CAR TAX

we are moving to Spain in May this year and taking our car.  It is due for road tax at the end of the month - should we get 6 months or 12 months road tax?, It has just had its MOT and car insurance will be due mid April.

Each site seems to recommend different things - please help

Laura

we are moving to Spain in May this year and taking our car.  It is due for road tax at the end of the month - should we get 6 months or 12 months road tax?, It has just had its MOT and car insurance will be due mid April.

Each site seems to recommend different things - please help

By reading your post it sounds like March the current road tax runs out so if you don't re-new it then you will be illegal on the road in the UK for two months, for the sake of about £40.00 ish or less, is that worth it? Due to the way the UK police just love to catch the motorist these days.

Six months road tax takes you up to September in Spain, more then enough time I should think to decide if you want to buy a Spanish car or keep what you have, or dare I say it...Stay in Spain.

And if you want to re-new the UK Road tax for a further 6 months it's only another couple of quid extra, or buy the 12 months in the first place and cash it in, as and when you feel the need to, you will lose a few bob though.

If you want to keep your UK car in Spain for the term of 12 months then you really are best to keep everything up to scratch in regards Mot / Road Tax / Insurance.

You might be the lucky one that never gets stopped or has any accidents, it's your choice.

Thanks for your reply - we are intending to buy the road tax at the end of March and are intending living in Spain since we have now retired.

What we need to know is what happens in September when the tax runs out - we obviously will need to renew it but would we be allowed to do that in Spain as we want to keep the car for quite a while longer.

What we do not understand is the rules regarding having our car in Spain as each district seems to be different and every site gives different advice - we will be living in the Murcia/Alicante area

Also will our MOT be valid for 12 months? Also Car Insurance is it cheaper in Spain

Lots of questions I know but any help really appreciated

You can't keep your car on British plates for more than 6 months in Spain. It has to be replated to Spanish plates and pass an ITV (Spanish MOT) which means changing the headlights, reversing lights etc.

So only do your British one for 6 months. The cost of changing your car to Spanish plates will be about a thousand euro depending on how much the headlights and so on cost.

Car insurance in Spain is slightly more expensive but includes breakdown cover. Again, read some other posts as most UK car companies will only give you 3 months cover when abroad and will probably reduce your cover to 3rd party only.

Thanks for your reply - we are intending to buy the road tax at the end of March and are intending living in Spain since we have now retired.

What we need to know is what happens in September when the tax runs out - we obviously will need to renew it but would we be allowed to do that in Spain as we want to keep the car for quite a while longer.

What we do not understand is the rules regarding having our car in Spain as each district seems to be different and every site gives different advice - we will be living in the Murcia/Alicante area

Also will our MOT be valid for 12 months? Also Car Insurance is it cheaper in Spain

Lots of questions I know but any help really appreciated

If you did the 6 months and it ran out in September why not get someone in the UK to renew the road tax for you, you would only need to give them, or send them the Green slip filled in in with your name and address, try it first without YOUR name and address filled in, that way you wont get a post office stamp on it, otherwise it cant be used again for tax, then if the post office wont accept an empty Green slip your friend can fill it in with your name and address.

I don't know the rules about keeping your car in Spain for any long length of time, if it were me I would just do it and take the chance, You will probably be near some other Brits who have done this and will know the ways.

You UK MOT is valid on your car for the 12 months while it's registered to you as a UK car, don't suppose the Spanish insurance will be that much cheaper then your UK now, if it's a few quid perhaps not worth the hassle until it's all due. 

Worth remembering that about Sept / Oct everything about the UK Road tax changes to NOT having or showing a tax disc, rules at the moment are a bit vague.

Thanks very much that is very useful information and is exactly what we needed to find out.

It makes sense to only get 6 months tax and re-do the insurance to Spanish insurance as soon as we can.

As for keeping the car perhaps it would be better to put the 1000 Euros towards buying a Spanish car which of course will have the advantage of left hand drive.  Also this will give my partner time to get used to Spanish roads before having to get used to a left hand drive car - although he does have my full confidence.

Thanks again Laura

we are moving to Spain in May this year and taking our car

That means that in effect from as soon as you arrive in Spain you will be required to register on the EU Citizens Register immediately, as a resident.  As a resident you are not permitted to drive a non Spanish registered car so you would need to start proceedings to change your car onto Spanish plates immediately of ypou intreneded to keep it.

You could ‘buy yourself  ‘ a like breathing time if you did not say you had moved to Spain but that you were thinking of doing so, that way you would not need to register until you had been here 3 months.

