Buying car from other EU country

Information and questions about driving in Andalucia, buying or importing cars and motorbikes plus legal issues surrounding taxes and licenses.
olive
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Buying car from other EU country

Postby olive » Mon Feb 26, 2018 1:05 pm

I am still looking for the right well equipped car. Not much around s/h in Spain. I dare say the crisis pushed those buying new a few years ago to poverty spec.

Looking at ads in France and Germany, there is a much better choice. So my question is buying a LHD from such countries will be a bit cheaper but what sort of costs would I expect to pay (excluding transport and any viewing).? As it will likely be before the new ITV EU rules in May, then a Spanish ITV will no doubt be required even if it perhaps was new enough not to need one yet. Matriculation costs? Lets say the vehicle costs 15k euros for ease. Just looking for ball park figures not costs right down to a pair of number plates.

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Enrique
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Re: Buying car from other EU country

Postby Enrique » Mon Feb 26, 2018 2:10 pm

Hi olive ,
Sending you a PM of a Spanish Car dealer who imports second hand cars from Germany.
All my best learning experiences start with a problem I need to solve.

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Re: Buying car from other EU country

Postby TorreDelAguila » Mon Feb 26, 2018 2:21 pm

Costs of 2/h cars in France are high.
LHD cars from the UK tend to be cheap, as little demand for non-exotic models.
Import (matriculation) charges to Spain will be the same from any EU country.
Chris

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Re: Buying car from other EU country

Postby Paddy Pumpkin » Mon Feb 26, 2018 4:25 pm

olive wrote:I am still looking for the right well equipped car. Not much around s/h in Spain. I dare say the crisis pushed those buying new a few years ago to poverty spec.

Looking at ads in France and Germany, there is a much better choice. So my question is buying a LHD from such countries will be a bit cheaper but what sort of costs would I expect to pay (excluding transport and any viewing).? As it will likely be before the new ITV EU rules in May, then a Spanish ITV will no doubt be required even if it perhaps was new enough not to need one yet. Matriculation costs? Lets say the vehicle costs 15k euros for ease. Just looking for ball park figures not costs right down to a pair of number plates.
I moved to Spain last year and brought my German registered car with me.

Costs.
Taxes are based on tiered based on emmsissions as a % of the value. If you buy a car below 120g C02 then the tax is zero.
Number plates 30 EUR
Road Tax about 120-150 EUR per year
ITV about 180 EUR for an imported cars first ITV regardless of age..strictly speaking you don't need this as EU law says the ITV equivalent from the country you bought it is enough...but forget about trying to explain that to the DGT so just bite the bullet and get ITV in Spain
Registration fee I think was 65 EUR

You will need a receipt showing you payed VAT at source or Spain will charge you again

Gestor about 250-300 EUR...I tried without a Gestor and lost the will to live.
Make sure what you are buying comes with a certificate of conformity and that all the numbers match the car (chassis VIN number and also another number on the door frame...I think called the homologation number (open to correction on the name)

All in all mine cost about 700 EUR to put on the road (below 120g CO2).

Factor in flight there, hotel and hire car for viewings, hotels and fuel for the trip back.

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costakid
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Re: Buying car from other EU country

Postby costakid » Mon Feb 26, 2018 5:27 pm

[quote="TorreDelAguila"]
LHD cars from the UK tend to be cheap, as little demand for non-exotic models.

Are you sure? LHD cars in the uk make more than the RHD equivalent. All the dealers now know they are good news. Years ago you couldn’t give them away.

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Re: Buying car from other EU country

Postby Manchesteral » Mon Feb 26, 2018 8:26 pm

olive wrote:I am still looking for the right well equipped car. Not much around s/h in Spain. I dare say the crisis pushed those buying new a few years ago to poverty spec.

Looking at ads in France and Germany, there is a much better choice. So my question is buying a LHD from such countries will be a bit cheaper but what sort of costs would I expect to pay (excluding transport and any viewing).? As it will likely be before the new ITV EU rules in May, then a Spanish ITV will no doubt be required even if it perhaps was new enough not to need one yet. Matriculation costs? Lets say the vehicle costs 15k euros for ease. Just looking for ball park figures not costs right down to a pair of number plates.

