# Bringing my motorcycle from UK



## CroptopMartin (Oct 1, 2010)

I am moving to somewhere between Marbella and Fuengirola early in 2012. I will be having my UK registered Suzuki 650cc motorcycle shipped down. It is almost 4 years old so worth about GB-£3000-£3500 maximum. 

I will have 90 days of "Foreign" cover on my UK insurance. 
Thereafter I will need to change it to Spanish plates and get it insured under Spanish rules and regs. 

Can anyone advise on "step-by-step", what I need to do, costs, and any pitfalls?

Also I can manually adjust the beam of my headlamps, is this sufficient or will I need a different headlamp unit?

Martin


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

CroptopMartin said:


> I am moving to somewhere between Marbella and Fuengirola early in 2012. I will be having my UK registered Suzuki 650cc motorcycle shipped down. It is almost 4 years old so worth about GB-£3000-£3500 maximum.
> 
> I will have 90 days of "Foreign" cover on my UK insurance.
> Thereafter I will need to change it to Spanish plates and get it insured under Spanish rules and regs.
> ...


Owdoggy on the forum I believe went thru this and I think he did a step-by-step account on the forum. I'll have a look and see if I can find it!!??

jo xxx


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

... I can only find this. But I'm sure when he's around, he'll tell you about it

http://www.expatforum.com/expats/sp...3547-out-bike.html?highlight=registering+bike

Jo xxx


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## grandad (May 17, 2011)

Hi when i got to spain i got the bikes insurance in spain on there english plates there is a insurance company that advertise in the sun paper but i dont know if it is in the uk paper but it does give you time to sort the itv small bikes are easy there is some companys that sort it for you that are found on the web but if you can understand spanish a little it is cheaper to do your self i have done two bikes but did sell the third one due to it was a make that did not get in port to spain and was to much trouble but spanish bikes do make more money in the end


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## DROOBY (Aug 5, 2008)

I did my Pegaso 650 couple of years ago through a gestor very easy and cost about 700euros plus did'nt have to touch the headlight. Just brought a 2004 Bonnie America over was going to do that until i had an accident. Once i've repaired planning on doing the transfer myself but a gestor did qoute 1100 for the transfer all depends on the Spanish value.
there are plenty of insurance companies that will insure a british plated bike over here. I,ve had three brit bikes here with no problems.


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## VFR (Dec 23, 2009)

Some bikes have a flat beam that neither kicks up to the left or right (like the VFR 800) so worth checking first.


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## DROOBY (Aug 5, 2008)

Ah the VFR love that bike. Easy thing for me of course with the Bonnie is just switch the lens only cost £12. Fairing lights are more expensive.


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## djhep (Feb 26, 2011)

Hi Martin.
I went through the same process 3-4 years ago.
For ease and lack of time, i went through a company that specialises in this.
They will organise for an "engineer" to come out and check that the bike has not been modified in any way. In reality the engineer called me by phone and asked what size tyres the bike had on it...that was it.

Once the engineer has done his report it will be sent to the company you are using and they will then send all your documentation along with the engineers report for processing.

You will be required to take your bike along to an ITV station (MOT equiv), and there they will give your bike a good look over to see that it's roadworthy
Two things to note:-
1. If you have an aftermarket exhaust fitted. Re-fit the original for the test. They are very picky about loud exhausts.
2. When i had my bike tested, it was acceptable to fit a piece of plastic to the headlights in order to cover over the spike in the high beam. Unfortunately the last time i took the bike for it's bi-annual test they told me that i will have to change the headlights for the next test. 

Ok Martin, hope that helps some, and good luck if you go down that route.

All the best.

Dave.


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## djhep (Feb 26, 2011)

Oh, if forgot to mention.
If you have'nt motorcyled in the Malaga / Ronda area, you are in for a treat....
We have some of the best biking roads in Europe.

Tara.

Dave.


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## CroptopMartin (Oct 1, 2010)

My bike is the Vstrom 650
Headlamp is in the fairings, but has adjusting screws to align headlamp. 
I don't know til I get home and look, whether the headlight kicks up to left.


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## CroptopMartin (Oct 1, 2010)

CroptopMartin said:


> My bike is the Vstrom 650
> Headlamp is in the fairings, but has adjusting screws to align headlamp.
> I don't know til I get home and look, whether the headlight kicks up to left.