Thank you for the response. Once again some very good advice. I had understood that we would have 6 months to make the decision - until then we were visitors.

I think that we will find out more of the best way to do things when we get to Spain and spoken to people who have lived there a while as they seem to be far more informed than official sites are.

Regards Laura

I believe if you intend to move to Spain permanently or plan to be in Spain more than 6 months you have to change your car plates immediately and the 6 month rule does not apply. Transferring your car to Spanish plates on day 1 of your move means you will not be liable for import tax during transfer as it is part of your assets. Transfer of a non-Spanish car to Spanish plate incurs an import tax based on the value of the car determined by the Spanish govt and not what you paid etc

The simplest solution is to sell your UK car in the UK and then buy a Spanish car when you arrive - why go through all the hassle and take risks with insurance, road tax, mot etc!

In addition why do Brits insist on having their RHD Brit car in Spain when the steering wheel is on the wrong side!!! It is far easier and safer to drive a LHD in Spain!!!!!!!!!!!!! Tourist I get but when moving to Spain it simply makes no sense but ………………

scubamike has a point as there are a lot of expats who live here illegally, work illegally, and drive UK registered cars illegally who will give bad advise but most of the replies on this thread are very good advice and mainly in line with the legal requirements of bringing a car to Spain from UK so I do not know who he is having ago at

Of course it is always wise to check with a good solictor reserach and fully investigate the rules (and the advice you have been given on here) before you make the move. These forums are a generally a good starter for your research

Good luck in whatever you decide to do

scubamike no worries mate

you are right too many people especially expats are illegal in spain and I wish the spanish authorities would have a big crackdown on them. these same people are probably the ones who whinge about Johnny Foreigner in the UK - double standards

BTW you can report an unlicensed vehicle on dvla website or any car you think is illegal and they do follow up. If it does not show on dvla still send them an email with whatever details you can get and they will follow up.

Or even report it to traffico they will also follow up

All depends upon how far you are prepared to go  or ?

Hi, lots of responses so of course yet more confusion.

We do intend to live in Spain but really need to settle in for a few months before doing anything permanent - that is only sensible.

Reporting people to the DVLA or police - I feel that is quite despicable as would most people I am sure, as to the ones who suggest just getting on with it and being illegal I dont see us doing that either.

The reason we are bringing our car is practical as we can load it up and drive to Spain (taking the ferry to Bilbao) it is far from being a new car so 1000 euros seems a lot to pay to register it. To what happend to it after that I dont know yet.

As far as the insurance goes we understand that UK will only cover us for 3 months abroad so we have no choice but to have Spanish insurance.

All in all I think the sensible thing to to is pay for 6 months tax, keep the UK insurance for as long as they let us, decide on being residents when we have been there 3 months, in other words get there then find out the way to do things.

thanks to all

laurabw

What you are doing is being very sensible and I wish you luck in your new venture

I am sorry to say that too many people find the idea of reporting a crime despicable and I would suggest that they have probably never been a victim!
Too may people turn a blind eye and when it happens to them they are the ones who cry the loudest and blame the police!!!!!!!!!!

It is your choice as to what you find acceptable to report or not but in my mind driving illegally and putting other road users as risk is despicable and we should all help the authorites minimise crime and  report these illegals (I am not syaing that is what you are dong as you are trying to gather the right info to do it right) but turning a blind eye is simply wrong.

Would you report a drunk driver??????

How many insurance companies would fight a claim if the car and the driver were found to be illegal , being involved in an accidnet is stressful enough and I owul not wish it on anyone but having to then discover the driver and the car are illagel well if you find that an acceptable risk to society then good luck!!!!!!!!!!

How would you feel if you, your car, a friend or a relative was seriuosly damaged / injured by one of these illegals and ened up haveing a lengthy court battle to get adeqaute compensation / medical expenses etc

Sorry but I am very passionate about this having been a victim and anyone who says reporting is despicable needs to walk a mile in my shoes and should take a long hard look at themselves in the mirror

As far as the insurance goes we understand that UK will only cover us for 3 months abroad so we have no choice but to have Spanish insurance.

I believe under EC law your company must provide minimum cover (third party) in all EC countries for the duration of your policy.   So depending on the cover you require,  you may be OK for the 6 months,

But as I said if you are here for 3 months permanently you must register as being resident.  I should have thought that 3 months would give you ample time to make any arrangement to either import the car or sell it and buy a Spanish reg one.