Hi Olive, Try www.autoscout24.de Lots of good stuff there, if you drive it down yourself you can do it in less than 36 hours, including a lengthy break !

northandsouth
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Re: Buying car from other EU country

Postby northandsouth » Mon Feb 26, 2018 10:24 pm

TorreDelAguila wrote:Costs of 2/h cars in France are high.
LHD cars from the UK tend to be cheap, as little demand for non-exotic models.
Import (matriculation) charges to Spain will be the same from any EU country.
A while back you'd have been right TDA but left hand drive cars are more expensive over here in the UK particularly from LHD specialists.
There are some Spanish registered ones for sale which would save the matriculation issues and costs, but invariably the prices are much higher, just like they are in Spain.
Only last week I spotted a lhd Spanish plated 2013 Fiesta for sale here just shy of £8,000 compared to a similar specced UK plated one at £5,500.
And a certain lhd specialist in the home counties is asking the best part of £4000 for a 16 year old left hooker Transit with 170k on it.
Whether Brexit changes all that is another subject......

TorreDelAguila
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Re: Buying car from other EU country

Postby TorreDelAguila » Tue Feb 27, 2018 8:25 am

That's interesting information - things have changed.
Chris

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Re: Buying car from other EU country

Postby Devils Advocate » Tue Feb 27, 2018 7:17 pm

Yep, I was shocked too. I was tasked with sourcing a LHD model of a certain car here in the UK last year, for a friend over there as he could not find one in Spain. For the model he wanted there was a massive premium to pay for LHD. He could have saved thousands buying RHD but pushed on with the LHD purchase which was probably the correct thing to do in reality.
Property owner in Andalucia since 2002. How time flies.

olive
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Re: Buying car from other EU country

Postby olive » Wed Feb 28, 2018 12:26 pm

Ok due to personal circumstances, I am not in a position to do the long distance i.e. one or more overnights, flights etc.

So it boils down to keep waiting for the right vehicle here within a days travel so I can at least look it over and test drive it or pay a premium to a specialist company of around 20%. For that they do everything, once you choose a dealer advertised vehicle, and you just turn up and drive it home. The only slight concern is buying a car unseen. I might have to up the budget to lower the km. Years ago, I went to have a look at a Leicester VX dealer "star car" , a SH V6 Omega. It had the Network Q guarantee. It was even up on ramps on the forecourt. As I drove up I could see the tell tale signs of worn wishbones - inner edge of front tyres actually down to the canvas.

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costakid
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Re: Buying car from other EU country

Postby costakid » Wed Feb 28, 2018 3:53 pm

I may buy in Germany unseen but never in Spain. The Spanish wouldn't know a nice car if their life depended on it.

brentles
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Re: Buying car from other EU country

Postby brentles » Sun Apr 08, 2018 6:27 pm

I have my boxes of belongings from Australia arriving in England and being stored with a friend there until I fly up from Malaga to collect them. I was thinking of buying a Spanish registered LHD car in the UK to drive me and my stuff back down, however it sounds from a few posts here that Spanish LHD cars in the UK are over priced? Wondering if I should rent one way from London to Malaga instead?

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Re: Buying car from other EU country

Postby Miro » Sun Apr 08, 2018 7:17 pm

As I suggested on the other thread you posted on, you should really check the cost of shipping first - unless you just fancy the drive for the drive's sake, it will probably cost you far more than simply using a freight company. If on the other hand you are in the market for a Spanish reg car for future use, then it may make sense - but bear in mind the relative lack of choice in the UK at any given time might mean you have to settle for something less than ideal, or wait to collect your goods until the right car in the right place becomes available. Tricky one!
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Re: Buying car from other EU country

Postby brentles » Sat Apr 14, 2018 5:30 pm

Thanks Miro, yes, a tricky one as I may need a car later. Right now I'm riding a scooter, and hiring cars when needed, but I have to go through the whole scare tactics of the rental car companies about insurance as I have third-party excess insurance that's in place for a year.


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