# Driving a UK car in Spain? More than 6 months?



## eastie_lover (Dec 7, 2010)

Hi I've been trying to find an answer to this, I drove down to Spain in July with my UK car, I then left the car in an underground garage (owned by a family member). I was there for about a month. The car has now been in Spain for exactly 6 months. (I didn’t plan to leave the car down there I was planning on driving it back after my holiday but due to unforeseen circumstances I wasn’t able to). 

I will be going down in a few weeks and just wondering where I stand legally? As technically the car hasn't be driven since the summer however has obviously been on Spanish soil for 6 months.

Can I just drive across to say Gibraltar/Portugal & "reset the allowance"? 

I was aiming to use the car when I'm down there next month, then fly back to the UK, returning to Spain a couple months later to take the car back to the UK when I have enough time. 

Thanks for any help


----------



## eastie_lover (Dec 7, 2010)

I forgot to add I'm not resident in Spain as I only ever visit a couple times a year. I obviously don't want to reregister the car in Spain as it isn't staying there.

Also, if it is illegal, what is the fine/punishment for being there longer than the allowed time scale?


----------



## andoba (Jan 12, 2014)

The law regulating vehicles with foreign plates in Spain are the December 28th 1992's 38/1992 law, which states, among many other things:



38/1992 Law said:


> d) *Estará sujeta al impuesto la circulación o utilización en España* de los medios de transporte a que se refieren los apartados anteriores, cuando no se haya solicitado su matriculación definitiva en España conforme a lo previsto en la disposición adicional primera, *dentro del plazo de los 30 días siguientes al inicio de su utilización en España. Este plazo se extenderá a 60 días cuando se trate de medios de transporte que se utilicen en España como consecuencia del traslado de la residencia habitual de su titular al territorio español.*





38/1992 Law in English said:


> The use or circulation of the vehicles in Spain will be liable to the imposition those which are in the term of *30 days* after the start of it's use in Spain, *extending to 60 days* if the consequence of it's use is the *movement of the vehicle's holder main home to the spanish territory*.





38/1992 Law said:


> Actuación con vehículo extranjero y conductor no residente:
> 
> Pueden circular con las placas extranjeras hasta un máximo de 6 meses (residencia normal). A partir de este momento debería iniciar la matriculación española. En caso contrario se procedería igualmente a formular denuncia.





38/1992 Law in English said:


> Protocol for non-resident driver and vehicle with foreign license plates:
> 
> Vehicles may circulate with foreign plates for a maximum of 6 months. After said moment, the vehicle must be registered with spanish license plates. In case it doesn't, fine will occur.


Basically, you aren't allowed to drive it anymore and legally you must get spanish plates for it or tow it out of the country. But as everything in Spain the law and it's actual enforcement are very different things.

There're thousands of ex-pats living in Spain that came with their vehicles and have been using them here for years with their original plates, as well as many people drives without an up-to-date ITV (MOT) inspection.

It's up to you whether you want to take the risk or not, I'm sure that someone here will have first hand experience on the topic.


----------



## davexf (Jan 26, 2009)

Hola

I´d book a ferry ticket and drive back (making sure you´ve got insurance). There are thousands of UK plated cars here that have been here for more than 6 months. Yes it is illegal but with the ferry document, you are likely to get away with it as the police are unlikely to check when it came into the country 

Davexf


----------



## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

andoba said:


> The law regulating vehicles with foreign plates in Spain are the December 28th 1992's 38/1992 law, which states, among many other things:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



actually......

since the OP *isn't *resident in Spain, as long as the car is road-legal (tax/mot/insurance) then there should be no issues with him driving it back to the UK - & as davexf says, make sure you have ferry /plane tickets in case you're stopped & need to prove that you aren't resident


----------



## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

In Spain the car cannot be DRIVEN for more than 6 months but it can stay here as long as it is legal & it is the person driving who the time period depends on. For the original poster as they were only here a month in 2013 they would still have had 5 months left but the clock resets at year end so they have no problem with the 1st 6 months of 2014. 
Spain differs from the UK in that it is the person driving & not the vehicle that has the 6 months & additionally you can actually drive it for a year if it is the last 6 months of one year & first 6 months of the next year. Proof of non-residency would need to be carried though. 
In the UK it is a straight 6 months for the vehicle then it has to be taken out of the country or re-plated.
Just carry your incoming flight details with you when you are driving it before going home.


----------

