Bringing a car to Spain: re-registration & the ITV test

If you move here with a car you'll have to put it on Spanish plates — and every car here needs the ITV roadworthiness test. Here's how both work, and why most people use a gestor.

The short version

Once you're resident, you can't keep driving on foreign plates for long — the car must be re-registered in Spain (matriculación).
Re-registration means an ITV inspection, sometimes type-approval (homologación), and paying registration tax — a gestor usually handles it.
Separately, every car in Spain needs a periodic ITV (the equivalent of an MOT / TÜV).

Bringing your car — do you have to re-register it?

If you're a visitor, you can drive your foreign-plated car normally. But once you become resident in Spain, driving a foreign-plated vehicle long-term is not allowed and is heavily fined. You have only a short window after establishing residence to put it on Spanish plates — check the current limit, as it's tight.

For many people, especially with an older or unusual car, it's worth asking whether re-registering is even worth the cost before shipping a car over.

Re-registering a foreign car (matriculación), step by step

Type-approval (homologación) if needed — proving the car meets Spanish/EU standards. Cars already sold in the EU are usually straightforward; others can be slow and costly.
ITV inspection to certify the vehicle is roadworthy and matches its papers.
Pay the taxes (see below) and register the vehicle with the DGT / Tráfico.
Receive your Spanish documentation (permiso de circulación and ficha técnica) and fit Spanish plates.
Switch to a Spanish insurance policy.

The costs

Registration tax (IEDMT) — based on the car's CO₂ emissions: 0% for the cleanest cars, rising to around 14.75% for the highest-emitting.
Import duty and IVA may apply if the car comes from outside the EU.
Plus ITV, homologación and gestor fees, and the municipal road tax below.

The residence-change exemption

If you're moving your residence to Spain and have owned the car for at least six months beforehand (and meet the conditions), you may be exempt from the registration tax. It's one of the main things a gestor will check for you.

The ITV (Spain's MOT)

Every car on Spanish plates needs a periodic ITV (Inspección Técnica de Vehículos).

How often

New cars: no ITV for the first 4 years.
4 to 10 years old: every 2 years.
Over 10 years old: every year.

What they check, and what to bring

They inspect brakes, lights, steering, tyres, emissions and that the car matches its papers.
Bring your permiso de circulación, the ficha técnica (tarjeta ITV), your insurance and the previous ITV certificate.
Pass and you get a windscreen sticker and a stamped card; fail and you fix the faults and return for a re-check.

Cost and where

The test itself is modest — roughly €35–50 plus a small fee.
The Costa Tropical's ITV station is in Motril; book a slot online or by phone, as summer gets busy.
Driving with an expired ITV risks a fine and problems with your insurer after an accident.

A note on right-hand-drive cars

You can register a UK right-hand-drive car in Spain, but headlights and sometimes other details must be adjusted, and resale value here is low. Many people decide it's simpler to sell up before moving and buy locally.

A few tips

Use a gestor for the re-registration — it's a paperwork-heavy process and they know the exemptions.
Check the residence-change tax exemption before you pay anything.
Don't let your ITV lapse — set a reminder; the sticker shows the month and year.
If your car is old or unusual, price up homologación first — it can cost more than the car is worth.