utookmylove

HI Guys,
When we move to spain we will be using our english car i dont want to buy a spanish one as i have noticed they are very expensive for what they are? Can we take our car to gib to get it mot'd if not how much do we have to pay roughly for spanish plates on a grand jeep cherokee
Thanks

BritBull

Don't bring your UK car to Spain. It's a mine field at the moment and the Police are clamping down big time.
Search the forums for the many recent topics on UK cars in Spain.
Gib plates are Gib plates, Uk plates are UK plates, different entities, Gib is not legally part of the UK as it is not mainland.
I doubt if you would get a UK plated motor MOT'd in Gib unless you have a permanent Gib address or letter to say you were in the process of transferring it to Gib plates - which is also expensive, pretty much the same cost as getting it imported and on Spanish plates.

In short - sell you UK car and shop around for a Spanish motor.
Yes they are pricey for what they are, that's a fact.
There are some deals out there, you just need many weeks of shopping around before you find a genuine one for a resonable price.

utookmylove

Hi,
Thanks for advice, it's a pain in the bottom all this searching and internet hunting ha ha ha so much to think off but we will get there.
thanks again

Mitzyboy

Its quite possible for you to take a British car to Spain, and you can keep it there on UK plates theoretically for 6 months. After that time it should be registered on Spanish plates, and if you don't do so it is probably uninsured and illegal.

You can get a gestoria to do the whole "importation" thing for you, and as long as you have owned the car for 6 months or more in the UK you will not have to pay the infamous import tax. I believe it costs anything between 300 and 600 euros.

Imho however you should only take a UK car to Spain if theres a very good reason to do so, i.e. classic car etc or if you are very attached to it. If only for the fact that it'll be a pain in the backside to drive a RHD car.

utookmylove

Hi,
Thanks for the advice we are bringing it over as we will have to bring a trailer full of stuff and we wont have enough room in the car itself.
Im buying my furniture over in spain however there is some stuff that i want to bring i.e mirrors personal things t.vs clothes (lots) and it is not worth hiring a van or shipping for this amount.

Mitzyboy

Well my advice is to have it MOT'd just before you leave, or have something stamped at the port to show when you left the UK. I'm going to have my car MOT'd the week before we go, so that the Spanish Police can see when it was last in the UK

Also when driving in Spain have reflective jackets for every occupant, a spare pair of specs if you use them, two triangles and a complete set of spare bulbs for the car (and always carry ALL your documents)

utookmylove

Hi, Just another quicky do we keep our car insured in this country or get insurance for our spanish car over there.
also now this might sound weird as i am not a confident driver, so can we tow our van behind our jeep and and tow a car all the way to spain as i dont want to drive yet

Mitzyboy

You can have an extended green card from some insurers, as I have, but NOT in excess of 6 months. Car insurance will cost a little more in Spain i'm afraid. Your car MUST be legal in the country of registration during those 6 months, and that includes a valid MOT and road tax.

There are very strict towing rules in Spain (not even touching on rules in France), and regret I'm not someone with a lot of knowledge of this. I would check carefully before towing in Spain just in case - there have been threads on this subject before now.

utookmylove

HI thank you for all your advice

anne c

Hello, We have just got insurance for our car for when in Spain. It is an English company called Andrew Copeland and, provided you keep the car in Spain for at least 11 months, they will insure you. Ours runs out the day after we are due to arrive in Santander 8th September. The new insurance is valid from midnight on that day. I was with The Civil Service Ins. Society but, Copeland beat their price by £5. It doesnt seem much, but when you think it will be a r/h/d car with initially GB plates, I thought it was a good deal. You can only try it and see.
Anne

jdr

They have already asked you to break the law by keeping the car in Spain for at least 11 months.
You will have to register your car to Spanish plates after 6 months, will they give you a refund ?

Mitzyboy

Surely your insurance will be invalid after 6 months . You will have to re register your car with Spainish plates at that time and as a Spanish registered car will they still insure it. Also for that initial 6 months your car will have to have a valid MOT and road tax in the UK, otherwise, again, it will not be legal in Spain. If you are stopped by the police you will be fined and risk having your car confiscated

anne c

Andrew Copeland were advertised on this website some time ago. They deal with insurance for Spain. I will of course change to Spanish number plates soon after we arrive, and get a Spanish MOT. They were the only company I found that would insure a car going abroad for full term.
Many thanks for everyones advice though. Please keep it coming.
Anne

Mitzyboy

Well after peoples experiences and other threads that have been on this subject, I would make sure you have it in writing that they will fully cover your car on insurance once it is Spanish registered

anne c

Thanks for the advice Mitzyboy, I will ring them first thing tomorrow morning. Will keep you posted.
Anne.