I am moving to the Costa del Sol soon and I have a few questions regarding cars.
I notice that used cars are quite expensive in Spain, would I be better (if possible) to find a Spanish tax paid car in the UK and drive it over?

If I drive my current, normal rhd UK registered, car over there will it be worth anything at all?

I know it would be easier to just sell my car here in the UK and get another one when I get there but I would like to drive my dog and possessions down and not worry about not having a car when we get there.

Any recommendations?

I see where you are coming from but to be honest only see the idea fraught with problems because legally registering a Spanish car in your name and getting insurance (and valid ITV) whilst in the UK is not going to be easy (impossible?)

Ironically worrying about whether the car is taxed is the least of your problems (it works differently here!)

Fly over, sort out the car and drive it back to the UK is probably as easier option.

You will also need to sort out your Spanish driving licence (assuming you plan on being resident)

Sorry , I did not make myself clear, there are cars over here that are Spanish tax paid but on UK plates. Not many , but they are there, and they can just go back onto Spanish plates without all the taxes involved in changing the car over.

I live three hours from Glasgow, there is no way I am making that journey more than once

Buy any LHD car in the UK, register/tax and use it in the UK until you drive it to Spain and register it there.

You can find LHD Spanish registered cars with valid ITV in the UK - Google is your friend.


There is a slight snag - you should not really drive a car with an ES registration in the UK if you have a UK licence and a UK residence. Apart from taking a chance with not getting stopped by the BIB on the way to the ferry, there are some derogations (to do with exporting the vehicle) which you can find on the DVLA web site.


Prices in the UK are keener than in Spain but you can compare the total costs of UK sourced against a Spain bought car.


A good point to mention is that - depending on age - the Spanish car will have less corrosion because of the weather, although the driving habits of the locals may well have resulted in a bit of superficial damage.

How much would that cost?

... if it's on UK plates, then in all probability, it's had the lights changed to be legal in UK. Therefore, you have all that cost to pay again!

Your UK driving licence will probably be OK until it expires (within 10 years) - it's only an issue if it doesn't have an expiry date.

Second hand cars in Spain are not much more expensive than the UK. Buying a car in UK, you run the risk of buying a stolen car with outstanding fines to pay. If you add the cost of ferry and re-registration it will most likely be more expensive.

Save your self a lot of hassle and drive your UK car over and trade it for a Spanish one from a reputable dealer with a warranty.

Thanks for replying but my research has shown Spanish cars to be a lot more expensive than their UK counterparts.

You cannot buy a car in the UK that has outstanding fines and a simple £20 check will reveal if it stolen or not.

You know best

I was living in Germany and moving to Spain and I found when I was researching buying a car in Spain that the German ones generally were cheaper and in better condition. I don't think Spain is cheap for cars at all in comparison to a number of other European countries.

There is a large market in Spain for imported German cars, second line dealers in BMWs, Mercedes etc all in excellent condition with the import paperwork all done. Huge savings over Spanish second hand prices. The Germans tend to change their cars more frequently so many good deals available, if you do it yourself it is a trip to Germany and a bit of hassle with the paperwork but nothing excessive

Well I certainly know a lot better than you. Both points you made are patently untrue.
No sarcasm intended at all.