bil8999

Hi to all


Thinking of either bringing one of our cars from the uk or buying in spain.
What would you do? in hind sight.

We are only there at the moment about 10 weeks of the year.
Some times the car hire can be a pain.

Thanks in advance

lutonlad

Good question.
I am still not 100% sure if a non resident is allowed to own and drive a Spanish car - although many do, myself included.

It's a subject that's cropped up from time to time on this Forum - often related to being on the Padron (or not).

Hopefully we will get a definitive answer.

Dxf

Hola

Purely on a cost basis - by my calculations - about equal costs. But there is a comfort feeling in having your own car - if you can get to it easily. When you land at the airport, or your boat docks, how do you get to your car!

Your car will have to be serviced etc., and MOT´d (ITV). Plus tax and insurance. There are costs both ways. I know people who have friends who will drive them to the airport and back in the car of the visitors - but there is a lot of trust involved. And I´ve seen many car "trashed" by non owners driving them around "just to keep them ticking over".

Only the OP can really decide - if they were here in Spain longer then their own car is better - here shorter then better to rent. The cross over depends on many things

Davexf

mikelincs

I suppose it's a question of costs, bringing your own car to Spain will mean matriculation to make it legal, it's only allowed to be in Spain 6 months before it's matriculated, if you don't want to do that, then you will have to keep taking it back to the UK with you, as it will need a UK tax disc and MOT to stay legal. The length of time you ae in Spain has no bearing on the need to matriculate, once it has been in Spain for the 6 months, then it must go back to the UK or be changed to Spanish plates.
A Spanish car would be better as the stering wheel is on the correct side for you to see the road when overtaking, and also when you enter a barrier car park

Fred James

That's not actually correct. The car, under existing EU rules, can stay in Spain for more than six months, but if the owners stay more than 6 months in a calendar year they become tax resident and cannot drive a UK reg car.

It is the time that the owners stay in Spain that is more critical than the time the car stays in Spain (subject to the tax, insurance and MOT rules). Also, because of the tax rules it is possible to drive the car continuously from July to June of the next tax year.

The recent changes to the traffic laws do include some changes to this but, as yet, it is not entirely clear what they are.

Incidentally, the requirement to display a UK car tax disk is about to disappear as they are being discontinued. The Guardia, if they can be bothered, already have access to the DVLA records and can check if a car is taxed in the UK.

lutonlad

I would still like to know if there is a definitive answer to the question of whether a non res can own and drive a Spanish car.
The more I dig, the more confused I get.
Now I'm not even sure that Insurance is valid if you don't reside in Spain. I was never asked the question by my broker - but looking at the policy, I notice that it classifies me as resident, which is not the case!

andyrich666

Any posts about cars and he is the first one out the blocks.

rafikiphoto

And a very good job too. The info is invariably correct and helps keep a lot of spurious info from being tossed around and causing confusion!

andyrich666

It is confusion as the posts he makes are not correct as everyone jumps on them, personally I give up, in the post he made there are 2 serious factual errors.

rafikiphoto

Namely?

andyrich666

See #5

rafikiphoto

Yes, that's the one I am referring to and you're quoting. What is it that you are saying is incorrect there?

andyrich666

We have our wires crossed then, My rant is against Mikelincs

rafikiphoto

Just what I was thinking. You quoted Fred James and referred to 'he'. I guess your comment was aimed at the object of Fred's quote then?

andyrich666

Yes I meant Mike is always first out the traps with any UK plate car thread and I give up arguing the facts as its been repeated so many times but never took in.

There are laws and there are risks associated, there are also bad people who do not keep there cars legal but I really do not believe that is the majority, in fact I know a few that have Spanish plated cars drive with no insurance and ITV, and that really is the gods honest truth I swear, one is a ex copper (female), but that happens all over the world too, It does not mean that every law is enforced, enforcement is usually a last resort.

Lastly if you have bring it down to steering wheel on whatever side, then you have to question you ability to drive, your scraping the barrel at parking barriers, I never had anyone get riled with me for having to jump out and grab a ticket.