PaulLes

Hi to all,

We are hopefully moving perminantley to our house in Spain in the near future.
Just a couple of questions, firstly how do the Spanish authorities know how long your car has been in the country, and secondly i'm sure i have read that UK cars now only have 1 month in which to be registered, firstly to avoid import tax (if the vehicle has been owned in the UK for over 6 months) and secondly so they are not impounded. We have been over most months of the last year and have noticed a decreasing number of British plated cars, and the last visit this week i did'nt spot any. There is a noticable police presence around the Alicante area checking for traffic violations etc.

I would prefer to Buy a Spanish plated car but can't believe the prices, i am intending to bring over my 2001 plate 4x4 and a motor bike and put them on Spanish plates. There are lots of ads in the CBN quoting 500 euros all in, would it be cheaper with the help of a spanish friend to do this via a gestor or notary.

Lastly and sorry for all the questions, i notice that there are loads of garages that say right hand cars taken in part ex, is this the case if on spanish plates or do they just offer a low price, to trade to a left hand drive.

Cheers Paul.

P.S really weird weather in UK left 37 degrees in Murcia and showed 37 in my car at Manchester.

mikelincs

The garages are likely to offer a pittance for UK plated RHD cars as they either have to ship them back to the UK, or sell them to someone going back, and they must still have UK tax. Spanish plated ones will only have a limited market, unlesss they are classics so offers are likely to be low. I've seen private sale ones for €1000 on relatively new cars. They don't know how long you have been in Sapin, but they may well ask for a UK address, if you are over here permanently you won't have one. Tax, insurance and MOT will run out at some time, and then it is a dead give away. You can't insure a UK plated car here, well you may be able to, but the certificate will be invalid as they only cover spanish plated cars. There are still a lot of cars here on the Costa Blanca RHD and no UK tax disc, or out of date tax discs, just waiting for the police to catch them, but I'm more worried in case they hit me, and I find they aren't covered for insurance and it costs me money. Costs of replating are varied, but €500 seems fairly reasonable. You will have to check that the car itself, even replated, will be legal as some vehicles don't pass some of the visibility requirements. The simplest thing is to get them replated ASAP when you get here, takes all the worries away.

Nige

And of course anybody who knows the Registration and the Make of the vehicle can look up at http://www.vehiclelicence.gov.uk
to make an enquiry online to see when the licence was issued. This includes the guardia. :scared:

maryg

We've seen a car LHD Spanish plates, ITV'd and all legal that we want to buy. We can't get over this month due to work commitments, and the chap wants it sold next week, though he may drive it back to uK ....how would we go about transfering it and registering it then. We are moving over in October.

Also...How would we stand buying by proxy.....our mate is going over next week.....could he buy it and transfer it for us if he has our nie and padron docs?

cheers,
Mary

jdr

Be careful cos if there are any debts etc, they are transfered to the new owner, so you really need to check it out before you buy.

maryg

Our mate who is driving over next week got his car purchase checked out and sorted through a gestor. If he has copies of all the neccessay documents could he organise all the paperwork for us using a gestor too?
Mary

jdr

I cant see why not, double check all the paperwork you need though.

Betty Boop 37

Hi everyone im thinkin of movin to gibraltar as i may have a job and i would like some advice on rental proprty ie: cheapest places etc if anyone can help id appreciate it oh and also my hubby will need work what are the chances of finding some?

mikelincs

Further information. I read today in a local English Lang paper in the motoring column written by Brian Deller, who is an expert in these matters about new rules coming in.
Hopefully in 2007 on a date to be announced British cars will no longer have to be replated, but can remain on UK plates, this is through a ruling from Brussels. Currently, the police want to see your ferry ticket receipt to check how long you have been here, no receipt they will assume you have been here longer than 6 months, you will be fined and then have to prove you haven't been here that long. If you have a property here, or a long term rental and are registered at the town hall, then you must have it reregistered within 30 days, or you will be hit with import duty. If stopped and you say you thought that the laws had changed, they won't wear it. At the moment you have to live with the rules as they are. If you are stopped, and they believe the car is illegal, you will receive a fine, and be ordered to have it reregistered within 14 to 30 days. Choices seem to be, take your vehicle officially off the road, (precintado) until the laws change, or register it over here.

Casa Santo Estevo

Mike
Personally we can't see the ruling from Brussels working. We moved from The Netherlands to here in Spain. We did not need to use a ferry to import the car. So if the ruling came into being then how would the Guardia Civil check if I was a visitor or was a living here. We do not have a ferry receipt with either case.

This goes for all European counties except the U.K. and Ireland.

jdr

Welcome to the forum, but you will be better if you start your own thread, a lot of people will miss this here

mikelincs

As far as I know, my post ONLY refers to UK plated cars, which are classed as a special category as they are RHD.