new law about buying a car in spain

CeeJay,

I'd be interested in talking to the person who would have handled the importation of your car. Maybe you can PM me the details.

As in speaking to the Garage from whom we are buying our 2nd hand car, they also can arrange re-registration of UK cars onto Spanish Plates, and they know that we aren't even on the padron, leave alone resident and stated that we do not need to be resident.

Having said all this, you can buy a UK reg car and leave it in Spain all year round, and just take it back to the UK to get it MOT'd when required. You can buy Tax on-line and you can insure it in the UK or here in Spain and get a 12 month green card (to cover use in Europe). All you do is every time you come over, keep your travel docs with you when you are in the car and show them if you are stopped, and just say you are on holiday.

You only need to re-register a UK car if you are, or want to become, resident in Spain.

And to become resident in Spain you must be on the padron first, no!

Now to bring this thread back on topic, when we spoke to the garage today, all they need us to supply is an NIE certificate and Title Deeds. They can then take copies of the NIE and relevant page(s) from the Escritura (Title Deed) and they will give these to their Gestor.

After a few days we will then be given a copy of the registration document which we can use to insure the car, then we can go back to the garage with insurance docs a few days after that and pick up the car.

That's it... job done!

"And to become resident in Spain you must be on the padron first, no!"

Think it's supposed to be the other way round, Techno?

Interesting thread. I suspect there's some seriously muddled info here!

Hi Roberto,

Long time no speak!

All I know is you can go on the padron without being resident, as you should go on the padron even if you only own a holiday home. As when you go on the padron, it helps out the local council so they can ask the Junta for more money for services such as garbage collection, etc.

Anyways, we are buying a car for the Mrs. so we are going through all this as we speak.

Also, I am finally going to re-register my car, after thinking of selling it and finding everyone wanted to rip me off saying it was a UK car so it is cheaper out here... I don't think so 'cause you go to a garage and try buying a 2nd hand UK car out here.... still higher than the UK price for the same car!!!!

"All I know is you can go on the padron without being resident, as you should go on the padron even if you only own a holiday home. As when you go on the padron, it helps out the local council so they can ask the Junta for more money for services such as garbage collection, etc."

The point is, you're not supposed to be on the padrón unless you are resident in the town. Yes, a lot of councils actively encouraged non-residents to sign on in order to secure extra funding from regional governments, but they are clamping down on this now, so it very much depends I think on which municipality you are in whether you will be accepted or not.

I've just had this reply from the legal company that handled our house purchase and do our yearly taxes

"About the car, you can buy it or import it into Spain although you are non-resident. You have to register your name in Town Hall only to give an address to Traffic Office. You must know that if you import a car into Spain you have to pay Tax as it was a new car (it doesn't matter how old it is) according to its power, mark and model. This is the tax that everybody pays in Spain when he buys a new car."

Interesting reply, but I think it may be a little misleading. Firstly, it is wording like this that leads people to constantly complain about paying "import" tax, when what should be pointed out is that you have to pay a "first registration" tax as with any new car bought & registered in Spain. And secondly, it "doesn't matter how old the car is"? The Agencia Tributaria website still publishes the car value list, and the depreciation rates to be applied depending on how old the car is. They also fail to mention that the tax is now based on CO2 emmissions rather than power output.

CO2 emission of less than 120g/Km = 0% of the vehicle value

CO2 emission of between 120-160 g/Km = 4.75% of the vehicle value

CO2 emission of between 160-200g/Km = 9.75% of the vehicle value

CO2 emission of more than 200g/Km = 14.75% of the vehicle value

Of course, I am not a lawyer or gestor, so my info could be wrong - but I would suggest asking them to clarify the situation.

 Hi Roberto, It seems from your information that a newish clean car, 120g/KM would attract no first registration tax and therefore no taxes to import it into Spain? Sound to good to be true. Has anyone managed to import and pay nothing? 

Thanks Roberto, I will ask them to clarify as we hope to either import or buy a car in Spain early next year.

Regards, Poppyseed

I had my UK registered left hand drive car re registered here in Spain last November and can comment as follows: 

I gave the job to someone who specialises in car registrations importation etc and all he required was a copy of the escritura, NIE, and the UK documentation for the car. First the car was ITV'd and then he handled the rest of the transfer work. I did not have to pay any importation or registration taxes as the car was registered to me for more then the previous 6 months so the only cost I incurred was for the ITV traffico charges and the agents commission in total around €800. 

The transfer took about a week to do and the car was in my possession the whole time the agent took care of the ITV appointment, transfer new number plates and also made sure the IVTM (road tax) was paid in the costs. When I was looking to do this I contacted a number of agents all of whom were giving me varying information some stating that I would liable to the importation / matriculation tax even though the car was in my name for more then 6 months due to recent changes in the law etc.

So from my experience unless you speak to someone who really knows what they are doing you may end up forking out more then you need to!

Incidentally I originally imported this car from Germany to the UK and handled all the importation transfer myself and it cost around £600 including £400 for the road tax!

Hi, just my 2 cents. A Spanish citizen or a foreigner resident in Spain cannot legally drive a vehicle that is  registered in another country, except for professionals,i.e. lorry drivers. Also if ,for instance, you have an British reg. vehicle you cannot legally,sell it, part- exchange it, scrap it or give it away . Although we all know it is done . The above info. and more is all available on the DGT website.