# Buying a French plated car and taking it to Spain



## mattk1 (Jun 20, 2015)

Hi everyone,

First off I apologise if this has been asked before only I can't see very well on my little phone screen 

I'm currently in the UK and looking for a left hand drive car to take over to my house in Spain.

I've found a French registered car in the UK for a decent price and I'm thinking of taking a look at it.

I'm concerned however that because it's French registered I may be in for some unexpected surprises or costs.

Can anyone shed some light for me? Would I be better off looking for a Spanish registered car here in the UK?

Thanks in advance for any hints or tips


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## peedee (Aug 30, 2015)

Bought a LHD french registered car from the LHD centre in Basingstoke. They re-registered to UK plates to MOT and insure. We then drove it down and will re-register to Spanish plates in a couple of months time. 
The car has all the conformity documents for registration in Spain.
Spoke to a gestor - not expecting any problems.


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## mattk1 (Jun 20, 2015)

Thank you peedee 

I was wondering did you have to re-register the car by law in the UK? Th ecar I have found has a few months of French equivalent MOT you see so I may be able to bypass that step

Cheers


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## davexf (Jan 26, 2009)

Hola

There is a considerable cost difference in importing a foreign car or re-registering a Spanish car - upwards of 600€. 

Davexf


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## peedee (Aug 30, 2015)

davexf said:


> Hola
> 
> There is a considerable cost difference in importing a foreign car or re-registering a Spanish car - upwards of 600€.
> 
> Davexf


If you own it for less than 60 days I'm told there's a 1000€ tax hence waiting a couple of months otherwise I'm told (again) it's the Spanish MoT.
We'll see


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## peedee (Aug 30, 2015)

mattk1 said:


> Thank you peedee
> 
> I was wondering did you have to re-register the car by law in the UK? Th ecar I have found has a few months of French equivalent MOT you see so I may be able to bypass that step
> 
> Cheers


Don't know the answer to that as it wasn't an option for us but I would have thought that if you're a UK resident than you would need to tax and insure it as such and therefore need a UK MoT - but that's only my guess


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

I bought a car, LHD, also from the LHD Centre in Basingstoke. Mine was on Spanish plates. They supplied all the required paperwork, it was delivered to me in the Czech Republic and I drove it to Spain and registered it in my name for around 160€, I think- I used a gestor.
The whole process was problem- free and I have had seven years of equally problem - free driving of the car, a LR Discovery.
I cannot recommend the LHD Centre too highly!


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

mattk1 said:


> Thank you peedee
> 
> I was wondering did you have to re-register the car by law in the UK? Th ecar I have found has a few months of French equivalent MOT you see so I may be able to bypass that step
> 
> Cheers


No. But look for a car on Spanish plates, from a reputable dealer like the one in Basingstoke.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

peedee said:


> If you own it for less than 60 days I'm told there's a 1000€ tax hence waiting a couple of months otherwise I'm told (again) it's the Spanish MoT.
> We'll see


Actually, you have to have owned it for 6 months prior to exporting it to another EU country. If you haven't, then you have to pay what we tend to call 'import tax'. This is certainly not fixed at 1000€ but is based on the car itself.

What do you mean by "it's the Spanish MOT"?



> Don't know the answer to that as it wasn't an option for us but I would have thought that if you're a UK resident than you would need to tax and insure it as such and therefore need a UK MoT - but that's only my guess


As a UK resident, you can NOT drive a foreign plated vehicle that you own in UK! To tax and MOT the French vehicle, it would first have to go on UK plates etc.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

snikpoh said:


> As a UK resident, you can NOT drive a foreign plated vehicle that you own! To tax and MOT the French vehicle, it would first have to go on UK plates etc.


My son kept a French-plated Discovery he used solely for driving to Switzerland on skiing trips. It was totally legal in France, passed all requirements and he kept it garaged when not in use en route to the Tunnel and back.
He had no problems whatsoever.


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## davexf (Jan 26, 2009)

Hola

you have to have owned the car for one year not to pay the first registration tax (import duty) even if you rematriculate it with the 60 days of getting a padron. 

If you buy a Spanish car then it is relatively simple - otherwise any other foreign car is fraught with the paper chase that is Spain - made a little simpler if you have a certificate of European conformity. 

Davexf


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

davexf said:


> Hola
> 
> you have to have owned the car for one year not to pay the first registration tax (import duty) even if you rematriculate it with the 60 days of getting a padron.
> 
> ...


It used to be 6 months - has this now changed to 12?


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

mrypg9 said:


> My son kept a French-plated Discovery he used solely for driving to Switzerland on skiing trips. It was totally legal in France, passed all requirements and he kept it garaged when not in use en route to the Tunnel and back.
> He had no problems whatsoever.


Sure - I should have said that a UK resident can NOT drive a non-UK plated vehicle in UK.


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## davexf (Jan 26, 2009)

snikpoh said:


> It used to be 6 months - has this now changed to 12?


Hola

It always has been 12 months as far as I can remember (12 years) - well at least it has in the Cádiz region of the Hacienda. 

Davexf


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## mattk1 (Jun 20, 2015)

Hi everyone, 

Thanks for all the replies! 

The car sold before I even had a chance to look at it properly and in hindsight I'm glad it went. The whole process of taking the French registered car to Spain was beginning to look costly and confusing lol..

I'll keep my eyes peeled for a Spanish registered car from now on 

Cheers again everyone! And hope you all have a good new year


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