Importing a Car

[El Capitan]

Mick, it is true that some people have got away with not registering their vehicle in Spain for years. However, a serious point to bear in mind with effect from last month May 2008. Spain brought in a new penal code which has made little things like driving without a licence jump from a minor misdemeanour to a criminal offence. Also new penalties for certain driving offences and in general the authorities are cracking down big time and there are loads of stories from people who have had their vehicle impounded or face hefty fines.

The procedure for matriculating any vehicle to Spanish plates in basically 3 steps. First you need what is called a ficha reducida, a standard certified sheet of paper with all the key specifications, dimensions etc of the vehicle. Much easier if you have an EC certificate of conformity to begin with but often you get the college of engineers to draw one up. See www. F I C H A* R E D U C I D A. com for an example.

Second step is to take the vehicle to an ITV station (equivalent to the UK MoT) where it is formally checked against the ficha reducida and tested for tyres, brakes, exhaust, lights and general roadworthiness. If you pass that, the ITV station issues a ficha tecnica within a few days. You will need to provide the previous registration document from the country or earlier registration as this is noted on the new ficha tecnica.

Take the ficha tecnica to Trafico and register the vehicle. This bit sounds easy but better to use a gestor for this as they know their way around.

If you do all this as soon as you arrive in Spain with intent of residing here, you can be exempt of the "import tax" but otherwise you might get stung for a percentage of the vehicle value in addition to all the fees and charges. Without the import tax, you face something like 300 to 400 euros minimum for fess and charges.

[Mick-1]

El Capitan,
thanks for your informative reply.
The part about the state cracking down on driving offences actually sounds great. That's one reason I'm leaving Dubai. While the crime is low, your life is in constant threat by drivers on the road. And if you ride a bike, you don't exist..

[El Capitan]

Originally Posted by Mick-1

El Capitan,
thanks for your informative reply.
The part about the state cracking down on driving offences actually sounds great. That's one reason I'm leaving Dubai. While the crime is low, your life is in constant threat by drivers on the road. And if you ride a bike, you don't exist..

To an extent Mick, yes its great as it is reported that a few thousand Spanish nationals drive with no licence and potentially therefore no insurance. But the general crackdown will catch all, even if there is only a minor issue with your papers. And as for not existing on a bike, just this weekend we were riding in the city, turning right in a queue of cars and a car turned hard right from the left hand land (the lane for going straight on) and hit us. Luckily no injury or damage apart from a scratch or two down his side panels and I even managed to contain myself from launching a kevlar gloved hand through his window

I know the procedure for matriculating here as I have just done it all, including getting my UK driving licence homologated with Trafico.