Changing car plates as a tourist - do we have to???????
May 27th 2008, 4:10 am
#16
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 987
Re: Changing car plates as a tourist - do we have to???????
But that is the point jdr, unless the ferry ticket is into Santander or Bilbao it doesnt prove one way or another when the car entered or left Spain. It only shows when the car entered or left the UK. And in the case of a bike, it is even more complex as mine used to travel back for its MoT in the back of a transit van so was never actually logged in and out of the UK.
It does not matter if you have been out of the UK (for example) for 6months and 1 day and then the next day you drive into Spain it's still classed as 'illegal' and the local powers that be are perfectly within their right to apply whatever local laws they see fit.
You could spend tens of thousands if not 100,000 of euros challenging the ruling, but who's going to do that?
The chances of being caught? I know of a handful of people who have been caught this year alone, all but one had their vehicles taken and the other was told they have 14 days to get rid of the car out of the country or register it there.
It's not like the old days of the EU when police forces were not clued up and you could just come up with a petrol receipt from France from last week, ohhhh no
Last edited by zel; May 27th 2008 at 4:15 am.
May 27th 2008, 5:59 am
#18
Concierge
Joined: May 2006
Location: ex ex-pat, in Taunton
Posts: 27,372
Re: Changing car plates as a tourist - do we have to???????
Doesn't really matter to the Guardia where you may ahve been, if your ticket is for mare than 6 months ago, then they can jusat impound the car, then you will have to Prove that it hasn't been here the time. Also you will, once in Spain for 183 days you will be classed as a Spanish resident.
May 27th 2008, 6:03 am
#19
Account Closed
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,002
Re: Changing car plates as a tourist - do we have to???????
OK, to turn this question around and maybe help the OP, if you do not have any permanent address in Spain but are touring around from city to city, town to town, province to province and possibly a bit over in France and/or Portugal, how the hell can you matriculate the vehicle to a Spanish plate ?
May 27th 2008, 7:05 am
#20
Retired and loving it!
Joined: Sep 2007
Location: Ontinyent - Valencia region (campo)
Posts: 5,171
Re: Changing car plates as a tourist - do we have to???????
from my viewpont it seems a little odd that people would be so ready to break a rule, and essentially the law just because its Spain.
Do any of the people so ready to drive illegally in Spain do so in the UK?
Would any of them drink drive,or drive without adequate insurance, or without a valid MOT?
Then why do it in bloody Spain?
If you are happy to break the law with this then its a slippery slope I'm afraid.
Do any of the people so ready to drive illegally in Spain do so in the UK?
Would any of them drink drive,or drive without adequate insurance, or without a valid MOT?
Then why do it in bloody Spain?
If you are happy to break the law with this then its a slippery slope I'm afraid.
Why not spend a little and go legal?
May 27th 2008, 7:30 am
#21
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Feb 2008
Location: Spain/Wales
Posts: 313
Re: Changing car plates as a tourist - do we have to???????
Well, Capitan, that's what I'm wondering. Spain aside, if you were having a gap year or two, touring europe, you'd need to do what then? It seems a dilemma, I guess you'd need to return to the country of registration quite a bit, cutting the trip down to quarters?
If you're in Spain for the whole time, you have to change over, or just come over for a few months at a time. Or if it's longer, rather hire a car, or buy a cheap local car and then sell it. There's a few options. I care less about the guardia and more about invalidating my insurance.
If you're in Spain for the whole time, you have to change over, or just come over for a few months at a time. Or if it's longer, rather hire a car, or buy a cheap local car and then sell it. There's a few options. I care less about the guardia and more about invalidating my insurance.
May 27th 2008, 7:31 am
#22
Happy in my bubble
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2007
Location: Rochdale LANCASHIRE
Posts: 4,538
May 27th 2008, 7:40 am
#23
Happy in my bubble
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2007
Location: Rochdale LANCASHIRE
Posts: 4,538
Re: Changing car plates as a tourist - do we have to???????
Right ok all - thanks for the replies.
