Using a warranty across borders after you move

Key rules

• EU purchases: If you live in Spain and buy from an EU seller aiming at Spain, you keep Spanish consumer protection.
• Non-EU purchases: Your protection is usually the brand's voluntary warranty, and its terms differ by brand and model.
• Spanish purchases abroad: The legal guarantee stays valid after you move, and you claim against the seller.
• Online dispute platform: The EU online dispute platform closed in July 2025, so use the European Consumer Centre instead.

The short answer

Where you bought decides what protects you. EU purchases are covered by EU-wide consumer rights, and there are free help routes if the seller refuses. Purchases from outside the EU depend mostly on the manufacturer's own worldwide warranty.

Things you bought from a seller in another EU country

If you live in Spain and the seller aimed its sales at Spain, the seller cannot take away the consumer rights you have as a Spanish resident. The EU minimum is a legal guarantee of at least two years on goods. Spain gives three years for new goods.

You can also take the seller to court in Spain, not only in the seller's country. Court action is slow, though, and across borders it works best when the seller cooperates or a judgment can be enforced.

Do this in order:

1. Write to the seller and describe the fault. Keep proof of purchase and every message.
2. If the seller refuses, contact the European Consumer Centre in Spain. It is free and it works with the matching centre in the seller's country.
3. Try an out-of-court dispute body (ADR), which settles disputes without a judge.
4. For a larger claim, the European Small Claims Procedure is a mostly written court process using standard forms. It covers cross-border claims up to 5,000 euros.

The EU online dispute platform closed in July 2025, so do not rely on it.

Things you bought outside the EU

The Spanish legal guarantee binds the seller. A seller outside the EU is generally not covered by it, unless it directs its business to Spain and Spanish law applies under EU consumer-contract rules. Even then, enforcing it against a non-EU seller is very hard.

So your protection is usually the manufacturer's commercial guarantee. It is voluntary and separate from the seller's legal guarantee. Terms vary by brand:

• Some big electronics brands honour repairs in Spain.
• Some brands only service the country where you bought the item, or only regional models.
• Imports sold outside the brand's official channels (grey-market) may be refused.
• Car and camera makers often honour warranties across the EU only for units made for the EU market.

Read the warranty terms before you move or buy abroad. If you are bringing an expensive item, ask the brand's Spanish service line whether it will repair your model.

Things you bought in Spain and then took abroad

The legal guarantee belongs to the sales contract, not to where you live. It stays valid if you move away. You claim against the seller, not the manufacturer. The seller must repair or replace the item, or reduce the price or refund you if that fails.

• Contact the seller by email, burofax (a certified letter) or its online form, and keep written evidence.
• The item may have to be shipped back at the seller's cost. Shipping is the main practical obstacle.
• If the seller refuses, start with the European Consumer Centre in the country where you now live. It works with the centre in Spain.
• You can also complain to the consumer authority, use a consumer arbitration board or an ADR body, or start an online claim.
• Within the EU, the European Small Claims Procedure is also open to you.

Common questions are answered in the FAQ below.

Frequently asked questions

Will a brand warranty from a non-EU country work in Spain?

Only if the brand's own terms cover service outside the country of purchase, and many big brands do for repairs. Some brands limit service to the country of purchase or to regional models, and may refuse grey-market imports.

Can I still claim the Spanish guarantee if I move abroad?

Yes, the Spanish legal guarantee stays valid after you move, because it is tied to the sales contract and not to where you live. Contact the seller by email, burofax or its online form, and keep written proof. If the seller refuses, start with the European Consumer Centre in your new country, which works with its Spanish counterpart.

Can I use the EU online dispute platform against an EU seller?

No, the EU online dispute resolution platform closed in July 2025 and is no longer available. Ask the European Consumer Centre in Spain for free help, or use an out-of-court dispute body.

Can I sue an EU seller in Spain if it refuses to honour the guarantee?

Yes, you can usually sue in the courts of Spain when you live in Spain and the seller directs its sales to Spain. Enforcing the result abroad still depends on the seller's cooperation or a court judgment.