shaun&sue

Hi all

we have a 6 month old seat ibiza car 1.4cc and after seeing the extortionate prices in spain of the 2nd hand cars we think taking it with us the best option.

We have been told as we have paid the VAT in the UK,we wouldnt have to pay the 16% IVA tax in spain,is this correct?
Also we have been told that THE ONLY thing we would have to pay is the registration tax which on a car lower than 1600cc like ours would be 7% of the currant value,is this correct?

an idiots guide for us would be brill on the step by step way we do this?

shaun and sue

La Joconde

When we got our car re-registered in Spain (with new spanish plates), we used the services of a Gestorian, it is someone who does all the legwork and administration for you. This was a year ago, and it cost us Euros 800 for everything, all administration, tax, etc..

Am sure that one of our better informed readers maybe able to give you more indepth details on this procedure.

Bet you have a long list of "What to do"....

BritBull

Unsure about the tax but I am pretty sure you will need to pay a nominal importation tax fee.

Another thing, remember you will need the headlights altering/changing.

I have been driving here with a UK RHD car for 7 months, and it has been a complete pain when using tolls or car parks, having to take off the seatbelt, lean across and out of the passenger window to collect a ticket or pay toll.

I have just bought a 5 year old Spanish 1.9TD and yes, it was overpriced compared to the UK at Euros 8000 but that included 2 yrs ITV (MOT), 2 yrs full warranty, plus all taxes paid.

After being in a similar situation as yourself last year, my advice would be to sell your UK car and buy Spanish if you are planning to stay permanently.

Make sure you buy from a dealer who is offering ITV & warranty.
The resale value of cars in Spain is excellent and if you buy sensibly you shouldn't end up out of pocket.

In my opinion worth paying a little over the UK price rather than have the grief which goes with driving a RHD motor.

shaun&sue

Any ideas how we can get contact details of a gestorian somewhere costa blanca north area,as we feel want to do it still?

We understand what britbull is saying but £6000 for a 5 year old car-no way are we paying that. We would rather have small hassle of seatbelt things and have a 6 month old car.


shaun and sue

La Joconde

If you do got for the re-registering.

May I suggest that once you are in Spain, you ask locally, i.e. Town Hall, Estates Agents, Solicitors/Notaries, or even at a local bar, if they could recommend a good gestorian. I believe that you are OK to drive a car with British Plates for 90 days, as long as you have an international insurance cover (green card?), which has also a 90 days duration (if I recall correctly), then renewable for one month at a time for a further 3 months.

The re-registration only takes 3 - 4 weeks, while the process takes place, you will be given an official receipt, which you need to keep in the car till your new registration paperwork arrives, as your log book will have already been handed over.

We kept copies of the logbook as well.

Linea Direct (affiliate of Direct Line) insures Spanish registered cars

Knights Insurance insures British plated cars in Spain

There are many more Insurance companies in Spain but these two appear to be the most well-known.

All insurance covers are Full Comp. You will need proof of non-claim bonus.

Hope this helps.

Mercedes

There are some dealers in UK who specialise in left hand drives, or alternatlvely buy a left hand car in one of the cheaper EU Countries and import it in.

La Joconde

Yes, this is a good suggestion, although the car would still have to be re-registered with spanish number plates.

Chiclanagir

We imported our car - bit of a hassle with paperwork but we felt it was a good car with no problems so why not keep it until it dies and then replace it. Only real problem is coming onto motorways as the vision is not good but we got some tiny dual mirrors from Halfords which you stick on inside the windscreen above the dashboard which gives extra vision for those blind spots. All in all we are happy that we kept the car. Although there are so many Brit cars which I am sure are being driven around illegally!

Mercedes

I know you still have the hassle, but it will also be easier to sell possibly at a higher price in Spain than say an RHD. So you probably may make money on it if you sold it later in Spain.

jdr

You can drive any plated car in Spain all year as long it is M O T`d and taxed in the country of origin and insured. So you will need to take it to the UK for MOT and Tax every year.
When did you last see a UK car over here with valid tax ? and i bet that would make the ins invalid too.

La Joconde

humm....that's not what the Guarda Civil told us, having stopped us 3 times in 2 months when we first got here, they checked all our car paperwork including insurance, MOT, logbook, tax disc, driving licence.. and "requested" the third time they stopped us, that we have the car re-registered as we were obviously locals!! We have seen them since every so often making note of foreign car registrations in Town. The Guarda Civil has the power to confiscate a car, have it destroyed & charge the owner for it, put anyone in jail till formalities are sorted even for minor incidents if the mood takes them. We always intended to re-register the car soon or later, it is so much easier to respect and follow the rules of the country you live in, and we didnt want to get the taste of their "fury".

Saying all this, we know of people who have been here with their British plated car for more than 3 years.

countryboy

I think if you looked at this site about buying New and Second Hand it might give you some more information

New Second Hand

Or this site New cars

Buying New

Or try this site...the car is Spain

jdr

Handy links, but as usual with Spanish paperwork if its a couple of weeks old its out of date

jdr

Thats cos they assumed you have residensia, similar to their ideas about the Euro driving licence, they say you should have it stamped by the local police, if they see you driving a few times.
But as usual it should be yes sir right away sir to the GC


This link is informative, but prob out of date

http://costablancaexpats.net/pats/trafico.txt

rogerb

My Spanish plates & docs were supplied (for a reasonable fee!) by a Trafico officer who speaks English with a Yorkshire accent and supplements his fairly meagre GC income by 'moonlighting' this way