there would be sufficient demand. Having said that only this morning in Moraira I saw a new Jaguar saloon, a new Jag sports car and a Bently all on Spanish plates. With the number of other exotic and expensive cars in and around for example the Marbella area, they are so flash with their cars I'm sure some would jump at a personalized plate!

Re: Buying a car!
 

Of course they could change the law on the plates, but I think it is pretty unlikely that they would do so just to cater for a few narcissitic owners of flash cars.

They would be better off selling them officially authorised engraved gold bracelets.

Even better, they could issue 10000 numbers all ending with DKH

Re: Buying a car!
 

I think you're allowing your own personal bias to affect you on this topic! Narcissistic or not, my point was they are a good earner for government and surely Spain needs all the revenue it can get?