taking a uk car to spain

Do you have a query about moving to Andalucia and buying property in Andalucia. Find out by posting questions and reading about other peoples experiences.
Don

Postby Don » Sun Jan 06, 2008 12:16 am

I did it for months Pip but changed for LHD simply because it is better and easier. Little things like car park barriers do make a difference but I can drive LHD or RHD equally easily. A RHD will stand out as more of a target but you can do it and try it.

Campo Kenny

Postby Campo Kenny » Sun Jan 06, 2008 1:57 pm

Hi, we only have a holiday home there but are on our 3rd UK RHD car.

I've matriculated them all for circa 800 euros each and contrary to belief have had no problem whatsoever selling them on for decent money when I've needed to.
I've found that I can bring a newer and better car over from the UK than what a similar budget over there would secure me, and that was including matriculation fees.

As with Don, I also don't notice a difference whether I drive RHD or LHD with the exception of toll booths :idea: ...............funny thing is, something that go's unmentioned is that there are manouvres where it's actually an advantage having RHD over there.

OH's favourite "Kenny is a plonker" story is from a few years back...............I had a RHD car is Spain and a LHD car in the UK, what's wrong with that then? 8) ...........it only lasted a few weeks a hasten to add :oops:

Kenny

User avatar
Retro P
Resident
Posts: 1928
Joined: Sat Feb 24, 2007 7:00 pm
Location: York/Marbella
Contact:

Postby Retro P » Sun Jan 06, 2008 2:38 pm

blondie wrote:That is only true if you are being paid in Pounds Don.

I get paid in Euros, and find a lot of the time that if you compare pounds prices to euro prices, pounds work out cheaper.

E.g. 17 gbp but 23 euros for the same product.

Therefore I am paying 6 euros more than someone paying pounds who earns pounds.

hope that makes sense.
The only thing that makes sense is that, for sure, you are a real blonde, Euros or sterling the cost and value of the thing are identical, Uh, back to school for you lass :roll:
Ah! the full english!!

Deborah
Andalucia.com Amigo
Posts: 128
Joined: Mon Jul 12, 2004 2:53 pm

Postby Deborah » Sun Jan 06, 2008 4:04 pm

I have had my spanish license for years. Last year it was up for renewal and I had to have a medical for the necessary paperwork and I was only 42 at the time. As mentioned above just a basic eye test, reflex...

daveee
Tourist
Posts: 15
Joined: Tue Jul 10, 2007 9:48 am

Postby daveee » Mon Jan 07, 2008 8:32 am

:?
hi everyone
many thanks for all the replies,but now even more confused, does any one know if it true that you only have 15 days to re-register a spanish car into your name?
as another idea i had was to buy a spanish plated car over here, use for a few months before moving to spain, then re-register into my name.
dave

blondie
Resident
Posts: 879
Joined: Fri May 20, 2005 2:07 pm
Location: San Pedro del Alcantara

Postby blondie » Mon Jan 07, 2008 10:00 am

davee

You can plate your car whenever you want over here, however if you do it at the same time as applying for your residencia you get it much much cheaper.

Don´t know all the details, but speak to a gestor and they will tell you the exact rules.

Retro P

Next time you go shopping, look at the price tags on clothes and see if the pounds and euros price are the same.......you´ll see what I mean then :wink:

User avatar
dougal991
Tourist
Posts: 12
Joined: Tue Oct 16, 2007 1:49 pm
Location: Plymouth

Postby dougal991 » Mon Jan 21, 2008 12:33 pm

Hi Everyone
I have just come back from Spain after completing on my house purchase there. Whilst out there I was told that as from May 08 you will be able to drive a UK plated car for as long as you want with no need to Spanish plate it. It only applies if the car is legal in all other respects?
Can anyone shed more light on this.
Happiness is a journey, not a destination

El Cid
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 16058
Joined: Sun Oct 24, 2004 10:42 pm
Location: La Herradura, Costa Tropical, Granada

Postby El Cid » Mon Jan 21, 2008 1:01 pm

It's another myth doing the rounds on the Internet.

It would be quite impossible for the Spanish police to keep track of multiple types of registration.

Under EU law you have up to 6 months to re-register your car onto Spanish plates.

If you do it within 30 days (some say 60) of applying for residency you can avoid the registration tax.

Sid

User avatar
karandjon
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 2195
Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2007 10:03 am
Location: Matalascañas

Postby karandjon » Mon Jan 21, 2008 9:44 pm

Is it right you can buy a LHD UK reg vehicle and change to Spanish plates within 30days of receipt date of buying in the UK to avoid registration tax, if you already have residencia, or is this a myth also?

Many thanks

Karen
vino, sol y aire, y seras rico como nadie

El Cid
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 16058
Joined: Sun Oct 24, 2004 10:42 pm
Location: La Herradura, Costa Tropical, Granada

Postby El Cid » Mon Jan 21, 2008 11:27 pm

You must have owned it for 6 months in the UK and all taxes must have been paid.

If you reregister it straight away when you apply for residency then you avoid the tax. You have to get a certificate from the UK embassy.

