# Mot



## Lambosvan (May 22, 2018)

I am doing an extended trip in my Motorhome and was chatting the other evening to another Motorhome user who spends the better part of his life in and around Alicante.
When I mentioned driving back to the UK for the MOT he said why not get it done here in Spain!!
Thinking this is probably a bit iffy, he went onto explain he has his done here and there has never been a problem with the DVLA and when coming to Tax the vehicle.
Its checked exactly the same as a UK MOT and will not pass if anything is suspect. Once done a normal certificate is produced and this can be check online with the DVLA web site.
I am going to see these people in the next few weeks and will pass on any info I find out but will not name them until I know all the facts.
Be interesting to hear from anyone who knows about this


----------



## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Lambosvan said:


> I am doing an extended trip in my Motorhome and was chatting the other evening to another Motorhome user who spends the better part of his life in and around Alicante.
> When I mentioned driving back to the UK for the MOT he said why not get it done here in Spain!!
> Thinking this is probably a bit iffy, he went onto explain he has his done here and there has never been a problem with the DVLA and when coming to Tax the vehicle.
> Its checked exactly the same as a UK MOT and will not pass if anything is suspect. Once done a normal certificate is produced and this can be check online with the DVLA web site.
> ...


COMPLETELY ILLEGAL.

The person issuing the MOT's is breaking all sorts of laws and will loose his licence if DVLA find out.


----------



## Monkey104 (Aug 24, 2014)

I would like to know how they are accessing the DVLA computer, or whose login they are using to update the MOT status.


----------



## bikerboy123 (Sep 30, 2018)

Monkey104 said:


> I would like to know how they are accessing the DVLA computer, or whose login they are using to update the MOT status.


maybe they know a dodgy 'mechanic' back in blighty that can access from a mot station the relevant DVLA web page print off a 'pass' and post it over to spain. I used to restore old motorcycles (these things were mint!) as a hobby back in England and whenever I took my bikes for a MOT the guy at the station used to say ''I'm not even going to insult you by testing that bike'' so we had a brew whilst the 45 minutes time allotted to carry out the test was up, job done, it's not even a 'proper' certificate anymore just a piece of paper as it's all logged at DVLA.


----------



## Relyat (Sep 29, 2013)

I have heard tell of this but not been able to find any details.

I hope it's one of those stories - "someone down the pub told me that....", if not I'd be happy to find out some more


----------



## Yorick (Jul 4, 2017)

All bollox.


----------



## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

Maybe the confusion comes from the new Spanish law on ITVs which states that an equivalent test in an EU country is valid as far as Spain is concerned, i.e. a Spanish car can have an MOT in the UK instead of the ITV in Spain, and the Spanish authorities will recognise this.

However, it doesn't work the other way around, if you take a UK registered vehicle to an ITV in Spain, they will test it and will issue a certificate if it passes, but it is a voluntary "for information only" certificate which is not legally valid.


----------



## Williams2 (Sep 15, 2013)

Overandout said:


> Maybe the confusion comes from the new Spanish law on ITVs which states that an equivalent test in an EU country is valid as far as Spain is concerned, i.e. a Spanish car can have an MOT in the UK instead of the ITV in Spain, and the Spanish authorities will recognise this.
> 
> However, it doesn't work the other way around, if you take a UK registered vehicle to an ITV in Spain, they will test it and will issue a certificate if it passes, but it is a voluntary "for information only" certificate which is not legally valid.


Does this mean that any Brit permanently resident in Spain who's attracted by an extended motoring holiday
in the UK and would ( in the past ) have said, No from taking an extended holiday break because
my ITV's due soon.
Can now say Yes to the extended holiday and no worries about the ITV because an MOT in the UK will do 
just as nicely.

Although saying that maybe he or she still has to present their MOT at the ITV centre to get it validated
in some way ( maybe ? ) in Spanish ?? upon their return.
Of course there's one big fly in the ointment using the British MOT example and that is the UK is
supposed to leave the EU by the end of October, except for the period before the UK finally leaves
the EU, if it happens or BoJo fumbles Brexit.

Which reminds - here's another fine mess Brexit has got us into - so yet another eg letter for your
British MP of how Brexit is doing British Expats a disservice.


----------



## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

Williams2 said:


> Does this mean that any Brit permanently resident in Spain who's attracted by an extended motoring holiday
> in the UK and would ( in the past ) have said, No from taking an extended holiday break because
> my ITV's due soon.
> Can now say Yes to the extended holiday and no worries about the ITV because an MOT in the UK will do
> ...


No, sadly not, I think my post was misleading. That is not the coverage that the new law gives. 

