Stanleysdad

Hi, I'm moving to Spain in Oct and need to drive over because I have a Cocker spaniel dog to bring with me. I'm thinking of buying a Spanish registered vehicle in uk and driving it over. What documentation do I need to ensure I get with the vehicle?

missile

Be very careful. If previous owner did not pay, fines stay with the vehicle. Documents can be forged.

SanNico

To check what Missile is warning you about, just ask the owner to show the info of the car from their miDGT app. I've yet to meet someone who doesn't use it so if they say they can only show you paperwork, walk away. I have no clue as to how you would register it but I'm sure the answer will appear on here soon. I'd take a guess it's probably cheaper and easier to just buy a UK registered LHD car and register it here later.

dmu

Will you be taking a ferry to Spain or driving through France?
Apart from the valid documentation for the car, have you researched insurance and the correct paperwork for your dog, for arrival and travel through France?

bolton wanderer

I don't think that you can drive a Spanish registered car in the UK, or France, if you're a UK resident. https://www.gov.uk/importing-vehicle...porary-imports
For anyone to drive the car it would need to be street legal the the registered country, Spain, which would mean current ITV (Spanish MOT), Insurance, road tax (Sobre Vehículos de Tracción Mecánica or IVTM) and the Permiso de circulacion. The Spanish police have access to a computer system (FIVA) and they are able to check the legality of the vehicle at the roadside.

As Missile mentions, all debts stay with the car, so you may find that as the new owner you'll become liable for any unpaid fines, taxes etc.
Becoming the new owner would also be a little tricky, as this needs to be registered with the DGT in Spain.

It would be easier & safer to buy a LHD UK registered car can get it matriculated onto Spanish plates as part of your residency process.

Listen Very Carefully

There are some reliable honest LHD foreign registered car dealers about in the UK who have the paperwork sorted and will ensure everything is OK.On the other hand there are cowboys so you need to be careful.If you are buying it from a private individual then you are probably shooting yourself in the foot. Whilst not knowing the ins and outs of Spanish vehicle registration being in France I have seen so many expats buy a french reg from a returning expat only to find that they cannot change ownership details as the seller was not the person on the reg doc or the car was seized due to unpaid fines unpaid finance etc
Apart from this a permanent resident cannot own a foreign registered vehicle apart from the period allowed to re register it.Also how will you get it insured?
Likewise never buy a UK reg vehicle in the EU for similar reasons.
If it is a private seller then get them to register the vehicle in the UK then sell it to you on UK plates.You can then re register it in Spain and you will have a proper paperwork trail

olivefarmer

Might be cheaper to buy a cheap British reg car for a one way trip then legally scrap it in Spain.

Barriej

The above is possible the best advice ever..

Listen Very Carefully

Thank you Barriej I think a lot of Brits underestimate how important bits of paper are in EU countries.

Barriej

Agree here, there is a scrap company near us who paid just under €1200 for a car that cost £300 on eBay in the UK and was used to move here a month or so ago by someone in our village.
They were gobsmacked and the scrap company basically does the paperwork and they then strip the car of all useful parts and then crush the rest which is then melted down for reuse.

If you are going to do this, make sure its a model thats in common usage here as the scrap value will be higher because its easier to shift the parts.

missile

That is similar to our experience. Drove a Polo from UK, used it until we got a Spanish car then sold it to a dealer.

andrewg212

Unncesssarily very limited choice. Just buy a UK registered car and carefully research the cost of importing and switching to Spanish registration.

snikpoh

Now a VERY costly exercise.

And you end up with a vehicle with the steering wheel on the "wrong" side. I didn't mind this but many do, plus, the future sale price will be lower because of this

andrewg212

Right-hand drive is neither a plus nor a minus when driving, just a personal preference. The sale will be appprox. 20% less than if it were a left-hand drive, but do you buy with the intention of selling in a relatively short period of time? Besides cars purchased in the UK tend to be 2-3 times more expensive to buy in Spain (I am told so can not verify).

missile

RHD is very inconvenient when trying to pay toll and parking and dangerous when trying to overtake.
Used cars are slightly more expensive, but not 2-3 times.