Owning a Car

Cars and Motoring in Andalucia © iStock
Cars and Motoring in Andalucia

Owning a Car

The issues faced by owning a car and driving in Andalucia are similar to those faced in the rest of Spain. Some of these issues outlined below are different depending on whether you hold a license from Spain, or another EU country, or if you hold a non-EU license. Listed below is information on a variety of car and driver-related topics.

Consult our Driving and Motoring pages in the travel section for a guide to driving in Andalucía, plus our suggested Driving Itineraries.   This page is Cars and Motoring in our Living in Andalucía section which is more focused on buying, taxing and maintaining a car in Andalucia.

 

 

The rental car industry is thriving in Andalucia thanks to a constant influx of tourists. An offshoot of this industry is a second hand car industry that features almost new cars that even come… More →

Every year you must pay a municipally imposed vehicle tax at your local town Hall. This tax "impuesto municipal sobre vehiculos de traccion mecanica" varies from municipality to municipality. As a… More →

Buying a second-hand car can be a stressful endeavour. Many people believe that buying a used vehicle is tantamount to buying another person’s problems. However, purchasing a second-hand vehicle… More →

EU citizens are allowed to use their home country drivers' licenses whilst a tourist in Spain. If you are living in Spain and use your home country drivers' licenses you may be asked to document… More →

The region of Andalucia has a very high number of luxury vehicles due to the fact that its lifestyle attracts people from all over the world. Hundreds of beautiful vehicles including Mercedes,… More →

Anyone holding a Spanish drivers' license must renew the document according to the following schedule: From the time you receive your license until you turn 45 years old, you must renew every 10… More →

All vehicles in Spain must periodically undergo a technical inspection. There are 50 odd inspection points in Andalucia, with service more readily available in heavily populated areas. The… More →

All risk "todo riesgo" car insurance will cost between 1.000 euros to 2.000 euros per year for a small car. Third party insurance is the legal minimum and will cost about 400 euros per year. It… More →

Any national taking up residence in Spain will be exempt from Import Duties. Importing is simple however the re-registraton process is very complicated.

If you are a foreigner in Spain for more than six months (182 days) in one year then legally you must import your car onto Spanish number plates. The six month requirement is on the owner and not… More →

Both unlicensed drivers and many non-EU citizens are required to take a driving test in order to obtain the Spanish license required of all residents in this country. If the test is available in… More →

Spain has taken longer than most other European countries to introduce a drink drive law, but it is now in place, so imbibers beware! Couple these rules with the fact that many Andalusian roads… More →

In Andalusia, as with anywhere in the world, the search for the right auto part for your vehicle, boat or machinery is a potentially time-consuming exercise. For those living in Andalusia the task… More →

If you are unlucky and have a car accident make sure you obtain the licence plate, drivers name and NIF number and the name of the insurance company of the other vehicle. Complete the blue form… More →

To buy a car in Spain on needs more than just money. You will agree the price and payment terms with the dealer who will usually handle all the paperwork for the vehicle transfer procedures and if… More →

When a driver loses points from Spain’s point based drivers’ license, they can officially be recuperated in two ways: Two points are given back to drivers if they manage not to lose any points for… More →

Driving licenses in Spain have a credit of 12 points from 1st July 2006, except in the case of drivers who have been driving for 3 years or less; those only have 8 points. The points will be… More →