Re: Importing A UK car to spain
 

Hi JB, well as usual you have lots of helpful advice, but if you want to see what I went through to get my 1994 RHD land rover discovery regisstered over here you could check out my earlier thread:

'registering a UK RHD land rover in Spain'


some pages back now but a search will find it.

I did most of it myself and only gave up when I could not work the computer system for paying tax. By the way despite owning the car for 5 years we still had to pay 12% of the value in 'import' tax.

It is such a complicated system, particularly to someone whose Spanish is not the best, that even the spanish get help. It really is a case of the government making it difficult and providing work for lots of people. BUT it should be possible and if you don't want the hassle or have the time, pay a solicitor to assist you. Be aware that they do consider it a bit of a pain and hardly worth the hassle and probably get the paperwork completed by a junior so mistakes are often made adding to the time, cost and frustration. If you can check everything you are given for faults.

If there is some doubt about whether Spain will actually let you import the car I would first ask at the ITV station, they have to see it confirms to all the local requirements and then at hacienda who can tell you what tax there might be to pay and possibly also traffico who have the final say.

Good luck and if you are very attached to the vehicle persevere.

Steve

Re: Importing A UK car to spain
 

Thanks for the replys everyone, ive followed up some of your comments, and ive decided its not worth the time and money, better to just hold out and find what im looking for here, even if i have to get a Authie mini instead of a rover:(

Re: Importing A UK car to spain
 

That is, of course, not completely true. If the car is LHD and has been registered in the UK, then the headlights will be UK type, and will need to be changed back, some other work may also have to be reversed, so little or no difference in the actual cost, all that is different is that at the end of the day you do have a LHD car.

Re: Importing A UK car to spain
 

It's worth remembering that until about 10 or so years ago it was impossible to import a RHD car. The ITV stations refused to test them.

The EU managed to get Spain to allow it eventually.

Sometimes I think it would have been better if they had left it alone. It would make these forums a bit quieter though!

Re: Importing A UK car to spain
 

Lol...

Re: Importing A UK car to spain
 

We are not yet resident here, but are wondering about leaving a car over at our house - we could take it back once, or twice a year - certainly once for MOT. Has anyone else done this before moving out full time? Our full time move might not be for 1 or 2 years. Does anyone know the rules on this please, and do they also apply to a small van, which we might be using for work if our advertising is effective!
thanks

Re: Importing A UK car to spain
 

You will NOT be able to re register a van here in Spain, something to do with vision etc, it's onlñy cars and motorbikes that can be re registered. You would be able to do as you say, BUT, if the car was over here for more than 6 months at any one time, then you COULD be stopped. You would have to be very careful of the dates, and keep all the ferry or tunnel tickets as they are your ONLY proof of how long the vehicle has been here. The vehicle would have to remain fully road legal in the UK, i.e. tased, MOT'd and insured, and you would ahve to ensure that you insurance would cover it for the length of time it was out the UK, any policies do have limits on time the vehicle can be out of the UK.