Vehicles in Spain

If you are going to keep your car here for more than six months a year it is best not to bring your British registered car with you. Many make the mistake of buying a left hand drive car in the UK driving it down and continue driving it on English plates. This is like a red rag to a bull for the Spanish Police. It will not be long before you are stopped and warned to get it reregistered onto Spanish Plates or else they will simply confiscate the vehicle.

If you are not going to take up residency but wish to leave an UK registered vehicle here (Left or right hand drive) for your use when here, then this is OK for 6 months in a year but the problems start when you get stopped by the police and the vehicle has been here for more than 6 months. If you want to do this safely there is a very complicate procedure to bond the car i.e.put it out of use while you are not here. This means that friends and visitors cannot use it. Furthermore, you will have to keep insuring the car either in the UK or in Gibraltar and when it is ready for an MOT you will have to take it back to the UK in order to get it tested and licenced with annual Road Tax. It is simply best to buy a Spanish Car.

Transferring a car on to Spanish plates is a very simple affair which costs for a car that was manufactured in Europe some €350 depending on the engine size and fuel type. However if the car was imported into the UK from the USA or you have come from outside the EU the replating can be very expensive and involve a trip to the Spanish Vehicle Inspection Offices in Madrid or Tarragona with no guarantee that the vehicle will be passed. The cost of this will be in the region of €2000 or more when you add on the costs of the trip etc. Either way your Gestor will advise you on the correct procedures.

If your Spanish is good enough and you fancy sitting in a long queue at the nearest Traffic Office you can do all this yourself for about €30.

To buy a car in Spain is normally 35% cheaper than in the UK. If you do want a top of the range model be very sure about the qualilty of the local servicing capabilities. In Spain the mechanics know about Citroens, Renaults, Nissans and Seats, outside of this range you really need to go to the nearest main dealer where you bought the car, to be assured of the right servicing.

Be very wary about buying a second hand car from a lot. Many have had the clocks wound back, or have been stolen in another country and may have problems with the paperwork. In Spain it is very important to have the car registered in your name while you own it but even more important to have it transferred to the new owner when you sell it. Have your Gestor do this just to be sure, it costs about €130. If you do not make sure that the new owner has reregistered the vehicle in his name then you will still be liable for any parking tickets and in the event of an accident involving injured persons you could be held liable for any damages. Buy your car from a main dealer or one that a friend can recommend or from the SPOG vehicle directory. If you come across dodgy car dealers or mechanics submit their names for inclusion in the SPOG Rogues Gallery. roguesgallery@spog.org

Keeping a car in top highly polished showroom condition in Spain is very difficult. The sun and salty air rapidly attack the paintwork. Parking in narrow streets might be a simple matter for you but the folks in the old bangers really do not care about your paintwork and neither do the delivery wagons or the kids with keys in hand creating artistic masterpieces on your bonnet.

All you need to buy a car from the administrative side is, an NIE number and an escritura for your property and your passport. Again if you have any problems with the Garage your Gestor is the font of all knowledge for how to do all this properly.

Driving Licence.

Keep your UK driving licence, whatever happens. They are valid for much longer than Spanish driving licences and involve far fewer medicals and tests when you are over 70. If you are a resident of Spain you will need to go to the nearest Traffic Office (Trafico) and have your UK license stamped and your name added to the list of drivers in Spain. Your Gestor will do this for you for between €35 and €50.

Regretfully if you are stopped by the police who then express dissatisfaction about the type of licence that you have, this is normally due to the fact that the police do not actually know what the correct rules are. It is for these occassions that you need your Gestor. As soon as you inform the police that your Gestor is a local Spaniard and he is dealing with the matter they feel reassured that you are behaving like a responsible citizen and will let you go. Always carry your Gestors name and number with you when travelling by car.

Visitors should carry an international licence in addition to their UK licence. These are available from the AA in the UK. This is useful in that it has a translation of your licence in Spanish. Most Spanish policemen speak no English, this is purely a polite solution to help them do their job properly it is not a legal requirement.

Traffic Rules

Speeding

The speed limits which are as follows,

The speed limits may be exceeded by up to 20 kmh. But on the spot fines for non residents are very expensive starting at €60.

Parking

Fines start at €90 and often the vehicle is simply towed away in which case not only will you have the hassle of trying to find it but also have to pay a large fine and pay for the tow truck. Check the legality of any parking place, prior to stopping. If it is not clear do not stop.

Drinking and driving

The limit is about half of what it is in the UK and the fines are substantial, from €300 increasing for each level higher you are over the limit, but you won't lose your licence. The police are definately not so rampant in trying to catch drunk drivers, but if they do catch you it will cost a lot and you have to pay straight away, or they will simply confiscate your car.

Pedestrian Crossings

You may see a perfectly painted zebra crossing, but unless it has traffic lights controlling it it is not a right of way for pedestrians. Drivers have the priority.

Roundabouts

Roundabouts are very new here in Spain and Spanish drivers are very unsure as to who has priority. So whilst the rules might be the same as the UK that is priority is given to those already on the roundabout be aware that a Spanish driver may not be so familiar with the rules and be prepared to give way.

Traffic Lights and Oneway streets

Might be obeyed most of the time by regular drivers but moped drivers make up their own rules. So take care at all times never assume that they will stop or avoid you. With the many narrow streets and often non existing pavements in Spain, great care needs to be taken at all times as the street are used equally by all. Cars get dented very easily so do not expect your lovely new paintwork to stay lovely for very long. To a spaniard a car is just a way of getting around and not a status symbol.

MOT (ITV)

An MOT certificate is needed for vehicles over 4 years old. And then every 2 years until it is 10 years old then every year. Simply have your car checked out by your garage for a pre ITV then take it to the nearest ITV Testing station, book in and wait until you are called. (Listen out carefully for your registration number in Spanish). Then drive round into the testing area and follow the instructions of the Inspector. His sign language is quite good, but when hyou drive over the pìt for him to disappear underneath he will call "frenos" and "frenos a mano" for the brake and handbrake test. Izquierda is left and derecha is right. Luces are lights.

Insurance

Recently companies like Direct Line have been opening up here in Spain with all conversations and papers in English. Their prices are very reasonable and they will take on your UK no claims bonus providing that you have the papers to prove it. Brokers, Swiss Companies and even Spanish companies are not that cheap for all types of insurance.

Servicing

Trying to find a good mechanic is very difficult in Spain, it is always best to go to the dealer of your make of car for its servicing. This can be difficult if you have an expensive car and the garage is miles away. Most spaniards buy Renaults, Peugeots, Citroens or Seats, most mechanics can repair these. In Spain buying should always be done in conjunction with servicing. It is pointless buying any machine from a shop that will not take the responsibilty for fixing it when it goes wrong. This also applies to computer, airconditioning systems, water boilers, pool systems and electrical machines. Make sure you anything you buy can be fixed locally or be prepared to travel or wait.