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ESCAENPA

Bringing it to Spain

You’ve bought the car. Now you need to bring it over, and there are two ways.

DrivingWith temporary plates from the origin country (in Germany, the Kurzzeitkennzeichen, valid a few days) and their insurance. You pay fuel, tolls and the trip there. You test the car on the way, but you add mileage.
On a car transporterA transport company collects it and drops it in Spain. From Germany it usually costs around €600-1,200, depending on distance and company. Get several quotes and make sure it’s insured.

Deadlines

  • Once the car enters Spain, you have about 3 months to complete the registration paperwork.
  • The COC can take several weeks if the seller doesn’t have it: ask the brand early.
  • A full import usually takes 3 to 6 weeks.

If it comes from outside the EU

A car from Switzerland, the UK, the US or Japan goes through customs: you pay a duty (generally 10% for passenger cars) and 21% VAT on the value of the car plus transport and duty. Then you need the import certificate (H1), which replaced the old DUA, to register it. That’s why importing from outside the EU hardly ever pays, except for special cars.

Before buying, call an ITV station in your province and ask what they need for that specific car: whether it has a COC, whether it has modifications (exhaust, wheels, suspension) and how much it costs.