Buying a car in Spain with a UK Address

Information and questions about driving in Andalucia, buying or importing cars and motorbikes plus legal issues surrounding taxes and licenses.
smartest_smarty
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Buying a car in Spain with a UK Address

Postby smartest_smarty » Wed May 29, 2019 3:42 pm

Hi,

Is it possible to buy a car in Spain and register it without a permanent residence there?

I just want to own a car for when I am in Spain (as I travel there a lot).

I am happy to insure it, and do the yearly ITV.

But is this possible?

Paddy Pumpkin
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Re: Buying a car in Spain with a UK Address

Postby Paddy Pumpkin » Wed May 29, 2019 4:28 pm

You will need an address. For Insurance and tax and registration docs etc.

Lots of people own cars here who are not permanent residents, but they do have an address in Spain.

1bassleft
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Re: Buying a car in Spain with a UK Address

Postby 1bassleft » Wed May 29, 2019 7:58 pm

Welcome to the forum, smarty, and my experience last year chimes in with Paddy's post. I required a NIE (foreigner's ID number, which does not change, but I got a new piece of paper - as a doc >3 months old can be considered an issue for some pen-pushers) and proof of address. Although I brought recent bills, the legal stuff that I owned my property (a signed rental agreement would act similarly, I guess) was what they wanted to take away and copy. I sometimes read that being registered on the Padron is a requirement, but I'm non-res so I never have and it wasn't even mentioned. That was Marbella; someone in San Middle del Nowhere might encounter an official who swears blind that the Padron is an absolute necessity and turns to their rather tasty bocadillo rather than discuss the matter further with you; just because it's anecdotal doesn't mean it's never happened.

On the plus side, insuring a car for any driver >25 is pretty standard if you have developed that level of trust with someone more rooted here to be your proxy owner. I wonder, if you travel here a lot and want a car to be waiting for you on arrival, do you have a regular address or do you just book what's available? If you're always using a friend's 2nd home, they may be the most obvious people to hatch a plan with.

1bassleft
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Re: Buying a car in Spain with a UK Address

Postby 1bassleft » Wed May 29, 2019 8:15 pm

Another thought occurs to me. If you're thinking "I'll get a decent runaround for <€2k as it's cheaper than hiring a car each time" be prepared for the difference, especially in Andalucia. Whereas I could source a sensible local runner for £600 within a week or two in the UK, €2k is perilously close to a heap of headache here. I started off thinking €1500 would easily do it and hired for a month. Solidly checking the ads every night, I moved up to €2k and was still ploughing through the dross or sharkpits. By making the kind of seller more important than the model of car (I was resenting my wife's insistence on 5drs, even) I got my 2005, €2.5k car in my name just before the 2nd month of hire car expired. YMMV, or you may already have a candidate vehicle in mind, but don't underestimate the research and legwork. Happily, I chose well and (compared to hiring monthly and walking during peak seasons) it's now a "free" car.

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costakid
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Re: Buying a car in Spain with a UK Address

Postby costakid » Thu May 30, 2019 6:47 am

You need an NIE and an address for the fines to be sent to. It could be a friends address in Spain.

elusive
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Re: Buying a car in Spain with a UK Address

Postby elusive » Thu May 30, 2019 7:59 am

You will need an address for the car tax to be sent to (which townhall gets your money)


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