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.

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.

Pleased to help. Have a safe journey :-)

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.

... 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).

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.

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

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!

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

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?

It would cost a hell of lot more to set up than they would ever get in return - so a non-starter financially. Nice idea though.

They would rake in a lot more money if they forced all the illegal foreign cars to re-register onto Spanish plates, but they still don't seem to bother.

Hola
It is difficult to identify "illegal foreign cars". It is perfectly legal to drive your English registered car here, drive it around for a couple of months holiday, and return home. I will be doing the reverse in a couple of weeks - that is driving a Spanish registered car to England.

To prove beyond reasonable doubt that a car has been in Spain for too long and should have been rematriculated is difficult as you can drive in various countries with no checks. I am thinking of the French and Portuguese borders.

But I am in agreement - one should rematriculate your car until the EU issues EU number plates to be used anywhere inside the EU.

Davexf

While I think suspicions can be aroused when one sees a personal UK plate or a older car on a UK plate, how does one tell with a German or other Eu plate.
There are multiple German registered cars hereabouts and I am certain/know they don't commute.

With regard to UK reg cars, it's easy for the Guardia to check online with the DVLA database to see if it is taxed in the UK. If not, it's illegal.