Keeping English car in Spain

Hi - have been thinking of driving over and leaving english car in CdA. How do you stay 'Spain Street Legal' keeping MOT and Tax  valid. I see english cars around CdA & Campasol all the time that seem to stay in Spain. Is this an easy option or should I not bother and buy  Spainish, second hand.

Any info' would be much appreciated.  Regards  Tim

as far as i remember 6mths max and they are really clamping down .it really is not worth it buy spanish.As for camposol most are illegal

http://www.lhdplace.co.uk  bought 2 left hand drive cars from here and drove them over. Buy a Spanish reg and easy to change ownership

otherwise low emmision for savings on tax ask P-Pservices

www.p-pservices.com  have relied on them for all things re cars plates etc

Hi the 6 months referred to I believe relates to how long the car not the owner  of the vehicle is in Spain, so its ok to leave a UK car here for longer than that. 

I have a UK car insured with a Spanish insurance company which includes full European breakdown cover far cheaper than it would cost ti insure in London. It also insures any driver from 30 to 70 years old, standard procedure for Spanish insurance.  I keep the UK tax running to avoid any issues.

Ian 

Ian

What do you do about MOT or is the car less than 3 yrs old?

Paul

The 6 months refers to the time that THE CAR is in Spain not the owner

If a car has no road tax or valid MOT within this period is is not legal to use it on Spanish roads and if stopped the Police normally seize the vehicle, and crush it

Spanish insurance with people like Linea Directa cover ths car, not the driver noemally allowing anybody over 24 years old to drive the vehicle

Perhaps not a problem till you are stopped or more importantly have an accident

Hi Roy, thanks for your posting, I have slightly edited my previous posting.

The situation is that a UK car can't be used for more than 6 months in Spain. So it could be here for longer than 6 months (e.g. garaged)  as long as the use doesn't exceed the 6 months.  

Personally, as I'll be in Spain less than 6 months in a year the car use will fall within that 6 month period. Several different people driving the same car would have to carerful.

Paul, on the MOT I'll be driving back to the UK for a service and annual MOT.

The British Embassy says:-

"UK nationals who are not residents may bring their car into Spain, but neither they nor anyone else can use it in Spain for more than six months in any one year."

Here's a link to the Embassy web-site:-

http://ukinspain.fco.gov.uk/en/help-for-british-nationals/living-in-spain/cars

Ian

HI

Just a thought, but would you be able to tax the car in UK if it is insured for driving in Spain full time ?  As Inspectahome says It will need tax as well as MOT to be legal in Spain.

I also wonder how you will prove to the Guardia it has not been used for over 6 months if you are stopped. Just because you are in UK is not proof no-one else has been using it.

Not really sure it is worth the hassle. Why not buy a cheap 2nd hand Spanish car?

Jean