Hi, I am new to the Forum. I have just bought a property in Southern Spain. I will be using it for regular holidays (max 1 month); I am retired. I am a non Spanish resident. I have a bike I want to take to Spain and leave there for use when I am on holiday. It is UK registered with a personalised plate (relates to the make and model of bike) that I would like to keep on the bike whilst in Spain. Is it possible for me to keep the bike under UK registration. When the MOT runs out can I get it TUV/MOT,d in Spain and still retain the UK registration plate? It will not be cost effective for me to MOT in UK each year. I appreciate it will need UK road tax up to date.

Any advise gratefully received.

Hi and welcome to the forum,

Basically no you either have to rematriculate it so it becomes a Spanish bike on Spanish number plates or it has to be in its country of origin for six months a year.

You might find it cheap for a removals company to take it back and forth

Davexf

Give us a clue

No

Dave you beat me to it

As Concierge for the Spanish section of BE I would like to say hello and welcome.

BE is a very large expat website, so if you have problems finding your way around we have concierges who will try to direct you. The moderators for the Spanish forums are Mitzyboy and Fred James, moderators are there to ensure that the site runs smoothly within the rules of BE. Problems and complaints should always be addressed to a moderador who will look into the matter and deal with it efficiently and fairly. Our members who post in the Spain Forums are friendly and helpful with a wealth of knowledge of the issues of living in Spain. At the top of the page you will find a quirkily named thread called Free Beer which is full of important and useful information. Hope you enjoy your time participating in the forums.

Please let me know if you need any further help.

Rosemary

Be warned the police do stop motorcycles to check the documents and yes they do know what an MOT certificate looks like.

Either re-register the bike or buy a spanish bike to use in spain.

Away from the traffic on the coast there are many great roads for bikes = enjoy

I hope they know that UK has now gone over to electronic MOT's and just issue a crappy printout now as I am over on my bike in July for a couple of months.

You ought to have received a form VT20/TRE as an MOT certificate. Each certificate is numbered and police in the UK can now access a database to check for hookey certs. I don't know if Spanish can do that or not?

The UK now no longer issues MOT certificates just a printout the record is held on database which can be accessed by police via PNC along with insurance licence and excise licence details. You do get a piece of paper but it is no longer a certificate. This came in a couple of years ago to combat fraudulent certificates being produced. Not sure if that is what you refer to

Missile we are talking about the same piece of paper I just hope if I am stopped when over on the bike the Guardian Don, t expect the old proper MOT certicicate

I had an MOT done last month and as stated I received form VT20/TRE.

In bold letters .

Road fund licence (tax) will be key as well, that's a visual easy check and of course you can't get tax without an MOT

First a big thank you to everyone who has responded. I am now much clearer on the legal position- which in effects makes my plan to move my bike out for occasional use on short break holidays non viable. (£400 each way by removals is the best quote I have got) Even though if I was to add up all the visits it would not add up to 183 days. That said i do understand the "legal" position.- Thanks again.
If possible I would like to get a view on two things.
First an unofficial solution? It is quite clear to me that there are many many cars out there with Brit plates which have been out there for a long time. Looking at them I cannot believe they are driven back to UK to comply with the six month rule or to get their MOT. I recognise its easy to maintain a UK Road Fund licence (even if vehicle is in Spain) but the MOT? Do they not bother and take a chance or do they manage to get the Spanish equivalent with their UK plates?. if they cannot do either then their insurance (Spanish or English) must be invalid.

Second: getting my bike metriculated and MOT'd in Spain. How difficult and how expensive is it? The bike has some after market parts (Wide rear wheel and Exhaust- which can be adjusted with a key from whisper quiet to straight through- (Its a Harley)). I had the bike in germany for 4 years and there TUV was very strict but the bike got through it.
Any bikers out there who could advise I would appreciate advise on the issues and equally important and "friendly" MOTers in the Fuengirola area.

Again thanks for all your help- These forums are terrific. I belong to a couple for cars and boats.

regards

The MOT is the problem, you can't get an ITV (Spanish MOT) for a UK registered bike or car so once your mot is up and you need TAX you can't get that either, as for the 183 days I think I am right in saying that it is time used not time in Spain but I stand to be corrected, your UK insurance will also be a problem as most if not all will have maximum times you are covered outside the UK, say 31 days or so, you can however get company's in Spain to insure UK plated bikes.

I have been thinking about the same thing for ages but a Spanish registered bike is your best bet, trouble is finding the bike you want, I am still looking!

All the illegal cars running round here dont make it right I would love to see them all stopped and the cars impounded, here endeth my lesson

When is Rome and all that