How to import a used car to Spain

Summary of the steps

1. Before you buy, ask for the car’s original documents and check whether the sale will come with an invoice from a dealer or a sale contract between private individuals.
2. When you buy, keep the invoice showing the dealer’s VAT number or the contract you will need to present in Spain.
3. Bring the car to Spain and keep the purchase documents. If you need to drive it while waiting for permanent registration, check the DGT’s temporary permit options.
4. Go to an ITV centre with the technical documents. The centre will inspect the car and issue its Spanish ITV inspection certificate.
5. Sort out the taxes before registering it: any registration tax due and the municipal vehicle tax. A private sale also requires documents relating to the Impuesto sobre Transmisiones Patrimoniales (Transfer Tax).
6. Apply to the DGT for registration. Once you have the registration number and vehicle registration certificate, you can buy the number plates.

The official registration guide places the ITV before the taxes and the application to the DGT at the end. Gather proof for each stage before starting the next.

VAT and customs when buying in another EU country

For VAT purposes, a car is used if more than six months have passed since its first registration and it has covered more than 6,000 km. It must meet both conditions, according to the Agencia Tributaria. Check the date and mileage before paying: describing it as “second-hand” in the advert does not by itself determine its tax treatment.

If, as a private individual, you buy a car that counts as used for VAT purposes in another EU country and bring it to mainland Spain or the Balearic Islands, the move does not in itself mean an additional VAT payment is due. Nor is customs duty payable for moving it within the EU customs territory. These rules are explained by Your Europe.

A car that does not meet both conditions for being used may be considered a new means of transport for VAT purposes. In that case, a purchase from another Member State is subject to VAT in Spain for mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands, even if private individuals are involved, according to the Agencia Tributaria. Confirm the procedure that applies to your purchase with it before submitting the registration documents.

Documents to ask the seller for

Ask for the vehicle’s original documents and keep them: they are needed to register it in Spain. Before completing the purchase, make sure you will receive them with the car. The General Access Point expressly reminds you to keep the originals.

The proof of purchase depends on who is selling the car:

• Dealer in another EU country: ask for an invoice showing their VAT number. This is the detail required for this situation by the General Vehicle Regulations.
• Private seller: keep the sale contract. The DGT asks you to submit it with a translation and the documents for the Impuesto sobre Transmisiones Patrimoniales (Transfer Tax).

For the technical documents, ask for the Certificate of Conformity, known as the CoC. The DGT identifies the ficha reducida (shortened technical specification sheet) as an alternative to requesting the certificate of conformity from the manufacturer. Before you go, check with the ITV centre which technical documents you need to bring for your car.

Step by step: ITV, taxes and Spanish registration

1. Get the Spanish ITV inspection certificate. Take the car to an ITV centre for the inspection required as part of this process. The centre inspects it and gives you the ITV certificate in Spanish format, according to the General Access Point. Keep this certificate for the next steps.

2. Sort out registration tax. Its official name is Impuesto Especial sobre Determinados Medios de Transporte (Special Tax on Certain Means of Transport). The Agencia Tributaria provides Form 576 for self-assessment. The applicable return must be filed before permanent registration, according to the official tax information.

3. Provide proof of municipal tax. Before registering the vehicle, you must provide proof that the Impuesto sobre Vehículos de Tracción Mecánica (Motor Vehicle Tax) has been paid, unless an exemption applies. This is set out in the Local Finance Regulation Act. If you bought from a private individual, also prepare the translated contract and the documents for the Impuesto sobre Transmisiones Patrimoniales requested by the DGT.

4. Apply to the DGT for registration. Submit the vehicle documents, Spanish ITV inspection certificate, proof of purchase and applicable tax documents. The official sequence ends with this application, which results in the registration number and vehicle registration certificate.

5. Buy the number plates. Once the number has been assigned and the vehicle registration certificate issued, use those documents to obtain the physical number plates, as the DGT explains.

How much it costs to import and register the car

Registration tax on a used car is based on its market value when the tax becomes due, according to the Agencia Tributaria. The applicable rate depends on official CO₂ emissions and the autonomous community where you live, according to the General Access Point. You cannot apply one fixed figure to all cars. Enter your car’s details in the registration tax calculator.

