Unexpat

It's clearly not legal (although it should between EU member states), but until European law changes ....
I'm about to embark on the process myself as I don't see that it is that difficult, or expensive. I will post again as I go through it. Step one, go to the ITV station and acquire necessary initial documentation (formulario de cambio/solicitud de matriculación) and chat to them about what is required, starts tomorrow.

The procedure I am following is this one as linked elsewhere, as it appears correct and up-to-date from what I know so far.

Location of ITV here and it looks like I can get the necessary guides downloaded here and form here.

bfg69bug

By April 2006 it will be almost impossible to import a right hand drive vehicle onto Spanish plates ! It is already impossible to import a right hand drive commercial vehicle.

i´ll not be bothering then, if this is true

Mitzyboy

Where did you see this please? This has come up on another forum which worried me as I need to import a UK car. I had my solicitor check AND a Spanish friend in Spain and they both came back and said there is no truth to this rumour at all.

Unexpat

Well looking through the lists of normativas in the DGT site I found no mention of any law, existing, or proposed that would indicate such a restriction.

Quite the contrary, in fact. This press release on their site indicates that European Directives standardising driving licenses (permiso de circulacion) and vehicle technical characteristics card (V5 equivalents, I believe) have come into force as from November, 2005.

The objectives of the European Directives are (as one would expect!):

1. Promote the free circulation of vehicles registered within the EU throughout all EU territories.
2. Standardisation of driver licensing to ensure control of permissions to drive specific classes of vehicles.
3. Ease the process of registering vehicles in any member state of vehicles previously registered in any other member state.
4. Secure the authenticity of documentation presented during the registration of any vehicle previously registered in other member states.

So ... done and done ... how about some references whenever anyone decides to post some scare-mongering stories, from now on It's really quite simple, EU law is clearly committed to removing barriers that prevent the free passage of EU citizens across member states, so why would a new barrier be erected ... particularly one that singles out and discriminates against a single member state - whether in current Spanish or EU law? The whole point of the EU is once you're in it, you're in it, for better or worse. Can you imagine how much more squabbling would be going on otherwise?

It seems common sense that once vehicle safety, etc. is standardised with the EU, why should re-registration even be required, long term? Ah, yes, so the hacienda can get hold of you :scared:

My references are all on the DGT site for all to read

bfg69bug

ok, my scaremongering came from... YOUR POST !!!!! i was only reading what YOU referenced ! and YOU would know that if YOU had read it!

dont take the p*ss out of me unless you are really sure of yourself mate

liknk is here - http://www.livespainforlife.co.uk/default.aspx?id=56 and where it was mentioned bfore, only 4 posts before this one...


i´m not scare mongering, you are mate

Unexpat

Blimey, take that chip off your shoulder and chill. No wonder you get shouted at in forums

Firstly, I did not specifically quote that paragraph from the link I gave - it had already been quoted here prior to my post(s). You re-quoted it and didn't assign any references to it and of course we were naturally curious to know where it had come from. It was a simple matter of posting the link back and then we could have seen that the source was also unsupported in its own source.

I hold about as much store in the quote, regarding prohibitions on import by April this year, on http://www.livespainforlife.co.uk/default.aspx?id=56 as reading elsewhere it without a source

Secondly, you needn't take my posts so much to heart. They are not meant to be a direct attack on anyone in particular, unless I start naming names and you can be sure that I will be sure and you will be sure, if I have a problem with you, if I do. Anyone who has read my posts on this forum will know that I seek to clarify and not to scare-monger.

Finally, back to the topic in hand. It would seem fair then to say that http://www.livespainforlife.co.uk/default.aspx?id=56 is the source of this rumour, but since they do not quote a source for their information it needs to be taken with a very large pinch of salt, particularly if no other information has turned up to support it elsewhere.

bfg69bug

i dont like salt lol.. no worries, i was just annoyed that it seemed that you were having a go at me, thats all. dont worry about it

Unexpat

Apologies if any insult was taken. It was late last night

GCM

It's true that the information was given by a broker, although a very well-known broker with many offices in Spain and it's true that the info. is verbal!

I think we can safely say from the replies that this procedure - getting a Spanish ITV on an English car does NOT make it in anyway legal here in Spain BUT I still argue - does it matter on a practical level?

The first issue is from an official one - the police - when they stop an English car which the owner has insured and ensured it is roadworthy in Spain - is there any action taken against and why or do they wave you on?

Secondly and for me the most important - the insurance company. I know I need to have this clarified in writing but there must be people with practical experience of this - do the insurance companies pay out?

As I keep saying - insurance companies insuring UK plated cars in Spain are Lloyds of London underwriters who can insure anything and anyone they choose to insure. They are fully aware that the drivers are living in Spain. They want the vehicle to be roadworthy - if they choose to accept the Spanish version instead of the English version then I say so what - the vehicle is running in Spain on Spanish roads anyway.

Mark

Unexpat

I agree, in practical terms it should make no difference which EU member state certifies your car roadworthy (as I said in an earlier post), but that day is yet to come and all the barriers are yet to be lifted.

Another example, my UK insurance company covers me to drive any other vehicle, so long at is in the UK. For god's sake why not in Spain??? Ok, in reality I know why. They are worried about the additional costs that they would incurr assessing any accident, or claim, due to the language barrier and extra travelling expenses when they have to send an assessor over. It's going to take an EU directive to get them to swallow that.

In any case, back to the point in hand, will a Spanish insurer wriggle-out of settling a claim on a UK plated vehicle with Spanish ITV and insurance? I believe so, because they can. The vehicle is not legal and any insurance policy fine print will insist that the vehicle must be legal in the country of use.

Nige

If you want to see if your UK registered vehicle is still licensed for road use, go to http://www.vehiclelicence.gov.uk
Just enter the reg number and the make of car and you can see very quickly.
Not sure if Spain has same online system yet, but they can certainly use the same website for information purposes.

bfg69bug

digging this thread up again ... !!! (am i asking to get my arse kicked... lol )

the passage quoted - "it is going to be impossible to re-register a rhd car" (paraphrase), i´m going to email the writer and see what their response is and i will post it here.

i was thinking of re- registering my english car but i want to know ifthere is any substance to this claim first.

bfg69bug

as an extra ... has anyone re-registered a rhd car THIS MONTH ? that would put a stop to the rumors?

Mitzyboy

I've posted this up so many times now

I heard the rumour and asked my abogado to check for me. She reported back that there are no plans whatsoever to outlaw registration of LHD cars. I also asked a Spanish friend in Spain to check and they could find no evidence of such a plan, having spoken to the authorities.

bfg69bug

i know, you said it on this thread i´ve emailed her and i will post her reply - lets see if she has any good sources.