can you offer any advice please.... i have just moved to spain and am in the process of registering my UK car for Spanish plates etc. My sister has a british car here and i asked her if her car is here legally and she said "of course, we have insurance for the car (which she got here) and breakdown cover. I know her headlights only have the halfords sticker things on them and she said that "of course she can get an MOT done on a british car" emm, am i right in thinking that something is not right here.
I am worried that her hubby is stringing her along and am worried that god forbid she has an accident or hurts anybody.

Patsi. There are two threads on this page with deal with MOT and matriculating a foreign-registered car in Spain. Hope these are helpful.

it would depend on how long the car has been in spain. if its been here under 6 months then yes, perfectly legal.

if its been here 3 or 4 years... then.. er no.. dont crash, and dont get pulled up


is there a VALID tax disc in the windscreen?

Also depends on if they have applied or hold residencia, if they have residencia the car must be changed immediately.

The Guardia do road blocks around us to catch expats from any country driving on their own plates and are living permanently here. (Mind you they do same day and time so those bucking the system do not travel) I was asked to translate for a young couple newly arrived with MOT/INsurance/ Road tax, but told the Guardia they had applied for residencia "last week" (this was last year) The guardia gave them a ticket and told them they had 1 month to change.

Friend of mine got caught and her car was impounded until she change the plates. I have heard of that going on in CDS and around Valencia as well.


pwwm

pwwm, do you have to apply for residencia if you want to change your plates?

We already had residencia before we had the cars. I do not think you do need it, anyway it is being phased out (residencia) from April.
I know you need signed and documented proof from your local Ayuntamiento so maybe passport would do it. It was copied stamped and then signed.

Also if you change the car I think it is within 3/12 of arrival, then you do not pay the import tax, but you need proof of having lived in UK previously.

pwwm

you seen this ? (from the other thread)

By April 2006 it will be almost impossible to import a right hand drive vehicle onto Spanish plates ! It is already impossible to import a right hand drive commercial vehicle.

We bought lhd from UK could not see the point in rhd anyway, will go and read the other link.

pwwm

Doubtful ... and why are we duplicating threads?

Car Transfer Info Required and Spanish ITV.

Categorically No. The guide to the process requires you to provide proof (utility bill, etc.) that you have an abode (rented, owned, etc) in the province in which you are registering the vehicle, but that isn't the same as being resident.

You can fill in the registration form with a D.N.I obviously, but you can also do it with a N.I.E (see my post and associated link to the matriculacion form in the other thread currently "raging") which you can get with your passport and some legwork. There are other threads on this board that describe how to go about this and link the form. Search is your friend

i´m not duplicating threads, that quote is relevant in all of them as people are talking about right hand drive cars in spain.


i have an N.I.E already, i´m not a newbie i just dont want to apply for residency. thanks for the links, i´ve seen those threads and i have searched just the only links i found / step by step to matriculacion de vehiculos extranjeros stated that you needed your residencia application at least.