The DGT showed a fee of €99.77 for registering an imported passenger car when checked on 4 November 2026. Also allow for municipal tax, unless exempt, and any other taxes due on the purchase. Get quotes for the ITV, number plates and transport. Check each amount for your case in the Spain import calculator.

The following example estimates the cost of buying a car in Germany and registering it in Spain. The calculation uses prices advertised by professional sellers, which may not match the final sale prices.

What a typical 2025 Porsche 911 costs, bought from Germany and registered in Spain

What a typical 2025 Porsche 911 costs, bought from Germany and registered in Spain

Cost	Amount
Price paid to the seller	€152,300
Registration tax (IEDMT, Modelo 576)Estimate: the asking price stands in for the Spanish market value (Ley 38/1992 art. 69). Enter the Hacienda table value of the exact model (Orden HAC/1501/2025, Annex I) to use the official tables instead.Estimate: the denominator uses the state IEDMT rate of the first-registration date; a community's own historical rate, where it had one, is not loaded (a small difference in the base).	€5,753
Transport (open truck)Transport estimate is low-confidence until dated quotes are collected.	€900 – €1,600
ITV inspection before registration (incl. ITV card)Estimate: Andalusia's official tariff for this fuel (EUR 152.16 with the ITV card, VAT and the DGT record fee); other communities set their own price.	€152
DGT registration fee (tasa 1.1)	€100
Number plates (pair)No official tariff: a market estimate. Replace it with a quote.	€20 – €45
Total landed cost	€159,225 – €159,950
Median asking price of the same model, year and fuel in Spain	€188,400
Landed total against that median	€28,450 – €29,175 below

The median covers all mileages of that model, year and fuel, across 18 listings in Spain: a market benchmark, not the price of an identical car.

Assumptions

Purchase price

€152,300, the asking-price median of 126 cars in Germany in our data dated 4 Nov 2026.

First registration

June 2025 (assumed month)

Mileage (origin median)

10,000 km

Fuel (most listed for this model and year)

Petrol

Engine size and CO₂

1,498 cm³ and 135 g/km WLTP. Typical assumptions, not listing data.

Seller VAT

Unknown. The calculator shows a range when VAT treatment changes the cost.

Transport

Truck, using the calculator's route estimate.

Planned registration date

2026-12-04

• Seller VAT status unknown: the range covers a VAT-deductible and a margin-scheme listing.

Change these assumptions

How to bring the car to Spain

You can arrange to have it transported to Spain. If you want to drive it, check with the registration authority in the country of origin which documents and number plates allow the journey, and check the insurance conditions. Before setting off, confirm with the relevant authorities whether temporary plates allow you to drive through every country on your route.

Once in Spain, if the car is awaiting permanent registration, the DGT offers a temporary permit with green plates. Its official page states that the permit is valid for 60 days and costs €20.61; these figures and the validity period were checked on 4 November 2026. Check the issue conditions before relying on this option. The temporary permit is separate from permanent registration. For regular use by residents, failing to apply for permanent registration in Spain within thirty days of starting to use the vehicle in Spain makes the vehicle liable for registration tax.

Documents checklist by stage

If a document for the car or sale is missing, check with the DGT which proof it accepts in your case before submitting the application.

After registration

Keep the car covered by compulsory insurance. The motor vehicle insurance law requires the owner to insure a vehicle normally kept in Spain.

The Impuesto sobre Vehículos de Tracción Mecánica (Motor Vehicle Tax) is annual. It is paid in the municipality where the car’s tax address is registered on 1 January of the relevant year; each council sets the payment dates in its by-laws, according to the information on local taxes. Check your council’s payment calendar.

Periodic ITV inspections also continue after registration. For a private passenger car, the General Access Point sets the first inspection at four years from first registration and, after that, every two years until annual inspections apply. Passenger cars over ten years old have an ITV every year, according to the inspection regulations; periods checked on 4 November 2026. Use the car’s first registration date, even if it was registered outside Spain.