Mot of a British Car in Spain, what's involved

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Dunflittin68
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Mot of a British Car in Spain, what's involved

Postby Dunflittin68 » Sun Feb 28, 2016 4:01 pm

I am taking my car over to Spain and am getting it MOT'd before I go but what happens next year when I need it MOT's again? What is involved in getting it done and how much does it cost ?

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Re: Mot of a British Car in Spain, what's involved

Postby Lyric » Sun Feb 28, 2016 4:08 pm

Get in it, drive it back to UK either via ferry or tunnel, get it done, drive it back. Cost will vary depending on route chosen.
A MOT is not possible in Spain or Gibraltar.
If you are intending to live in Spain full time then after a short while it will become illegal anyway.
It cannot be legally driven if it is not road legal in the country of registration.

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Re: Mot of a British Car in Spain, what's involved

Postby gerryh » Sun Feb 28, 2016 4:48 pm

Just to add to Lyric's reply.
If you intend to keep the car here in Spain then you will need to get it re registered onto Spanish number plates.
The cost of this varies according to the cost of changing the headlights and possibly the rear light clusters and also it is based on the value of the car.
Unless you have a particular reason for wanting to keep the car, particularly if it is a RHD car, then it is often easier/ cheaper to sell it in the UK and buy a LHD Spanish registered car when you get here.
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Re: Mot of a British Car in Spain, what's involved

Postby Dunflittin68 » Sun Feb 28, 2016 7:09 pm

I was told that if it has a UK valid MOT then it is legal to drive in Spain until the MOT runs out which is why I have had it MOT'd before I go to Spain, after all it is legal in its country of registration and no doubt throughout the EU as UK insurance is, at least that is what I was told by Saga when I renewed my insurance to drive in the EU :shock:

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Re: Mot of a British Car in Spain, what's involved

Postby Enrique » Sun Feb 28, 2016 7:21 pm

Hi,
That's the car bit sorted........its your status that will need sorting.......If you're a tourist then you will need a Green Form stating you can stay over 90 days..........then you need to get out before 183 days otherwise you will become Tax resident.

You have to decide which camp (UK or Spain )you want to be in and abide by the Rules.......

PS : Saga is good as most UK insurance companies only do 90days European cover.

Ref:
1 )RAC ...Vehicles from the UK may be imported into Spain for up to 6 months in any period of 12 months
2 ) UK Gov. If you’re planning to stay in Spain for longer than 3 months you must register in person at the nearest Office for Foreigners (Oficina de Extranjeros) which is normally part of the Town Hall (Ayuntamiento), or at designated Police stations.( The Green Form bit :D )
3 ) Some light reading on Tax........
https://www.blevinsfranks.com/News/Blev ... ence-spain
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Re: Mot of a British Car in Spain, what's involved

Postby peteroldracer » Sun Feb 28, 2016 8:32 pm

Dunflittin68 wrote:I was told........:
The three most dangerous words you can take notice of - unless you are told them by one of the gurus on here rather than some idiot in a bar.... :roll:
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Re: Mot of a British Car in Spain, what's involved

Postby Enrique » Sun Feb 28, 2016 8:36 pm

Peter Give the man his due........told by Saga.......yes they will insure for whole year European cover but then you hit the other Rules on Time limits.
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Re: Mot of a British Car in Spain, what's involved

Postby costakid » Sun Feb 28, 2016 11:12 pm

The only way to stay legal is to return the car to the UK and re mot it. Do not believe people in your local bar who tell you to take it to Gibralter for an MOT test. Keeping a car over 6 months in any one calendar year in Spain is technically illegal. You can do July the 1st until end of June the next year but then you are pushing your luck.

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Re: Mot of a British Car in Spain, what's involved

Postby El Cid » Sun Feb 28, 2016 11:47 pm

It's not illegal to keep it in Spain for more than a year, so long as it is legal (tax, MOT and insured). The restriction is on you driving it for more than six months in one calendar year, because if you did that you would be deemed to be resident and residents cannot keep a UK car in Spain for more than six months without registering it in Spain.

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Re: Mot of a British Car in Spain, what's involved

Postby Dunflittin68 » Mon Feb 29, 2016 5:04 pm

We don't even know if we will want to stay longer than 6 months so no point in registering for permanent tax status. :lol:

The other thing I wondered about is access to doctors. I know we can use our EHIC for emergency treatment and we can pay to see a doctor, we do have travel insurance which covers us for up to 90 days but after that nothing. We are pensioners but as I say we haven't decided yet whether to stay permanently but without paying for private health insurance what are our options on a temporary basis?

