Graham2005

Hi Monica

Can you please confirm something for me, you say after you have applied for your empadronmiento you have 30 days to import your car. I thought the rule was you have 6 months after you apply for your residencia to import your car. I believe empadronmiento and residencia are 2 different things ?? Or am I wrong can someone please confirm this.

Many Thanks

EsuriJohn

Hi Zel,

Read this and other similar threads with great interest. We intend to "Snowbird" overwintering in Spain after driving down from UK and returning by car in late spring. For this I have decided to buy a second vehicle which must be LHD but will be registered and kept in UK.

Similar threads lead me to believe that the cheapest place in Europe to buy S/H vehicles is Belgium and I have found this website

http://www.auto-on-net.com/en?PHPSES...d00742db827dd9

where I have seen some good examples of what I would like to buy at what seem to be reasonable prices.

It should be easy to import the vehicle to UK and register it here (I have done it several times before with RHD from Holland).

If one had time before departure for Spain you could I suppose do it and re-export to register it in Spain and avoid their import duty.

Regards,

John.

EsuriJohn

Hi Graham2005,

Epadronmiento is a local authority registration very like being on the Electoral Role in a UK local authority.

Residencia is a national registration which involves the tax service (Hacienda) and the Interior Ministry we don't have anything like it yet but come the National Identity Card we will be just the same.

Regards,

John.

Mitzyboy

I believe from what I have been told you only have 30 days to complete the registration procedure for a car once you have started it. I had also been told that you had 6 months to start the procedure.

There seem to be a different story around every corner.

I WAS going to do all this myself, but as I will have a Japanese grey import car I think discretion is the better part of valour and I will employ a gestor!!

zel

You will find that registering a LHD vehicle in the UK is more difficult than registering a RHD/MPH vehicle.

You have to get official certification from VOSA to say the car has been legally converted for use in the UK, you will need to do several modifications to the vehicle to gain this certification.

Depending on the vehicle this could cost anywhere from £250 to £3,000+ just for the modification work needed and a further £80 for the certificate, after you have this certificate it is then the same process as registering a RHD vehicle. (ie £38 first registration, C.O.C cost, VED cost, any applicable taxes)

Hope this helps.

Mitzyboy

A useful mine of information as usual

EsuriJohn

Hi Zel,

Not a problem Nephew-in-Law has his own Garage business and is a brilliant mechanic. Biggest problem will be sourcing a set of second hand RHD headlights for a Fiat Doblo (yes I am weird but I long to own what must be the worlds ugliest car) and getting the stick-on mph transfer for the speedo if we can't just flick a switch, which works for some. I will take care of the paperwork.

Regards,

John.

zel

Hehe don't need to convert me I love the Doblo's too but saying that I did used to drive around in a Fiat Multipla (the "ugly" one) as I thought it was pretty

BTW, you might want to get a move on with doing it as there is talk of VOSA demanding the speedo outputs the odometre in Miles now aswell as the speedo output. So if diagnostics changeover doesn't work (and it doesn't on Fiat group cars as far as we've expeirenced) a brand new MPH cluster would need to be fitted :scared:

So get a move on

Oh and btw, we're not alone on our weird car liking I had just got back from Germany with a Renault Kangoo for a client, stopped by home to have a quick shower before I took it to our shortage facility when one of my neighbours stopped me asking me if we can source him a Doblo for his place in Spain! ugly cars are the future

bfg69bug

i thought it was 30 days to complete once started, you have to own the car for 6 months before starting, you can legally drive in spain on tourist plates for up to 6 months (as long as the vehicle is legal in its country of matriculation), and i think 6 months after you apply for residencia is the "tax free" period, after which you have to pay a tax based on the cars age and the valuation given to it on "that" pdf document... ??

Graham2005

Hi !

What I am worried about is I have just applied for my empadronmiento but i don´t want to legally import my car to Spain until maybe next April as it is legal until then. I will apply also apply for my residencia then and import the car tax free, is this correct will I be able to do this?

Thanks

Mitzyboy

Exactly my understanding. If you didn't complete within 30 days then you were liable for taxes. And exactly the reason I've decided to use a gestor to make sure I get it through in time.

erkut

Hi

You're right in saying that you have 6 months to import you car but unless you apply for the import within the 30 days from the day you legally become a resident you will be obliged to pay the higher tax rate (7-12%). If you want to avoid the unfair tax you will need to stick to the 30 day period.

Yes, empadronamiento and residencia are two different things. Residencia means you legally become a resident. Empadronamiento means you register at a specific council. The 30 day period starts counting from the day you become a resident which is when you get a NIE number. In our case it was slightly different because we got a NIE in 2005 to buy a property but only became residents in April 2006 so we proved we were within the 30 day period with the empadronamiento. If you don't have a NIE yet the 30 days will start counting from the day you are assigned one. Once you have one make sure you register with your council (empadronamiento) asap as you will also be required to show proof of empadronamiento to import your car.
Monica

GCM

If I could turn back the clock I would NOT bring my UK cars over (as I did) - nothing bad has happened but it's been the cause of lots of stress worrying about getting stopped, am I legal etc, and you hear so many differing stories it makes your head spin.

Buy in Spain - yes cars may cost a little more it's true but at least you are done and dusted and don't have to worry about the cost and hassle of figuring out how to import etc.

Mark

Graham2005

Hi Again !

I am really confused now !! I thought the NIE and residencia were 2 different things as well. My understanding is that you can have an NIE (which u need to buy a house etc.) but the residencia is for only when you live in Spain permanently.

Can anyone help...

Mitzyboy

Your NIE number is like a social security number which identifies you to all and sundry. You theoretically need one to open for instance a bank account (but I didn't), connect to electricity, phone or register your car. You can get an NIE if you are buying a house in Spain but are not a resident.

For tax purposes you automatically become a resident in Spain after you have been there in excess of 180 days. In truth if you have no intention of leaving Spain then you should register immediately. I know some people never register.