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English car in Spain!

English car in Spain!

Postby derek » Mon May 27, 2013 6:14 pm

Hello,

I will be a Newbie in Quesada soon. I am staying for 12 months, motoring down in my UK car!Please can anyone let me know if there are any pitfalls in bringing my car to Spain. Second hand car dealers please do not reply.

Thanking you in anticipation,

Derek.
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Re: English car in Spain!

Postby Jan » Mon May 27, 2013 6:57 pm

derek wrote:Hello,

I will be a Newbie in Quesada soon. I am staying for 12 months, motoring down in my UK car!Please can anyone let me know if there are any pitfalls in bringing my car to Spain. Second hand car dealers please do not reply.

Thanking you in anticipation,

Derek.



Hello Derek,

I'm sure some members will know more than me but I do know that 'legally' a British or any foreign car in Spain is only allowed to be used for 6 months on Spanish roads with the original number plates. Then. apparently, it needs to be re-registered in Spain if you want to keep the car in Spain. Not sure if there are any loopholes, such as driving back and forth to the UK after 6 months(???).

I'm sure someone on here will have driven their UK car there and will know how it works.

Jan.
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Re: English car in Spain!

Postby derek » Mon May 27, 2013 7:11 pm

Thanks Jan,
I recently read that the other day. Just trying to get local views.

Derek.
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Re: English car in Spain!

Postby Sandra » Mon May 27, 2013 11:12 pm

I'd read about that 6mth rule, and how expensive it was to convert to Spanish plates. I "bit the bullet" and bought a Spanish registered car.
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Re: English car in Spain!

Postby max » Sun Aug 11, 2013 11:36 am

If you arrive in Spain on the 1st of July you can have 6 months of 2013 and the 1st 6 months of 2014 giving you 12 months.. in theory... your car insurance though may have limited cover.
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Re: English car in Spain!

Postby mike » Sun Aug 11, 2013 5:33 pm

Its not that expensive reregistering providing its not a high CO2 emission car. Try Botella in Torrevieja, Calle Maria Parodi, 9- 1 B. Up the road from the fountain, inland some 75 metres, 1st floor landing. Yes you need a spans licence after 6 months, Try Nick in Quesada opposite the bicycle shop in Calle los Arcos. He will save you 20 Euro on the medical and driving test by taking you to Catral and he charges only 50 so in reality 30 eueo. Trafico charge 29 10 cents for the licence. Not bad at all and no hassle......................he does everything. Mike
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Re: English car in Spain!

Postby RogerB » Mon Aug 12, 2013 11:42 am

I think you will find that re-plating a UK car to Spanish requirements is still pretty expensive ... it was when I did so 9yrs ago, and I doubt that it has got cheaper! You'd need to change the headlights, and possibly the reversing light, pay spanish import tax, registration and ITV costs, the thick end of 750-800 euros!
If you are ONLY coming for a 12 month visit, and then returning to UK, I do not think it is worth doing.
I personally would either buy a cheap Spanish runabout, or bring my UK car, with valid MoT if relevant, insurance, and plenty of evidence of your being a UK resident ... eg UK driving licence, utility bills etc ... and take a chance. If you are stopped by Trafico, for any reason, soon after arrival, say you are a visitor, and then take the car out of the country after <6months, and then return for the remainder of your year.
It's a small risk, IMO, but the fines can be heavy. However, again IMO, 'importing' a car is a heavy price to pay, if , as I said, it IS 'only a visit'.
It was justifiable for me, as I'd only had my car a few years, it had several expensive 'extras, and I would have lost heavily on selling it in UK, and then had to pay-out a bundle for an unknown quantity in the shape of a Spanish SH car.(And I actually prefer a RHD car, even here, and find no difficulty driving it on the 'wrong' side!)And what would you do with your (presumably RHD) UK car, on Spanish plates, after 12 months? It would be worth little here, and more expense to re-register it again in UK.
I believe the driving licence issue is definitely not worth worrying about, for such a time(unless your 70th b'day falls in that period) .... it could take you most of the 12 months to get it changed !!!
I have tried twice, the first time just before my 70th b'day, and I never received my Spanish licence! A few years later, still driving on a renewed UK one, I tried again, in April this year ... I am still waiting :o (But I carry the evidence of having TRIED!!).

I hope this helps ... beware, you are likely to get much conflicting advice on this subject ... this is just my experience and opinion!
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