Buying and selling a car

It is for anyone thinking about, planning or carrying out a move to Spain. Follow it and you will buy with the right papers, the right checks and no inherited debts.

Start with "Should you buy a new, nearly new (km0), used or dealer car?". It helps you choose a route, and the later pages build on that choice.

Key rules

• Cash limit: Paying a dealer in cash is limited to 1,000 euros, or 10,000 euros if you are a non-resident not acting as a business.
• Transfer deadline: After buying a used car privately, you have 30 days to register the change of ownership with the DGT.
• Transfer tax deadline: You pay the transfer tax (ITP) to your region's tax agency within 30 working days of the purchase contract.
• ID: Bring your NIE certificate, TIE or EU registration certificate, not just a passport.
• Dealer guarantee: A dealer must give at least 1 year of legal guarantee on a used car, and 3 years on a new one.
• Private sale: You have 6 months from delivery to claim a hidden defect, and the seller can exclude this in the contract.

Buying and selling a car: the whole process, step by step

• Choose between a new, nearly new (km0), used dealer or private car (Should you buy a new, nearly new (km0), used or dealer car?): Before you look at prices or visit anyone

• Get your identity, Spanish address and payment method ready (What a foreigner needs to buy and register a car in Spain): Before you sign anything or pay. Cash payments to a dealer are limited to 1,000 euros, or 10,000 euros if you are a non-resident not acting as a business

• Check the car's debts, fines, mileage and condition (How to check a used car's history, debts and condition): Before you pay. Liens recorded on the car stay with it

• If you are not paying cash, compare financing, leasing or long-term renting (Financing, leasing or long-term renting (renting) instead of paying cash): Before you sign the purchase contract

• Sign the purchase contract and pay the transfer tax (ITP) to your region's tax agency (Buying a used car privately and transferring ownership): Within 30 working days of the purchase contract

• Register the change of ownership with the DGT, showing the tax receipt (Buying a used car privately and transferring ownership): Within 30 days of buying the car

• As the seller, report the sale to the DGT so you stop being responsible for the car (Selling, scrapping or deregistering a car in Spain): Right after the sale, before the buyer transfers the car

• Claim for a hidden defect in a private sale, if one appears: Within 6 months of delivery

Documents you may need

Identity and residence

• Your ID — Buying a used car privately and transferring ownership, Selling, scrapping or deregistering a car in Spain
• Your foreigner identity document — What a foreigner needs to buy and register a car in Spain
• Proof of a Spanish address if you are not a resident — What a foreigner needs to buy and register a car in Spain
• Your NIE or TIE showing you live in Spain legally — Financing, leasing or long-term renting (renting) instead of paying cash

Income and work

• Proof you paid the ITP transfer tax — Buying a used car privately and transferring ownership
• Recent payslips — Financing, leasing or long-term renting (renting) instead of paying cash
• Your employment contract — Financing, leasing or long-term renting (renting) instead of paying cash

The home and the lease

• The signed purchase contract — Buying a used car privately and transferring ownership
• The buyer's details and the sales contract — Selling, scrapping or deregistering a car in Spain

Other documents

• A Spanish bank account — Financing, leasing or long-term renting (renting) instead of paying cash
• The ficha técnica — Selling, scrapping or deregistering a car in Spain

Each article lists the other documents it asks for, where you need them.

Buying and selling a car: questions that cross several articles

Does a km0 car count as new or used for tax and warranty?

A km0 car counts as new for the buyer: it is a pre-registered, unused car, the registration tax was already paid and you pay no ITP because a dealer sells it. The manufacturer warranty usually starts from the first registration date, so part of it is already used. Read Should you buy a new, nearly new (km0), used or dealer car? and What a new car in Spain costs beyond the sticker price.

What legal guarantee do I get from a dealer compared with a private seller?

A dealer must give you a legal guarantee of at least 1 year on a used car, and 3 years on a new one. A private seller gives no consumer guarantee, but you can claim for hidden defects within 6 months of delivery, unless the contract excludes it. Read Should you buy a new, nearly new (km0), used or dealer car? and How to check a used car's history, debts and condition.

Can a non-resident foreigner buy a car and put it in their name in Spain?

Yes, but you generally need an NIE and a Spanish address for the owner on the vehicle record. This is hard in practice without one, and local DGT offices may apply the rules differently. Read What a foreigner needs to buy and register a car in Spain, then Buying a used car privately and transferring ownership.

Do I pay DGT fees when I sell or scrap a car?

The sale notification is normally free, and scrapping at an authorised centre is generally free for the owner. The buyer pays a fee for the change of ownership, and amounts are set each year.