Will your foreign car pass Spanish approval and ITV?

Key rules

• Ship last: Confirm your conformity papers or approval route before you ship the car.
• COC: A certificate of conformity from the manufacturer is the simplest route to registration.
• Emissions: Cars that cannot meet Spanish emissions rules are often refused.
• Fees: ITV and administrative fees are set by each region, so ask locally.

Check this first: does your car have a certificate of conformity?

The simplest case is a car with an EU certificate of conformity (COC), issued by the manufacturer. If you have one, the car was built to EU rules and you normally only need the ITV station to issue its Spanish technical data sheet. If you have no COC, you may still have options, but they take more time and money. Decide before you ship.

Most cars built for the EU market have a COC. Cars built for the US, Japan or other markets often do not.

If you have no COC

Try these in order:

1. Ask the manufacturer or its Spanish representative for a certificate of conformity duplicate.
2. If a duplicate is not available, ask for a manufacturer's statement of conformity.
3. If neither exists, ask an ITV station whether it can issue a ficha técnica reducida after checking the car against your foreign registration.
4. Otherwise you need individual approval (homologación individual).

Which route is accepted depends on your vehicle and on the ITV station, so ask before you ship.

How individual approval works

A car without EU type approval or a valid COC must get individual approval before it can be registered.

1. A vehicle-testing laboratory or accredited engineering body prepares a technical report showing the car meets EU rules.
2. The car is inspected and tested, usually at an ITV station or an approved laboratory.
3. The report goes to your region's industry department (Industria).
4. The ITV then issues the ficha técnica reducida.
5. You pay the matriculation tax and register the car with Tráfico.

Expect weeks to a few months. This route suits a one-off import. For US-spec and other non-EU cars it is often impractical, so get a quote before you commit to shipping.

What usually has to change

Non-EU cars, especially US-spec ones, often need:

• Headlights with a European dipped-beam pattern.
• A rear fog light, and white or amber indicators.
• A speedometer that shows km/h.
• Emissions compliance: proof of the Euro standard, a catalytic converter or a particulate filter.
• Correct seat-belt and tyre markings, a metric-unit dashboard and suitable mirrors.
• Noise-level documentation.

Cars that cannot meet the emissions rules are often refused. Check this point first, because it is the hardest to fix.

What it costs

The cost has three parts: the engineering or laboratory report, any tests (emissions, noise, lighting), and the administrative and ITV fees. The report and tests usually make up most of the total. Prices depend on the car, the number of tests and the laboratory, so ask for a quote that lists each test.

The import ITV inspection fee is set by each region. It is usually somewhat higher than a routine inspection. Ask the regional ITV operator for the current figure.

The documents list, the checklist and the questions below cover what to gather and ask.

Documents you need

• EU certificate of conformity (COC) for the car, as issued by the manufacturer. It is the simplest route if your car has one.

• Certificate of conformity duplicate from the manufacturer or its Spanish representative, if you have no COC.

• Manufacturer's statement of conformity, if a duplicate is not available.

• Foreign registration document, so the ITV station can check the car against it and issue the ficha técnica reducida (the reduced technical data sheet) if no manufacturer paper exists.

• Engineer's or laboratory report showing the car meets EU rules, needed for individual approval (homologación individual) when the car has no EU type approval or valid certificate of conformity.

• Proof of emissions compliance (Euro standard, catalytic converter or particulate filter) and noise-level documentation, for non-EU-spec cars.

Checklist

• Check whether your car has an EU certificate of conformity before you ship it.

• Ask a vehicle-testing laboratory or accredited engineering body for a quote for individual approval if no conformity paper is available.

Check the current costs with a laboratory, the regional Industria department and the regional ITV operator.

Frequently asked questions

What can I do if my car has no certificate of conformity?

You can ask the manufacturer or its Spanish representative for a certificate of conformity duplicate or a statement of conformity. If neither is available, the ITV station may issue a reduced technical data sheet (ficha técnica reducida) after checking the car against its foreign registration. Which route is accepted depends on your car and the ITV station.

How long does individual approval take?

Individual approval (homologación individual) typically takes weeks to a few months. The time depends on the laboratory report, the tests and the regional industry department (Industria). It is mainly worth it for one-off imports, and for non-EU or US-spec cars it is often impractical.

What does individual approval cost?

The cost has three parts: the engineering or laboratory report, any required tests (emissions, noise, lighting), and the administrative and ITV fees. The report and tests usually make up most of the cost. Ask a laboratory for a quote before you ship the car.

Is the import ITV inspection more expensive than a normal one?

The import ITV inspection is usually somewhat higher than a routine periodic inspection. Each region sets its own fee, so it varies by region and by type of inspection.