Re-register a UK car to Spanish Plates

Michaeltyas wrote on Fri Jul 9, 2021 9:08am:

Can anyone recommend someone to re-register a UK car to Spanish plates?

PeterPan wrote on Fri Jul 9, 2021 5:35pm:

Contact Leigh Blann at https://www.spanish-number-plates.com/

He did ours a couple of months ago, superb service. He sorted everything out while we flew back to the UK. It helps if you can prove that your UK car was in Spain prior to Jan 2021 (ferry ticket)

Ufatben wrote on Sun Jul 11, 2021 5:13am:

Can I please ask what is the significance of the car being in Spain pre-2021?
We were considering bringing a car over simply because of the difficulty buying what we want to purchase in Spain. We are bot residents, it’s for our holiday home. 

Thank you

Kimmy11 wrote on Sun Jul 11, 2021 8:52am:

Hi Ufatben,

Since Brexit, import tax can be much higher.  However, as you're not residents, there's no problem for you to drive a UK registered car in Spain subject, of course, to it being roadworthy and insured.

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If you're leaving the car permanently in Spain, I doubt a UK company would insure it, so best to check that out.  Friends of mine did the same thing for many years: they had a contract with one of the long term parking companies at Alicante airport, so that the vehicle was ready each time they flew here.  They insured the car through EasyCover Insurance in Torrevieja.

Currently, Spain doesn't require UK citizens to have an IDP (International Driving Permit).

Kind regards,

Kim

Ufatben wrote on Sun Jul 11, 2021 9:22am:

Thanks Kimmy,

We were leaving it in Spain permanently with a parking company who would bring it to the airport each time and hadn’t thought of any problem with insurance. We will have to look into that before we actually commit then. Our neighbour bought a replacement one before pandemic so I hope it will be...

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... alright. 

Can we leave a UK registered car in Spain permanently if we aren’t residents then?

We have a driving permit for this year as we both had paper driving licences but have just changed to card ones. 

Thanks again for advice, really is appreciated. 

Ufatben wrote on Sun Jul 11, 2021 9:22am:

Thanks Kimmy,

We were leaving it in Spain permanently with a parking company who would bring it to the airport each time and hadn’t thought of any problem with insurance. We will have to look into that before we actually commit then. Our neighbour bought a replacement one before pandemic so I hope it will be...

Read more...

... alright. 

Can we leave a UK registered car in Spain permanently if we aren’t residents then?

We have a driving permit for this year as we both had paper driving licences but have just changed to card ones. 

Thanks again for advice, really is appreciated. 

PeterPan wrote on Sun Jul 11, 2021 10:46am:

We used to leave our UK registered car in Spain before we became resident. We insured the car with a Spanish insurance company (Liberty seguros) and only returned the car to the UK for a couple of months in summer, for the MOT and servicing*. I'm not sure whether you can still insure a UK ca...

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...r with a Spanish company since Brexit, you'll need to check. Once you factor in the costs and inconvenience of the return ferry each year and that your steering wheel is probably on the wrong side, it's probably not worth it.

Do be aware that if you keep the car in Spain for longer than 12 months you are deemed to have exported it and will need to matriculate it onto Spanish plates. 

As Kimmy pointed out it can cost a lot more in import/customs tax to import a UK car to Spain since Brexit and it may be cheaper and more convenient to buy a new car in Spain.

More info here.....https://www.gov.uk/driving-abroad

This website used to advise that it was OK to keep a UK car in Spain but is now being updated....https://lifestylegroup.es/how-long-can-i-legally-keep-and-drive-a-uk-registered-car-in-spain/

* Although we used to keep our fully legal UK car in Spain, we returned to the UK on a regular basis and did not overstay

Ufatben wrote on Sun Jul 11, 2021 1:13pm:

Peterman,

We also definitely have no intention of overstaying.

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We have been trying to purchase a 7 seat car in Spain but no look yet.  So we are considering buying a left hand drive here in UK to drive over and leave there.

We are unsure of

1. Do we have to pay import duty as we are non residents but the car will stay there.

2. Will we have to re register it in Spain in order to MOT it over there.

3. Will we get insurance as we will leave it with an airport parking firm.

Thank you

Nikki