More and more Spaniards decide to travel to other countries of the European Union (EU) –France, Italy, Germany… – to acquire a second-hand car, because the wide range of vehicles from some brands in certain countries makes it easy to find cars with large price differences with respect to the Spanish market. The economic savings that are achieved in this type of purchase exceeds the expenses derived from the transport and the necessary time, so it ends up being worth it. However, we must bear in mind that the seller will always try to get the most out of the purchase operation – which does not mean that he is going to deceive us. For this reason, it is important to know what we must require, what documentation we will need and how we should make the payment so as not to have problems when we arrive in Spain and start driving behind the wheel of our new vehicle.
First steps
Once we have the vehicle in front of us, one of the first things we should do is check the chassis number , which we will find on the body of the vehicle itself and which must match the one that appears in the car’s documentation. In addition, we also have to check that the car has a valid ITV, so as not to have problems when bringing the vehicle by road to Spain. Other essential documents for the registration of the car are the circulation permit and the technical inspection card, thanks to which we can find useful information such as changes of ownership or the records of possible accidents.
We also need the certificate of conformity (COC), which certifies that the car is homologated in the EU. Although it is true that it is not a document that the seller must deliver, it is also true that it is preferable to get it so as not to have to obtain the similar document and, as a consequence, assume the expense that it entails. In the event that the car has been purchased at a dealer, the purchase invoice will be required, where all the information about the car is found. On the other hand, in the event that it has been purchased from a private individual, it will be necessary for us to formalize a sales contract, which must contain detailed information about both the buyer and the seller.
Taxes and fees
Once the vehicle has arrived in Spain, it will have to pass the technical inspection of the national territory at any station, where they will provide us with the technical file of the car, essential for registration at the Traffic Headquarters. Then, you will have to pay the fees in the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) and the Tax on Mechanical Traction Vehicles, in addition to the Tax on Patrimonial Transmissions and Legal Acts , in case of having bought the car from an individual. The last step is to acquire the Spanish registration plate, install it in the new car and make an appointment at the Provincial Headquarters of the DGT to pay the registration fee. Then, we will only have to look for the insurance that best suits us according to our needs, and start enjoying our new car!