So it looks as though i will be changing the plates then - ok not a problem in itself.
So with us being of no fixed abode then is insurance easy enough to get over there coz for the 2 years we wont be intending to come back unless all is not well at home with my dad or the lads - god forbid.
Thanks again guys and gals.
Love Sam xxxxx
So it looks as though i will be changing the plates then - ok not a problem in itself.
So with us being of no fixed abode then is insurance easy enough to get over there coz for the 2 years we wont be intending to come back unless all is not well at home with my dad or the lads - god forbid.
Thanks again guys and gals.
Love Sam xxxxx
May 27th 2008, 7:41 am
#24
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 6,281
Re: Changing car plates as a tourist - do we have to???????
Right ok all - thanks for the replies.
So it looks as though i will be changing the plates then - ok not a problem in itself.
So with us being of no fixed abode then is insurance easy enough to get over there coz for the 2 years we wont be intending to come back unless all is not well at home with my dad or the lads - god forbid.
Thanks again guys and gals.
Love Sam xxxxx
So it looks as though i will be changing the plates then - ok not a problem in itself.
So with us being of no fixed abode then is insurance easy enough to get over there coz for the 2 years we wont be intending to come back unless all is not well at home with my dad or the lads - god forbid.
Thanks again guys and gals.
Love Sam xxxxx
May 27th 2008, 7:56 am
#25
Happy in my bubble
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2007
Location: Rochdale LANCASHIRE
Posts: 4,538
May 27th 2008, 8:50 am
#27
Account Closed
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,002
Re: Changing car plates as a tourist - do we have to???????
Well, Capitan, that's what I'm wondering. Spain aside, if you were having a gap year or two, touring europe, you'd need to do what then? It seems a dilemma, I guess you'd need to return to the country of registration quite a bit, cutting the trip down to quarters?
If you're in Spain for the whole time, you have to change over, or just come over for a few months at a time. Or if it's longer, rather hire a car, or buy a cheap local car and then sell it. There's a few options. I care less about the guardia and more about invalidating my insurance.
If you're in Spain for the whole time, you have to change over, or just come over for a few months at a time. Or if it's longer, rather hire a car, or buy a cheap local car and then sell it. There's a few options. I care less about the guardia and more about invalidating my insurance.
Right ok all - thanks for the replies.
So it looks as though i will be changing the plates then - ok not a problem in itself.
So with us being of no fixed abode then is insurance easy enough to get over there coz for the 2 years we wont be intending to come back unless all is not well at home with my dad or the lads - god forbid.
Thanks again guys and gals.
Love Sam xxxxx
So it looks as though i will be changing the plates then - ok not a problem in itself.
So with us being of no fixed abode then is insurance easy enough to get over there coz for the 2 years we wont be intending to come back unless all is not well at home with my dad or the lads - god forbid.
Thanks again guys and gals.
Love Sam xxxxx
May 27th 2008, 8:53 am
#28
Straw Man.
Joined: Aug 2006
Location: That, there, that's not my post count... nothing to see here, move along.
Posts: 46,302
Re: Changing car plates as a tourist - do we have to???????
If only we had someone in the motor trade who posts on the forum eh?
May 27th 2008, 8:58 am
#29
Account Closed
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 1,002
Re: Changing car plates as a tourist - do we have to???????
Man with caravan in tow heading for Spain with possibly no fixed abode for more than a few months might be encouraged to find out for his own peace of mind, especially if he is happy to criticise others for being supposedly illegal when maybe there is no way to be legal. Now where might we find such an educated and motivated chap ?
May 27th 2008, 9:05 am
#30
Straw Man.
Joined: Aug 2006
Location: That, there, that's not my post count... nothing to see here, move along.
Posts: 46,302
Re: Changing car plates as a tourist - do we have to???????
Man with caravan in tow heading for Spain with possibly no fixed abode for more than a few months might be encouraged to find out for his own peace of mind, especially if he is happy to criticise others for being supposedly illegal when maybe there is no way to be legal. Now where might we find such an educated and motivated chap ?
