Changing UK plate to Spanish on a moto.

[Don]

Interesting experience yesterday. I decided to import my UK bike onto Spanish plate as I could not find an equivalent Spanish second hand model available locally here to replace it if I sold it in the UK and having had this bike since new in the UK, I know its history is 100% good. So first my gestor sorted out a ficha reducida from the engineer's college based on the EU homologation for the UK bike. UK registered but also UK built = Triumph. I discussed with Triumph both in the UK and with the local dealer here that the only technical difference between UK spec and European spec is the headlight unit but there was some debate whether the Spanish ITV text would accept or refuse the UK headlight. So prepared in the event to change it over if needed, off I went to the ITV station and explained my need for an ITV test to change plate. Very helpful but clearly not an "ordinary" ITV test as they have to fill out a whole report for the ficha technica and they tested lights, indicators, horn, brakes, tyres but basically could not care if the left side headlight was the full beam or the right side headlight was the full beam. So long as it complied with the ficha reducida which said 2 headlights, one dipped and one full, then it was fine. They also got the tape measure out to check the dimensions, length, wheelbase, width etc and hey presto issued an ITV certificate valid for 2 years. I have to go back in a couple of days to collect the ficha technica from the ITV station. Now it is interesting to note that in the UK a bike needs a MoT at 3 yrs and every year thereafter. In Spain it only needs its ITV at 4 yrs and every 2 years thereafter. (Does anybody know how much a normal ITV for a moto costs?) The bike may go back to the UK at some time in future but it is proving far easier to change from UK to Spanish than I imagined and if it goes back to UK then it can change again from Spanish to UK plate. Now all I need is one of those magic plates which folds in half at 130 kph and appears to be Italian, or Portuguese, or .........

[pieman]

Hi Don, I am looking to do the same in a month or two and was wondering if you had to pay any taxes, VAT etc? What were the costs? and what did you do exactly?
Thanks

[Don]

Hola pieman, as always in Spain there are taxes, fees or equivalent to be paid. Getting the ficha reducida costs about 120 euros as does the ITV and ficha tecnica. Import tax would be 12% of the market value of the bike unless you can get it exempt by importing it within a short time of you establishing your residency in Spain. Circulation tax for mine was just under 30 euros per year (much more if you go over the 1000 cc) so excluding import tax, the cost to switch in my case was easily less than 300 euros. This assumes your bike is homologated for the EU/Spain.
Saludos