is that 30 days from arriving in mallorca.....as i intend to visit friends and family on the mainland before getting the ferry across


it is a vw passat s tdi 2005 1896cc

As soon as you get to Mallorca, register on the register of EU foreigners with the police and sign on the Padron at the town hall. Then start the matriculation process within 30 days (I think you might get away with 60 days, but do it as quickly as possible.)

The tax, if you decide to wait past the deadline, would only be about €180. Either way, the other costs will be significant depending on what needs to be changed. The lights are the usual problem.

It's been a long time since we "imported" a car (a LHD which theoretically should be easier and cheaper than a RHD) and at that time, it was damned expensive and massively bureaucratic - and of course, everybody involved had to get some profit from it.

But admittedly lots has changed since then, and I reckon the "30 day" rule is rather new. I would be cautious about the rest of the cycle and its costs, though, especially with a RHD. These kinds of things always facilitate a type of "legal extortion".

Yep would need new headlights and rears......know of a good scrapyard where I could find some???