Re: Change of number plates

Hi can anyone help, I am about to change my rhd english car over to Spanish plates at a cost of €1,500 app costly because of xenon headlights. In 2 years time I will be changing my car for a motor home so a lot of money for 2 years. I been advised either sorn it in england or permantly export it via the form on the log book.if i permantly export it in 2 years when back in england will or can i register back on english plates and at what cost regards

Cheaper to sell it now in the UK and buy a runabout in Spain to use for a couple of years.

Pete.

Ok thanks Pete

I was going to bring my 2004 2.0L deisel Rover 75 to spain, till i found out the cost of two LHD headlamps (for a car last produced 14 years ago) was £800, on top of the ITV and plates (making the whole thing about £2000). My plan now is to give the Rover to my son, and Ive bought a 1993 LHD german built Hymer Ducati motorhome, which we'll use to travel to Alicante in, then we'll put it onto Spanish plates (should be very cheap to do) and sell at a profit, and buy some thing 2.0L deisel, estate or MPV, with very good aircon, LHD on Spanish plates.

A couple of years ago, I bought my 2012 Mondeo over from England - the Ford dealership in Rojales wanted Eu 1,400 to change my Xenon headlights, but I got a set of regular headlamps via a car breakers in Los Montesinos for Eu 350, fitted for an extra Eu 50 (my car was too new to get a second-hand pair, so they sourced a new set for me). I was planning to keep my car, so it made sense, but if you're definite about only keeping it for another 2 years, then Pete's suggestion of selling it in the UK is the best option - second hand cars generally hold their value in Spain, but not RHD. (If you should decide to re-register it in Spain, don't SORN it in the UK until you've re-registered it here, as it will cause major problems.)

Hi Paul thanks for your info,especially about the cheaper headlights,I contacted a headlight company who at first said they could get me a pair of standard lhd headlights for €400 then they realised my model of vehicle had xenon headlights plus cornering lights so double the price I said il fit the cheaper ones and promptly told I would not be allowed as they had to be replaced with same as on vehicle!!strange that you could,defo not sure what to do now regards

Sounds like they were just trying to force you to buy the dearer headlights. Since having mine done, the onboard computer flashes up a headlight error each time I start the car, but it goes off after 10 seconds, and my car has just passed it's first ITV.

Thanks for that I was beginning to think that as another guy had cheaper headlights as well and his passed its itv !!!

It's worth trying ebay. I got replacement headlamps for €60 each from Germany, via ebay. It passed the ITV yesterday with the new lights.

richardlionheart wrote:I was going to bring my 2004 2.0L deisel Rover 75 to spain, till i found out the cost of two LHD headlamps (for a car last produced 14 years ago) was £800, on top of the ITV and plates (making the whole thing about £2000). My plan now is to give the Rover to my son, and Ive bought a 1993 LHD german built Hymer Ducati motorhome, which we'll use to travel to Alicante in, then we'll put it onto Spanish plates (should be very cheap to do) and sell at a profit, and buy some thing 2.0L deisel, estate or MPV, with very good aircon, LHD on Spanish plates.

we bought our French plated LHD Autistar mitirhome to Spain thinking it would be cheap to rereguster. The vehicle was already LHD, had reversing light and rear fog light in right place , the electrics and gas had valid certificates, the TVA (French ITV/MoT) was only 2 months old, none if this mattered in Spain, it all had to be retested - total cost 2ooo euros. To be honest I don’t know what to suggest as to buy a motorhome in Spain is expensive to rereguster a motorhome us also expensive, catch22.