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Buying, selling or importing a car in Spain
Buying or selling a car in Spain involves several legal requirements
Image: Freepik
The second-hand car market in Spain is a lucrative one and newly arrived foreigners are often surprised at how expensive used vehicles are. Whether you’re buying or selling a car in Spain, it’s important to know the procedures that must be followed by law to avoid any costly mistakes, say the professionals from Car Registrations Spain.
Buying a car
If you’ve found the vehicle you want and have haggled to a price you’re happy with, the very first thing you should do is request a report from the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) to ensure that everything is above board.
The DGT offers two reports on second-hand cars: a free one, which contains limited information such as the name of the owner and any outstanding fines or liens, and a more detailed report which offers additional information on any repairs carried out on the car.
To start the process, every vehicle must have three important documents, and you should always ask to see the original of the following:
- Permiso De Circulación: this is the Spanish version of the Log Book and provides all of the car details including licence plate number, date of first registration, make and model, owner details and chassis number.
- Inspección Técnica, or ITV sticker: similar to the MOT in the UK, the ITV sticker is placed in the front windshield and will give the date on which the test was last passed.
- Impuesto Sobre Vehiculos (commonly called SUMA): This a road licence fee and must be paid every year to the Town or City Hall.
The Permiso De Circulación must, of course, correspond to the car that you are buying. If the owner’s name is different to the person you a dealing with, if, for example, someone is selling a car on behalf of a family member, make absolutely sure they have permission to close the deal.
If an ITV is out of date, you will need to pay to have it towed to the nearest test centre. If the sticker is expired or close to running out, it’s always a smart move to have the owner put the car through the test before buying it.
Make sure the SUMA is up to date or you’ll be liable for any back payments before the Town Hall will transfer the car into your name.
The bureaucratic process of changing a new vehicle into your name is pretty straight-forward and you can easily do it yourself without paying a professional.
Selling a car
If you are selling a vehicle privately, it will be up to you to create a sales contract. This should include all of the relevant details such as the date, price agreed and information relating to the car and must be signed on every page by both the buyer and the seller.
In the event you have financed the vehicle, it’s possible the loan institution registered the car with the Registry of Movable Assets. If this is the case, you won’t be allowed to sell it until the balance of the loan has been paid in full.
Once the contract has been signed, the seller should immediately notify the DGT. The buyer has 15 days to change ownership to their own name but if they’re delayed, any fines or traffic tickets will still come to you. Notifying the authorities about the sale absolves the seller of any responsibilities.
Importing a vehicle from the EU to Spain
Given the price of cars in Spain, many people opt to purchase a new or used vehicle in a neighbouring EU country and register it here. If you decide to import a car from abroad, the following considerations should be kept in mind:
- You must have all of the vehicle’s original documentation.
- You must be able to prove vehicle ownership. If the car is bought second-hand, the contract of sale, plus a translation into Spanish, will suffice. If the vehicle is bought from a dealer, you will need an invoice containing the company’s VAT number.
After the vehicle is transported to Spain, the process of importing it must begin immediately:
Step 1: Inspección Técnica (ITV)
You will need to take your new car to an ITV test centre together with the original vehicle registration cert, the Certificate of Conformity (CoC) and the sales contract or invoice.
Step 2: Taxes
There is a cost associated with importing a vehicle and the new owner must declare and pay the taxes.
In order to do this, the buyer must present:
- A receipt of payment for the transfer and import of the vehicle with the Spanish Tax Office.
- Receipt of payment / exemption from the Registration Tax payable to the National Tax Office (AEAT), except in the case of trailers.
- Proof of payment or exemption from the Road Tax payable to the municipality where you live.
Step 3: Apply for a vehicle registration certificate
You can register your vehicle online in the DGT’s electronic register or in person by bringing all the relevant documents to a DGT office. A fee is payable depending on the vehicle type.
To complete this procedure, owners must provide the following documents:
- Registration application filled out in the official form.
- ID that shows both the owner’s name and address, such as DNI, Spanish driver’s licence, residency card, passport plus NIE.
- The vehicle’s ITV sticker.
- The vehicle’s original documentation.
- Proof that all of the relevant taxes and fees have been paid.
- Proof of the tax address of the vehicle.
- Invoice or sales contract.
If everything is correct, the DGT registers the vehicle, assigns it a registration number and provides you with a vehicle registration certificate.
Once the procedure has been completed, you must go to a specialised shop to buy the registration plates and install them on the vehicle.
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For assistance with the paperwork and official documentation for your car in Spain, contact Car Registrations Spain for help:
