Import your own, or buy in Spain?? - Driving, hiring, buying and owning a car in Los Alcázares - Los Alcázares forum - Costa Cálida forum in the Murcia province of Spain
ASSSA Insurance
Jennifer Cunningham Insurances SL
Los Alcazares car repair  service

Join the Los Alcázares forum

Join the Los Alcázares forumMy name's Alex and this is my website all about Los Alcázares in Spain. Register now for free to talk about Driving, hiring, buying and owning a car in Los Alcázares and much more!

Import your own, or buy in Spain??

Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2023 12:53pm
4 replies102 views3 members subscribed
Kirky71

Posts: 16

1 helpful points

Location: Los Alcázares

Joined: 28 Dec 2021

Has anyone used any of the companies who say they can arrange the paying of taxes, SUMA, ITV etc when importing your own car? Looking for a reliable company but the couple I have spoken to so far seem as dodgy as hell!!

Additionally, trying to work out if it is easier/cheaper to buy in LA, than it is to bring my old car over from the UK.

Any help/advice/horror stories appreciated.

Thanks

Ian

RichT

Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2023 1:06pm

RichT

Super helpful member

Posts: 1134

1258 helpful points

Location: Lorca

Joined: 13 Sep 2019

Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2023 1:06pm

Firstly, you need to be left-hand drive if driving here regularly - ease of use at car park barriers, toll booths, etc.; but more importantly safety, particularly when overtaking.

If you did import your car, (unless it is a one-off import on your permanent move to Spain) you need to pay Import Duty which is based on a depreciation at 10% per year against the original cost of the car when new, multiplied by a % tax based on the car emissions {e.g. not real rates, but close) - car £30k new, 5 years old, so £15k x 19% tax = approx. £3k tax}. Even if your car is old, I'm sure there will still be Import Duty to pay, particularly as it won't comply with Euro 6 emissions. 

You also need to have the car matriculated onto Spanish registration, take an ITV (MOT) and potentially change the headlights - average cost for this is around £1k. And you still have the inconvenience of driving a RHD car here. So, unless you have a car that you have a special attachment to, it's generally not worth it - you would be better selling the car in the UK and buying a Spanish reg LHD car here.

www.car-registrations-spain.com should be able to provide the required information - although they did initially provide me with inaccurate information and I didn't use them.

Hope this helps!


Kirky71

Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2023 5:20pm

Kirky71

Original Poster

Posts: 16

1 helpful points

Location: Los Alcázares

Joined: 28 Dec 2021

Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2023 5:20pm

RichT wrote on Wed Apr 19, 2023 1:06pm:

Firstly, you need to be left-hand drive if driving here regularly - ease of use at car park barriers, toll booths, etc.; but more importantly safety, particularly when overtaking.

If you did import your car, (unless it is a one-off import on your permanent move to Spain) you need to pay Import Duty which is based on a depreciation at 10% per year against the original cost of the car when new, multiplied by a % tax based on the car emissions {e.g. not real rates, but close)...

... - car £30k new, 5 years old, so £15k x 19% tax = approx. £3k tax}. Even if your car is old, I'm sure there will still be Import Duty to pay, particularly as it won't comply with Euro 6 emissions. 

You also need to have the car matriculated onto Spanish registration, take an ITV (MOT) and potentially change the headlights - average cost for this is around £1k. And you still have the inconvenience of driving a RHD car here. So, unless you have a car that you have a special attachment to, it's generally not worth it - you would be better selling the car in the UK and buying a Spanish reg LHD car here.

www.car-registrations-spain.com should be able to provide the required information - although they did initially provide me with inaccurate information and I didn't use them.

Hope this helps!


Thanks for the advice Rich, appreciated. 

Ian

Karina67

Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2023 6:57pm

Posts: 6

6 helpful points

Location: Los Alcázares

Joined: 1 Sep 2022

Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2023 6:57pm

Hi,

Yes I used to help people import their cars to Spain, before Brexit!

If you are bringing in a car which has a COC document (certificate of european conformity) it is much easier.  Any special sports car or something unusual can be impossible to import because they do not have the Conformity Detailes registered in Spain.

All reasonably new cars come with a COC document.  

Let me know if you want some help, I live near LA.

Karina

Karina67

Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2023 7:06pm

Posts: 6

6 helpful points

Location: Los Alcázares

Joined: 1 Sep 2022

Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2023 7:06pm

Karina67 wrote on Wed Apr 19, 2023 6:57pm:

Hi,

Yes I used to help people import their cars to Spain, before Brexit!

If you are bringing in a car which has a COC document (certificate of european conformity) it is much easier.  Any special sports car or something unusual can be impossible to import because they do not have the Conformity Detailes registered in Spain.

All reasonably new cars come with a COC document.  

Let me know if you want some help, I live near LA.

Karina

Sorry forgot to say, you can still import a car but it must have the COC document mentioned in my previous email and you must have the original receipt for the purchase of the vehicle.  Also it MUST be in your name on the UK documentation. 

I can still do these imports and it is not really that complicated.  It is possible to find out the import taxes if you have a particular vehicle in mind.   I only need to be with you on one day to do the ITV (MOT) which will be around 200€ and then pay the taxes at the solicitor.  The new plates will take around 1 week.

Karina

Sign up for free or login to reply to this topic

Want to reply to this topic? Login or register for free to post your message:

Find more Driving, hiring, buying and owning a car topics from a particular area:


Register for free!

Login to your account

ASSSA Insurance
Jennifer Cunningham Insurances SL
Los Alcazares car repair  service
Advertise your business here
Advertise your property
Help with my computer