UK car onto Spanish plates

[10RDan]

Can anybody give me the definitive "ins and outs" of getting a UK car onto Spanish plates. I read a few months ago, in one of the "ex pat" mags, that if the car was PRE 2000 there were extra bridges to cross because they don't have a Type Approval Number. Does anyone know the "facts" ?

Thanks

[dxf]

Hi
We have completed several pre 2000 cars without major problems; the real problem is that the rules change virtualy daily.
So give us more info to work on like what the car is and what documentation for it and for yourself exists

Davexf

[spanish_lad]

theres a search button up there somewhere

[10RDan]

Thanks for reply. I haven't bought a car yet but, as you prob know, you can get decent pre 2000 cars in uk with service history for "not very much" cash. When i do it will have all relevant paperwork ie. V5 and MOT.
Thanks

[Jennifer]

Hi 10RDan,
Pity this subject can't be a "sticky" on the Cars thread as its always coming up.
Factor in headlight change over, also possible rear clusters if there is only one fog light and reversing light.
An engineers report costs circa 160e , if the car has a tow bar make sure this is in the engineers report or it will have to be removed for the ITV.
Get a Gestor (The gestor knows his way around the intricacies of Spanish administrative bureaucracy )
to give you a quote on the cost of transfer
As an example our 2000 Kangoo cost 800e, plus front and rear light clusters to get onto Spanish plates.
And factor in some time, ours took 4 months to get sorted.
J

[dxf]

Hi

To avoid "import tax" the car has to classed as one of your "chattels" so you must have owned it for 6 months or more. If less (or you buy an English plated car from a returning ex-pat) then you will have to pay "import duty".

Davexf

[El Cid]

I appreciate the fact that you have put quotes round "import duty" but why not explain that there is no import duty - it is the same tax that anyone who buys a new car in Spain pays - it's a tax to register your car.

The fact that you can avoid this tax by re-registering your car as soon as you become a resident is a really good deal. There is no registration tax in the UK (well about £35) so if you move it to Spain you are doing better than a Spanish resident who buys a car in spain.

Pity the poor Irish who have a hefty registration tax in Ireland and then (potentially) have to pay another tax in Spain!

Sid

[dxf]

Hi Sid,

I have to explain this (and how we can avoid it) many times to may people, mostly "Face to Face". It is the easiest way I have found that is acceptable to "hard nosed" people. Some try to tell me that they have already paid as they are Europeans etc. You wouldn't believe the ways people try to save money.
So for an easier life, I tell a white lie; the clock starts ticking the minute that you declare you decided to live in Spain permanently (as sworn before a notary), until we can get the right paperwork to the Hacienda. It is not my money we are trying to save, it is theirs; if they try to fudge the ITV then that eats into the time. If they tell me they have changed the headlights / rear lights, and tehn it turns out they haven't - if they can't get the headlights (as recently happened on a Kia) then they can miss the deadline and have to pay.
I assume that you don't help people through the re-registering process; if you do and have not hit the problems, then you have a better persuasive tongue than me

Davexf

[El Cid]

I assume that you don't help people through the re-registering process; if you do and have not hit the problems, then you have a better persuasive tongue than me

I think I would rather spend the time banging my head against the wall!

Seriously though, you're doing a grand job - I just feel that people are more likely to accept having to pay a tax that everyone pays rather than thinking that it's an Import tax which most people will not be prepared to pay.

Sid

[spanish_lad]

Hi 10RDan,
Pity this subject can't be a "sticky" on the Cars thread as its always coming up.
Factor in headlight change over, also possible rear clusters if there is only one fog light and reversing light.
An engineers report costs circa 160e , if the car has a tow bar make sure this is in the engineers report or it will have to be removed for the ITV.
Get a Gestor (The gestor knows his way around the intricacies of Spanish administrative bureaucracy )
to give you a quote on the cost of transfer
As an example our 2000 Kangoo cost 800e, plus front and rear light clusters to get onto Spanish plates.
And factor in some time, ours took 4 months to get sorted.
J

funny ? couple friends of ours just done a 2006? fiat doblo... and its cost them 3 grand. only took 2 weeks too

[Miro]

I guess the higher cost is due to the higher value since it's a newer vehicle, and the quicker time may be because they didn't need the engineers report because they had the cert. of conformity, being as it's a newer vehicle again?

I agree with Sid re: the tax thing. Why DO people persist in calling it an import tax, and then go on and on about how "Spain can't do that, it's part of the EU etc. etc. blah blah blah..."? The very same people, I suspect, who say that if THEY get stopped by the Guardia driving on a UK licence as residents, they'll just TELL those naughty boys that they don't understand the law. Yeah, right!

[10RDan]

Thanks for all the info but nobody has really answered my question. Are there "issues" and extra expense with putting a pre 2000 car on Spanish plates ? I read somewhere that there was because pre 2000 cars don't have a Type Number.

[dxf]

Hi

Sorry I obviously did not make it clear, - We have change matriculation on pre 2000 cars without any problems or extra processes - however, they have been "normal" cars, nothing special or fancy, just "run of the mill" cars. If there were millions of buyers when the car was made, then it should be OK as some will have been sold to Spain (albeit LHD).

Davexf

[10RDan]

Thanks dxf for the help but can you explain "change marticulation". I intend to buy a "normal" car without any "mods", did all that stuff 20 odd years ago , but couldn't decide on pre or post 2000 based on what I read elsewhere.
Thanks

[Jennifer]

Hi spanish_lad,
Don't forget they have a "book price for new " then depending how old it is you have to pay less the older it is.
Someone posted the scales sometime back.
Thats a quick conversion, but then like most things in Spain different people get varying timescale, its nice to know it can be done so quickly but then if in another area it takes ages, its worth knowing.
A bit off thread as the guy really wants to know about pre 2000 motors.

J

[Miro]

matriculate = register = "put onto Spanish plates"


Hasta 1 año …….…..…..….…..................…. 100%
Más de 1 año, hasta 2 …….....…….............…..84
Más de 2 años, hasta 3 …….....…..............…. 67
Más de 3 años, hasta 4 …….....…..............…. 56
Más de 4 años, hasta 5 …….....…..............…. 47
Más de 5 años, hasta 6 …….....…..............…. 39
Más de 6 años, hasta 7 …….....…..............…. 34
Más de 7 años, hasta 8 …….....…..............…. 28
Más de 8 años, hasta 9 …….....…..............…. 24
Más de 9 años, hasta 10 …….....…..............… 19
Más de 10 años, hasta 11 ….…......…..........… 17
Más de 11 años, hasta 12 ….…......…..........… 13
Más de 12 años ...............….................… 10

[Jennifer]

Hi Miro,
Thanks for that info.
Now 10RDan once you have decided on a vehicle contact a Gestor and get the "book price" and the other price bits for the process of getting it onto Spanish plates.

J

[dxf]

Hi 10RDan,

Sudden thought, where do you live? if its England then it is possible to avoid the "import tax" but you have to own the car for 6 months before importing it

Davexf

[10RDan]

Re: living in UK.
We own, and live, a house in Spain, got NIE etc but don't have "residency". I still work in UK hence the plan to buy car in UK. I "commute" every couple of weeks so because year 2000 ish cars are a lot cheaper in UK it seems to make sense to buy in UK.

[spanish_lad]

Hi spanish_lad,
Don't forget they have a "book price for new " then depending how old it is you have to pay less the older it is.

yeah i´ve got the list infront of me i´ve done a few "quotes" for people in the past