Importing a Foreign Plated Car or Buy Spanish Plated – Pros and Cons

Copied from a thread on our facebook group where member Alan Kane, expert in these matters, explained.

Alan Kane As promised earlier, to clear up a few points from this thread.

1. It is quite legal to drive either RHD or LHD cars in either the UK or Spain. It is not the side the steering wheel is on that counts but the country of registration and residence of the driver.
2. If you are a UK resident you cannot legally drive a Spanish car in the UK. Same as if you are a Spanish resident you cannot drive a UK car here. The DVLA info mentioned in the thread was correct.
3. If you are moving to Spain with the intention of becoming resident then you can avoid paying the normal import tax to hacienda but only provided you complete the registration within two months of becoming resident and you have owned the car for 6 months.
4. Depending on what car you are buying, both it’s age and it’s CO2 rating being important, Hacienda tax can be very low so it may not be worth while trying to gain the ability to avoid the tax.
5. If buying Spanish registered or a previously Spanish registered car in the UK it is necessary to do an informe to check the cars status and to check for debts. An informe is like a UK HPI check, only more.
6. Buying a UK registered but previously Spanish registered car can work out quite well. As a UK resident you can drive it in the UK, drive it down and then change the registration. It can be quite cheap to change it back to Spanish plates. Again an informe is vital, not just for the usual reasons but to establish the previous Spanish registration status.
7. Once you are resident here for more than 60 days you will be liable to pay the normal hacienda tax but you can still import as many cars as you like.
8. I don’t think it came up in this thread but it often does so worth saying, you don’t have to be a resident to import a car, but if you do so as a non-resident, there are no tax exemptions.

I can’t stress enough the importance of doing an informe on any current or previously Spanish registered car. Very often car with debts attached are exported and the registration changed.

I find most people fixate on the Hacienda tax when thinking about importing. As mentioned earlier the Hacienda tax can be quite small (not always of course). All the other costs involved often add up to a bigger amount. It is important to get a totally inclusive costing before buying. I would also suggest only dealing with a specialist rather than a general gestor. Car registration is very involved and lack of knowledge can cause major problems.

Please note: The information provided is based upon our understanding of current legislation. It is not legal advice but is provided freely to enable you to be properly informed. We recommend that if you are considering taking action, you should seek professional advice.