Sid

User avatar
karandjon
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 2195
Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2007 10:03 am
Location: Matalascañas

Postby karandjon » Mon Jan 21, 2008 11:53 pm

Thanks Sid. Am I right in thining I could buy a second hand one in Uk, keep it on UK plates there, for 6 months. Then drive it over here and register it on spanish plates? If so, where does the timescale fit in, so I dont have to pay registration tax?

When we brought our car we have now over, we did the "swearing on the bible" at the embassy....and they still said we had to pay it as we were over the date exempt for tax!! :cry:

Many thanks,

Karen
vino, sol y aire, y seras rico como nadie

El Cid
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 16058
Joined: Sun Oct 24, 2004 10:42 pm
Location: La Herradura, Costa Tropical, Granada

Postby El Cid » Tue Jan 22, 2008 8:44 am

It used to be within 30 days of applying for residencia but I have seen unconfirmed reports that it is now 60 days.

I have also seen reported that it is from the date of signing on the padron.

If I were you, I would assume it is 30 days from applying for your certificate of residence rather than risk missing the cutoff as you did before.

Incidentally, the reason why this exception is allowed is because the car can be considered part of your "goods and chattels" when you move permanently to Spain and as such should be free of all taxes and duties.

That is why you have to have owned it for 6 months previously and also why you have to get the "Baja" certificate from the embassy to prove that you are no longer resident in the UK.

Sid

User avatar
karandjon
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 2195
Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2007 10:03 am
Location: Matalascañas

Postby karandjon » Tue Jan 22, 2008 9:49 pm

Hi Sid. Yes, we swore we´d moved within 30 days and they then told it was within 14 days!!! We ended up paying well over €1000 euros!! :cry:

What would we do this time as we have already held our residentia for a number of years?

Many thanks

Karen
vino, sol y aire, y seras rico como nadie

El Cid
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 16058
Joined: Sun Oct 24, 2004 10:42 pm
Location: La Herradura, Costa Tropical, Granada

Postby El Cid » Tue Jan 22, 2008 11:37 pm

Sorry Karen, I didn't read your message carefully enough - clearly you are already residents. If you have been residents that long then you will just have to pay the registration tax.

Buy one with low CO2 emissions and the tax could be zero.

Sid

User avatar
karandjon
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 2195
Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2007 10:03 am
Location: Matalascañas

Postby karandjon » Wed Jan 23, 2008 3:05 pm

Hi Cid, Many thanks. We´re looking to buy a motorhome so i think we could be looking at a fair few €´s in tax!! I dont imagine there are many of those with low emisions!! :lol:
Thanks once again. much appreciated.
Karen
vino, sol y aire, y seras rico como nadie

andymc
Andalucia.com Amigo
Posts: 84
Joined: Fri Jan 04, 2008 2:18 am
Location: glasgow - hopefully soon alcala la real

Postby andymc » Fri Feb 22, 2008 6:49 pm

what is the cost (roughly) for transferring a uk rhd to spanish plates at same time as applying for residencia? I have a van, pretty new which i would like to keep, as its hard to buy a second hand van which has been looked after and cant afford to buy a new one in Spain.

User avatar
peteroldracer
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 7774
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 5:56 pm
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia

Postby peteroldracer » Fri Feb 22, 2008 7:05 pm

Forget it, as it is a van! The authorities will not allow a RHD van to be legalised in Spain - they seem to have relented on the old rules about vans having to windows behind the driver's seat level, but in any case that only applied to LHD ones.
Think about the problems re visibility at junctions etc, and it is understanable.
I used to cough to disguise a [email protected] I f@rt to disguise a cough.

Gloops
Tourist
Posts: 12
Joined: Thu Jun 02, 2016 7:46 pm
Location: Malaga

Re: taking a uk car to spain

Postby Gloops » Mon Aug 01, 2016 4:30 pm

It is not legal to drive a UK reg car in Spain if you are a resident in Spain. It is also not safe to drive a RHD car in Spain due to visibility issues.

El Cid
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 16058
Joined: Sun Oct 24, 2004 10:42 pm
Location: La Herradura, Costa Tropical, Granada

Re: taking a uk car to spain

Postby El Cid » Mon Aug 01, 2016 5:22 pm

Welcome to the forum.

What you say is not strictly correct. Once you become a tax resident of Spain you have up to six months to matriculate the car onto Spanish plates - that is EU law.

There are tax advantages of doing it as soon as you arrive in Spain.

Whether it is safe to drive a RHD car in Spain is debatable. One thing for sure, you cannot matriculate a RHD van or pickup for reasons of visibility.

Sid

User avatar
gus
Resident
Posts: 1523
Joined: Wed Jun 16, 2004 12:11 pm
Location: Bucks./Fuengirola (varies) :-)

Re: taking a uk car to spain

Postby gus » Mon Aug 01, 2016 6:57 pm

As long as your insurance covers you it is legal to drive any car in Spain ( or indeed, anywhere). There are restrictions on owning and driving (as a resident) a foreign plated car - but it is the combining of the two features that can give rise to a problem. Either one, on its own, is perfectly legal.


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 23 guests