Gillybeans

We are currently touring in Spain and have decided to stay here . We will store the caravan for use as we need but what about the car ? It's suitable to tow the caravan and we do love it however we need to register it in Spain . How does it work and the cost please x

missile

This topic has been asked and answered. I suggest you search and check free beer thread.

Rosemary

As Concierge for the Spanish section of BE I would like to say hello and welcome.

BE is a very large expat website, so if you have problems finding your way around we have concierges who will try to direct you. The moderators for the Spanish forums are Mitzyboy and Fred James, moderators are there to ensure that the site runs smoothly within the rules of BE. Problems and complaints should always be addressed to a moderador who will look into the matter and deal with it efficiently and fairly. Our members who post in the Spain Forums are friendly and helpful with a wealth of knowledge of the issues of living in Spain. At the top of the page you will find a quirkily named thread called Free Beer which is full of important and useful information. Hope you enjoy your time participating in the forums.

Please let me know if you need any further help.

Rosemary

billgates

One of the many benefits that an integrated EU could provide is to remove the necessity to import your car. After all, it's just a paperwork exercise for the various authorities to squabble over who gets the money.

Fred James

You do not have to import your car - you are free to use it and keep it wherever you like in the EU.

What you DO have to do is re-register it in the country where it is permanently kept. If you did not have to register it it would make it quite impossible for the police to have a record of ownership etc.

A Europe wide registration system could solve that problem but we are a few light years away from that - they don't even have a common driver database yet.

guirijohn

You may find useful information here..

http://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens...s/index_en.htm

EMR

Fred you are wrong, in Portugal YOU do have to matriculate your vehicle, change it to PT plates if the vehicle is in in PT longer than 6 months.
If you become Portuguese resident you would not have to pay any import tax.
I thought that Spain has similar rules.

mikelincs

Your car needs to be street legal in the country of it's registration, so you either bring it back to the UK at least once a year and get it taxed and tested, or reregister it onto Spanish plates, as has been suggested, look in the 'free beer' thread for info on this. Remember if you do drive it in Spain and it isn't legal, then you face a few problems, not the least being that there isn't any grace period to show your registration and insurance, what happens in Spain is that the car is impounded there and then, and you will then have to get to your destination another way, and you have just 7 days to show the paperwork to get it back or it is crushed. Well worth being legal with the car, solves all the problems.

Fred James

I thought that was exactly what I said