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Re: Mot of a British Car in Spain, what's involved

Postby peteroldracer » Mon Feb 29, 2016 5:51 pm

I would look at changing your health insurance - if the worst was to happen (e.g. the driver become incapacitated needing the car, patient and significant other to get back to the UK for example) it could wipe you out.
Insurance is for the really bad things, and it can be very risky without it.
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Re: Mot of a British Car in Spain, what's involved

Postby Dunflittin68 » Mon Feb 29, 2016 6:47 pm

I don't know what you mean "incapacitated needing the car" ? :?

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peteroldracer
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Re: Mot of a British Car in Spain, what's involved

Postby peteroldracer » Mon Feb 29, 2016 7:05 pm

Put a comma after the 'incapacitated'.
I was referring to the sort of situation as in the thread "viewtopic.php?f=22&t=35769"
which referred to a more elderly couple but showed what can happen.
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Re: Mot of a British Car in Spain, what's involved

Postby costakid » Tue Mar 01, 2016 9:14 am

In simple language Peter is saying if one of you was ill and the other did not drive you would be wishing you had health cover.

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Re: Mot of a British Car in Spain, what's involved

Postby Dunflittin68 » Thu Mar 03, 2016 9:18 pm

My daughter and her partner would sort the other one out if the worst happened, hopefully. :) Besides, my daughter's partner is on my car insurance also.

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Re: Mot of a British Car in Spain, what's involved

Postby spanish_lad » Sun Mar 27, 2016 9:42 pm

Dunflittin68 wrote:We don't even know if we will want to stay longer than 6 months so no point in registering for permanent tax status. :lol:

remember that wether you "want" to or not, you legally become a resident of "where your main residence is, after the 183rd day". so if you stay here.. but havent made your mind up, they do it for you, and you are seen as a tax resident.

But the people here are not talking about "tax" status, they are talking about "permanent residency" - a time limit that is automatically applied - 183 days and you are legally not allowed to drive a foreign plated vehicle that belongs to you, or your close family, after that time. Im not 100% on the fine applied if you are caught, but im sure that the car is impounded and you have to change the plates or lose the car.
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Re: Mot of a British Car in Spain, what's involved

Postby gus-lopez » Sun Apr 03, 2016 7:00 pm

Dunflittin68 wrote:We don't even know if we will want to stay longer than 6 months so no point in registering for permanent tax status. :lol:

The other thing I wondered about is access to doctors. I know we can use our EHIC for emergency treatment and we can pay to see a doctor, we do have travel insurance which covers us for up to 90 days but after that nothing. We are pensioners but as I say we haven't decided yet whether to stay permanently but without paying for private health insurance what are our options on a temporary basis?
Your travel insurance is for 90 days because once you have been here that long you are required to register as a "resident" not a tax resident just a resident. At that point your driving of the UK car , or any foreign registered vehicle becomes illegal as a national or resident of the country cannot drive a foreign registered vehicle. If stopped & dates checked they'd issue a notice to replate the car within a certain period.
After 90 days = resident , whether you register or not. This is consecutive so leave after 89 days & clock starts again.
After 183 days you are a tax resident . This is cumulative . So you can be a resident without being a tax resident & a tax resident without being a resident.
You only obtain "permanent " residency after 5 years.
Dunflittin68 wrote:We don't even know if we will want to stay longer than 6 months so no point in registering for permanent tax status. :lol:

The other thing I wondered about is access to doctors. I know we can use our EHIC for emergency treatment and we can pay to see a doctor, we do have travel insurance which covers us for up to 90 days but after that nothing. We are pensioners but as I say we haven't decided yet whether to stay permanently but without paying for private health insurance what are our options on a temporary basis?
Read the dot Gov sites, on EHIC, health care, health care when going abroad, Car out of UK, permanent export etc;. If you knowingly leave the UK for a period that will be in excess of 90 days you are meant to notify the relevant departments & sign off health care. You actually have no right under the circumstances you are proposing to health care in any EU state , except by paying.You have no right to use the EHIC knowing you are considering living abroad.
By the nature of your first post it suggests that the car will be out for 12 months. The Gov. guidelines state that it must be permanently exported if you KNOW that it will be out that long.
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