Previously, if you were to import a vehicle into Spain from another EU country, you would have had to pass the ITV before registering it, but under the new law, the SPanish authorities will recognise a valid EU equivalent of the ITV so that you don't have to pass the ITV in SPain at the time of registration. 

It doesn't mean that you can then get an "ITV" anywhere in Europe from there on. It's just the first one.


----------



## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

We owned a repairing garage and MOT testing station in the UK.

MOT certificates can only be issued by a recognised UK Testing Station.They have obviously been fraudulently used ...this can be done by exporting the printed cerficates and the UK testing station filling in the details and recording them with the relevant UK authority.
It’s illegal and enforces the impression that the motor trade is composed of dodgy geezers.
More examples of what an aquaintance referred to as ‘Britscum in Spain’.
I thought that was a bit harsh but I’m beginning to agree.


----------



## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Lambosvan said:


> I am doing an extended trip in my Motorhome and was chatting the other evening to another Motorhome user who spends the better part of his life in and around Alicante.
> When I mentioned driving back to the UK for the MOT he said why not get it done here in Spain!!
> Thinking this is probably a bit iffy, he went onto explain he has his done here and there has never been a problem with the DVLA and when coming to Tax the vehicle.
> Its checked exactly the same as a UK MOT and will not pass if anything is suspect. Once done a normal certificate is produced and this can be check online with the DVLA web site.
> ...


I’m thinking of producing a follow up to that series ‘Bargain loving Brits in the Sun’.
I’m going to call it ‘Dodgy Brit small time crooks living off scams in the Sun’
Seems like your aquaintance could pass on a few likely ‘stars’.


----------



## Juan C (Sep 4, 2017)

Be aware if one is resident i spain they are not permitted to drive a non Spanish registered vehicle.


----------



## Lambosvan (May 22, 2018)

Since I started this thread I have been doing a bit more research into this and have found out a number of things.
Firstly yes it is totally illegal but it is happening and a number of people who are doing this are charging anything from €150 /400.
Secondly it seems that the people involved do have a kosher garage in the UK and also a garage here in Spain who then do the test here and the paperwork which is all now done via computer it becomes an extension of their legitimate business back in the UK. 
Third, I have now met quite a number of motorhome people who have done this here and are happy to pay the money as the alternative is a €1500 round trip for a test that in all fairness could easily be done here in Spain. One motorhome owner explained to me that the guy did a thorough test on his motorhome and would not accept payment until the paperwork showed up on the DVLA site, and it did a few minutes later, so he was then able to re tax his vehicle with no bother.
Ok its wrong, but it would be great to have a standadised test throughout Europe


----------



## Juan C (Sep 4, 2017)

It is wrong. 

No it is illegal, a criminal offence committed by all parties concerned 

I know of one case where the Policia Nacional set up a guy who was advertising MOTs and prosecuted him 

But it’s a free country, well in the sense one is free to get caught if they so choose


----------



## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Lambosvan said:


> Since I started this thread I have been doing a bit more research into this and have found out a number of things.
> Firstly yes it is totally illegal but it is happening and a number of people who are doing this are charging anything from €150 /400.
> Secondly it seems that the people involved do have a kosher garage in the UK and also a garage here in Spain who then do the test here and the paperwork which is all now done via computer it becomes an extension of their legitimate business back in the UK.
> Third, I have now met quite a number of motorhome people who have done this here and are happy to pay the money as the alternative is a €1500 round trip for a test that in all fairness could easily be done here in Spain. One motorhome owner explained to me that the guy did a thorough test on his motorhome and would not accept payment until the paperwork showed up on the DVLA site, and it did a few minutes later, so he was then able to re tax his vehicle with no bother.
> Ok its wrong, but it would be great to have a standadised test throughout Europe


Yes it would but I doubt it will happen. Until then the practice you describe is highly illegal and I hope the DVLA/Police find out and put a stop to it.


----------



## bikerboy123 (Sep 30, 2018)

here in spain when your itv is finished they take a photo of the vehicle with the number plate clearly on show to prove it was actually there, maybe Britain will start to do this to prevent this sort of fraud.


----------



## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

mrypg9 said:


> Yes it would but I doubt it will happen.


The EU is already working on this. The last set of Directives started a harmonisation process of road-worthiness test procedures across the EU, but only procedural harmonisation at the moment.

Sadly though, not all members have implemented the last directives into their national legislation (Spain did last year) even though these directives are from 2014.

It is a slow process, and by the time the harmonisation is complete, the UK will probably not be in the EU, so wouldn't help the OP, but it is actually happening.


----------

