Car kept in Spain by Non Resident

[Nige]

Does anyone have experience of being a Non-Resident in Spain and keeping a car for personal use in Spain rather than renting/borrowing cars ?
According to the British Embassy website (ukinspain.com)

Non-residents can only register vehicles in Spain on temporary tourist plates, valid for a six-month period in any one year, and renewable annually. If non-residents become resident they must obtain full national plates and pay the Impuesto Especial of 12%, which is based on the car's ready-reckoned value. (Non-residents from outside the EU are exempt from the Impuesto Especial).

Is this correct? Are there Temporary Plates that replace the UK ones ? For example if you bring over a UK registered car and want to use it for up to 6 months in the year, and in the other up to 6 months leave the vehicle 'off road' in Spain, only driving it to UK once (or maybe twice) a year for MOT etc.
In effect you are in Spain for under 6 months each year, maybe in short burst of a fw weeks each time, and fly backwards and forwards with maybe one annual journey to UK.

I would be interested in knowing if anyone has ever obtained Temporary Plates and if so what is the procedure ! What actually is involved !

I would also be interested to know the Insurance position. As I understand it, there are no Spanish companies who underwrite Motor Insurance in UK ?

[chrisuk]

Judging by the response to this issue with cars its a lot less hassle going Spainish, ever thought of selling your car back in the UK and buying a Spainish run around for the time you are in Spain or vice versa, I just sold my motorbike because its more hassle than its worth, though I'll be doing my Transit Im not looking forward to it at all

[Beachcomber]

I haven't seen a tourist plate for years. They are very restrictive and probably not worth the bother.

[Nige]

It's a fun country and the EEC is a fun organisation isn't it ! Well looks like that bog standard out of date info via British diplomats is a bit OTT. But they probably mean well.
And ChrisUK - if someone wanted a 'little runabout' with Spanish plates. are you saying that it's OK for a Non-Resident to buy one and insure it in Spain? Any procedural diffculties?

[Beachcomber]

Nige, you will probably need an escritura, NIE number and a padrón certificate from the Town Hall (requirements, as always, vary).

Only residents are supposed to be able to buy a Spanish registered vehicle but this requirement is widely ignored.

[spanish_lad]

Only residents are supposed to be able to buy a Spanish registered vehicle but this requirement is widely ignored.

...we´ve got 3 cars on spanish plates registered to us legally by the town hall.. and we are not residents. is it "illegal" to have a spanish plated car then ?

[Beachcomber]

No, it depends upon what is accepted by DGT which is the registration authority. As I said, although the requirement to have a residencia to be able to purchase a Spanish registered car exists it is generally not enforced.

[El Cid]

I think that the key factor here is being on the Padron.

Without that it may not be so easy.

Sid

[spanish_lad]

i have a padron.

[Nige]

Being on the Padron is a formality that costs nothing. ( Getting 'registered at Town Hall'. )

[pigs-might-fly]

Being on the Padron is a formality that costs nothing. ( Getting 'registered at Town Hall'. )

And it helps your local Town Hall, as central government/regional government funding is largely based on the number of official inhabitants. This is NOT the same as residencia and imposes no extra burden of any sort on you. Why not help your Town Hall to pay for the services which you enjoy?

[spanish_lad]

see mr andalucia.com??? this is what happens when you dont quote...people cant follow the thread and get confused.

Being on the Padron is a formality that costs nothing. ( Getting 'registered at Town Hall'. )

nige, i was talking / replying to el cid. i know it is a "formality" (a good one, as pointed out by "pigs-might-fly" due to funding, number of doctors, schools and pharmacies, and eventually a firestation that a town has. all towns get an amount per person allocated by the central government.)

nige my reference to "registered at the town hall", if you read it again, was not about ME being registered, but the cars that i and my parents own being legally registered to US, even tho we have no residencia. get it now ?

[Nige]

Yes I got all that - thanks. Bit confused when you say that the Town Hall registers your cars. This is different to being on the Padron thingy list isn't it. The Padron is nothing to do with cars. It's as you say to do with making sure that everyone in that community/town is formally included in the totals. I believe that figures are kept by nationalities as well, naturally. Did you go to the Town Hall in Alhaurin and register your cars ? Or is that a 'red herring' ? Can you posibly describe the procedures according to spanish_lad ?

[paulday]

Nige,

If you are from Brown's bar just talk to me.
But, I am planning a trip to the yUK soon and am up for delivery etc.

[Beachcomber]

Spanish lad is probably referring to the fact that the circulation tax is paid to the Town Hall rather than to DGT which is responsible for actual registration of the vehicle.

In the UK it is all done by DVLA and the Town Halls have nothing to do with it.

Although, once registered on the Padrón, you stay there until you de-register the validity of the certificate is limited to, I think, two years but it is fairly easy to obtain a renewal and some Town Halls will allow you to do it online.

[spanish_lad]

Did you go to the Town Hall in Alhaurin and register your cars ? Or is that a 'red herring' ? Can you posibly describe the procedures according to spanish_lad ?

beachcomber - i know that you know what you are talking about, but talking of the dgt is only confusing matters.

Nige the registration of a vehicle in spain is handled by the VENDOR of the vehicle. when you pay a deposit in a garage they will take all your details and pass them onto the town hall. i dont know if the town hall passes them to the DGT or if the vendor has to do it, ask beachcomber. when you get the "green slip" back (-permiso de circulacion) it has your name on it.

i assume that as a part of the process you (the purchaser) is added to the list of people that are going to owe tax for their car to the town hall. the tax is like road fund licence in the uk. (only they wont chase you if you dont pay it, it just gets added interest if you dont)

[Beachcomber]

the registration of a vehicle in spain is handled by the VENDOR of the vehicle. when you pay a deposit in a garage they will take all your details and pass them onto the town hall. i dont know if the town hall passes them to the DGT or if the vendor has to do it, ask beachcomber. when you get the "green slip" back (-permiso de circulacion) it has your name on it.

No, it's the other way around. You (or a gestor) carry out the change of ownership with DGT (Tráfico) and they pass the details back to the Town Hall. You can pay the circulation tax in the same way as your IBI and basura and if you don't pay it the consequences are the same, ie 20% surcharge for late payment

[cliff]

Nige, you will probably need an escritura, NIE number and a padrón certificate from the Town Hall (requirements, as always, vary).

I think you'll find in practice, you either need the escitura or padron certificate but not both. As a non resident you basically need, NIE, passport and escitura.

[spanish_lad]

No, it's the other way around. You (or a gestor) carry out the change of ownership with DGT (Tráfico) and they pass the details back to the Town Hall.

er.. no.

we bought a car (my parents). they paid a deposit. the vendor took all the details. a month later we got the permiso back in "our" name.

[Beachcomber]

A dealer usually includes the cost of the transfer in the price of the vehicle and arranges for his gestor to do the paperwork but my point was that the change of ownership is registered with DGT not the Town Hall which is solely responsible for collecting the municipal circulation tax.