# A car in Spain



## Poppyandnoodle (Jan 7, 2019)

My daughter is moving to Spain (Huesca) for 6-12 months and would like to have her car there. 
I have been told by her insurance company that a U.K. registered car can only be overseas for up to six months, that’s not great news but we could manage, we could visit her and bring it home in time to conform. 
I am unsure of a few things though, would her insurance company take a Spanish address for her and presumably up her premium? 
Also, are there any options for buying a cheap car in Spain? I have a family member that lives in Malaga that has a residential address and is a mechanic so would be the right person to purchase the car (I’m rubbish) but how would insurance work? 
Can anyone advise or inform me of pit falls or things I am missing. 
Thanks in advance to the clever people inside my computer.


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

A UK registered car can in theory only be used in Spain for a maximum of 6 months, not just because of insurance coverage.

In any case, your daughter, by being in Spain for more than 3 months will be classed as a resident and hence cannot use a foreign plated vehicle legally once resident.

The "easy" option would indeed be to buy a car here in Spain. What you class as cheap, may not be what everyone would class as cheap, so the best you can do is ask your mechanic friend to have a look at the available cars within the available budget. In general cars in Spain are usually less well maintained than in the UK and "touch parking" is the norm so scratches and dents are common, but they also have less rust, so it's swings and roundabouts.


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## el pescador (Mar 14, 2013)

No such thing as a cheap second hand car in Spain.
The law is different here.
The reason why they cost more is because the seller will be liable if something goes amiss after sale if it wasnt possible for the buyer to know (even the seller may not have known).

So people are scared of selling cheaper unless they wont be around at their address lol.

The law in the uk puts the onus on buyers to check the car out from private sellers.

With a car dealerships arent cheap in Spain.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

el pescador said:


> No such thing as a cheap second hand car in Spain.
> The law is different here.
> The reason why they cost more is because the seller will be liable if something goes amiss after sale if it wasnt possible for the buyer to know (even the seller may not have known).
> 
> ...


... it's not just that but the cost of transfer is so much higher - many people don't want to pay that on top of the cost of the vehicle


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## el pescador (Mar 14, 2013)

snikpoh said:


> ... it's not just that but the cost of transfer is so much higher - many people don't want to pay that on top of the cost of the vehicle


Newer cars yes for sure.
Car for short termish....close to 10 years.
Well i think many expats may not know that the seller is liable for repairs.

Example is friend of my girlfriend paid 3500 euros for a 2006 clio LOL.
Head gasket went and she went back to the seller who had to get it fixed...this was within a year.


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

el pescador said:


> Newer cars yes for sure.
> Car for short termish....close to 10 years.
> Well i think many expats may not know that the seller is liable for repairs.
> 
> ...


Just a quick correction:

Article 1490 of the Civil Code establishes the period of liability of the seller to be 6 months. After that, the buyer still may have a legal recourse, but it is much more difficult to prove.


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