Registering a car from another EU country in Spain

Terms used

• ITV — The ITV is Spain's mandatory vehicle inspection, done at a regional station.
• IVTM — The IVTM is the yearly municipal vehicle tax, paid to your town hall.
• Agencia Tributaria — The Agencia Tributaria is Spain's tax agency.
• Jefatura Provincial de Tráfico — The Jefatura Provincial de Tráfico is the local traffic office that registers vehicles and issues plates.
• Gestor — A gestor is a paid administrative agent who handles paperwork with offices for you.
• Ficha técnica reducida — The ficha técnica reducida is the car's technical sheet, issued by the ITV station after inspection.
• Cita previa — A cita previa is an appointment you must book before visiting a public office.

Key rules

• VAT: A private buyer pays no Spanish VAT on a used EU car, unless it is under 6 months old or has fewer than 6,000 km.
• Registration tax: File and pay modelo 576 before you register the car, or claim an exemption if you are moving your residence.
• Deadline: Register within 30 days if you become resident in Spain with a foreign-plated car.
• Insurance: Keep valid foreign insurance with Green Card cover until the car is registered in Spain.

The short version

You register an EU car in Spain in four parts: pass an import inspection, get the conformity papers, deal with the taxes, then apply for registration and plates at traffic. The steps and documents are in the process and documents blocks below. This page explains what you owe and who you deal with.

Who you deal with

• The ITV station of your region does the import inspection. Book by phone or online with the regional ITV operator.
• The Agencia Tributaria handles the registration tax and any exemption. Book a cita previa, online or by phone.
• Your town hall collects the yearly municipal vehicle tax, the IVTM.
• The Jefatura Provincial de Tráfico registers the car and issues the plates. Book cita previa on the DGT website, or hire a gestor to do it for you.

What you owe

VAT. If you are a private person buying a used car in another EU country, you pay no Spanish VAT, because VAT was already paid there. The exception is a "new means of transport": a car under 6 months old or with fewer than 6,000 km. VAT is then due in Spain.

Registration tax. The impuesto de matriculación is separate from VAT and still applies to used cars. It depends on the car's CO2 emissions, and age reduces it. You declare it on modelo 576, online with a digital certificate or Cl@ve, or in person at a tax office by appointment. You file it once, and it must be filed and paid before the car is registered. If you are moving your residence to Spain, you can ask for a full or partial exemption on the same form, with supporting documents.

IVTM. Pay it at your town hall. You will need proof of payment for the registration.

Tráfico fee. You pay it with your registration application. The State sets the amount each year.

ITV fee. You pay the station directly. Each region sets the price, so ask when you book.

The inspection

Plan to do the ITV before you complete the registration file. The station checks the car's identification (VIN and plates), its papers, and that it matches its approval. It also checks lights, brakes, emissions and other safety items. Cars with foreign-style lighting may need headlamp adjustment. Once it passes, you get the ficha técnica reducida, which you need for registration.

Deadline

If you become resident in Spain with a foreign-plated car, register it in Spain within 30 days. Until then, keep valid foreign insurance with Green Card cover.

Before you go

The order of steps and the papers asked for can vary by province and office. Ask your Jefatura what it wants before your appointment, so that you do not make a second trip.

Process to register an imported EU car

• Get the certificate of conformity (COC) from the manufacturer or the home registry, or a technical sheet: before you start

• Book the ITV inspection with your region's ITV operator by phone or online, and pass it to get the ficha técnica reducida: first, before you complete the registration file

• File the registration tax declaration (modelo 576) with the Agencia Tributaria, Spain's tax agency, and pay the tax or claim an exemption. Book a cita previa online or by phone, or file online with a digital certificate or Cl@ve: after the ITV and before you register with Tráfico

• Pay the municipal vehicle tax (IVTM) at your town hall: after the tax filing and before you apply for registration

• Pay the Tráfico fee and apply for registration at the Jefatura Provincial de Tráfico. Book cita previa on the DGT website, or use a gestor administrativo: within 30 days of becoming resident with the car

• Collect the permiso de circulación and plates, and have the plates fitted: once registration is approved

Registration, insurance and licence in the right order

• Get your residence documents (NIE or residence card). The tax filing, registration, municipal vehicle tax and licence exchange all wait for them. Meanwhile, collect the COC and technical papers, translate documents, get insurance quotes and arrange shipping: before you start

• Pass the ITV, file modelo 576 or claim the exemption, pay the municipal vehicle tax and the Tráfico fee, apply for registration, then fit the new plates. Take out Spanish insurance before registration is finalised and before you drive on the new plates. Exchange your driving licence as a separate process: in this order once you are resident

• Bring the COC, ITV sheet, proof of tax payment or exemption, ownership papers and ID. The manufacturer issues the COC, the ITV station the sheet, and the tax agency the tax proof: at your Tráfico appointment

• Ask the Jefatura Provincial de Tráfico to register the car and issue the plates. Ask the tax agency for the tax or exemption, and a gestor if you want help with the file: when you book your appointments

• If registration is refused for missing or inconsistent papers, unpaid tax or a failed ITV, fix the problem, ask the manufacturer for a duplicate COC, or apply for an individual approval, then apply again. You can also appeal within the usual time limit, usually one month. Drive only under the permitted temporary conditions with valid insurance, as unregistered use can bring fines: if the registration is refused

• If you have passed the window or the papers are not ready, get the missing documents quickly, ask a gestor to prepare the file, and keep valid insurance in force while you wait: after missing the 30 days

Documents needed to import a car

• The foreign registration certificate for the car

• The certificate of conformity (COC) or the car's original technical sheet

• Proof of ownership, such as an invoice or contract of sale

• Your ID or passport, plus your NIE if you are a foreigner

• Proof of your address in Spain

• The ITV certificate and the ficha técnica reducida

• The modelo 576 registration tax declaration with proof of payment, or the modelo 05 exemption

• Proof that you paid the municipal vehicle tax (IVTM)

• Proof that you paid the Tráfico fee, and the completed application form

• For a car from outside the EU, also the purchase invoice or proof of value, the customs declaration (DUA) with proof of any relief claimed, and proof of VAT and customs payment

Checklist

• Ask the manufacturer or the home registry for the certificate of conformity (COC), or a technical sheet.

• Book the import ITV inspection with your region's ITV operator, then collect the ficha técnica reducida.

• File modelo 576 with the Agencia Tributaria, online with a digital certificate or Cl@ve or in person by appointment, and pay the tax or claim the exemption.

• Pay the municipal vehicle tax (IVTM) at your town hall.

• Pay the Tráfico fee and book cita previa at the Jefatura Provincial de Tráfico, or hire a gestor to do it.

• Collect the permiso de circulación and plates, and fit the plates.

Frequently asked questions

Do I pay VAT when I bring a used car from another EU country?

No, a private individual pays no Spanish VAT on a used EU car, because VAT was already paid in the origin country. The exception is a car under 6 months old or with fewer than 6,000 km, which counts as new and owes VAT in Spain.

Do I still pay registration tax on a used car?

Yes, registration tax (impuesto de matriculación) still applies to used cars, but it is reduced for the car's age. It depends on the car's CO2 emissions and is declared once on modelo 576, with no yearly repeat.

Which fees do I pay besides the registration tax?

You pay the Tráfico fee for first registration and plates, plus a separate fee to the ITV station for the import inspection. The Tráfico fee is paid with your DGT application, and each region sets the ITV fee.

What does the import ITV inspection check?

The import ITV checks the car's identification (VIN and plates), its documents, and that it matches its approval. It also checks lights, brakes and emissions, and foreign headlamps may need adjusting.