Oh yes and it's odd, this bike is available new in Spain, yet no longer sold in UK, my dealer in England says it's cos new models don't meet EU emissions regulations. Something odd???


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## Phsye (Aug 4, 2010)

How to register a car or motorcycle in Spain

Martin,

I have imported both my motorcycle and car into Spain during the last year. I wrote these DIY notes a while back and tried to update them for you this morning. I imported in Seville and in Granada and the processes were very similar. I can't speak for other cities though so there may be some differences.

Many people just use a 'gestor' who should pretty much do the job for you. I wanted to save money and learn some Spanish, so I went through the process myself!

Firstly you need to complete your NIE and you Padron processes. There are sticky links on this forum to help you with that.

If you are going to insure your bike with a Spanish company once registers then you will need to also swap your driving licence over to a Spanish one. 

Driving Licence
You will need to go to 'Trafico' (vehicles and licensing office in most big cities) to do this and it can take ten days or a fortnight to receive the new one. So start this soon after you arrive in Spain. Take originals and copies of NIE, Padron, passport and both parts of you UK driving licence down to the local Trafico office. You will need to ask for a form, I can't remember which one it is. You will have to pay some money, about 50€ springs to mind, sorry I can't remember how much it is. Then wait in the queue to see a person at a window hand over the documentation and probably your counterpart original UK licence as well. They will give you a receipt and then they will contact you when your new Spanish license is ready. Then you can go and collect it.

While you are in Trafico, also ask for the 'Solicitud de Matriculación de Vehículos' document, you will need this later on in the process and you might as well fill it out in the comfort of your own home/mansion!

Before you leave the UK, make sure your V5 is correct. Chassis (VIN) number, your name, your address in the UK. If you are going to do the 'Baja consular' process (we'll get to this bit in a minute) then the vehicle must have been in your name for a minimum of six months.

You will then need to get hold of a document called a Ficha Técnica Reducida. This is a document signed by and authorised engineer saying that your motorcycle really is what your V5 says it is. I have done this two ways in the past. Online, using a company called TUV Rheinland who have an office in Madrid (I'm not connected to them in anyway incidentally!). I sent them photos of my frame number and a scan of my V5 and about 100 euros. They sent me a signed Ficha Técnica Reducida about a week later by post. You can probably do this from the UK.

The other way I have done this to contact a local 'Perito' here in Granada. A Perito is a vehicle assessor. He came round and gave my car and the V5 a good look over, then wrote a document and then came to the ITV station with me. This was also about 100 euros. I found him by calling the local 'Colegio de Ingenieros' (Institute of Engineers) here in Granada and they gave me his phone number.

In parallel, start to sort your headlights out, I had to buy a new one for the BMW and it cost about 250 euros. To reduce the pain I just told myself that I would be safer with it fitted. I suppose I could sell the old one on Ebay to reduce the damage, but I'm keeping it as a spare.

Next you will need to book a slot at the ITV (MOT) station, either by phone or go and visit them. Go along with your NIE, padron document, passport and V5. Also take copies of each one just in case. When I used the services of the Perito I just went along with him, he didn't need to book an appointment. After passing the test, I was given a green 'Ficha Técnica' document which becomes part of the official paperwork for the motorcycle. Well done, big step forward.

Baja consular
Now the fun begins... There is a tax to import a vehicle into Spain which varies according to the CO2 emissions and age of the vehicle. There seems to be some debate in the EU as to whether this tax is legal because this pollution related tax would already have been paid when the vehicle was first registered in the EU. Anyway, there is a process by which British expats moving to the UK can have an exemption. The process is called the Baja Consular, and guess what, it also costs money! Last year it cost me about 150 euros plus the cost of the trips to the consulate office (I used Seville). Now, for me, it was cheaper to do the Baja Consular process, than pay the import tax. So how much is the tax? It is tricky to say. Maybe someone on the forum can help you to calculate it. It depends on the original value of your motorcycle, the CO2 emissions and the age of the motorcycle on the date that you register it in Spain. For my bike which is a 2001 model with a large engine, I would have had to pay 14% of the original sale value discounted by 9 years. It worked out at about 400€. So it was cheaper for me to follow the Baja Consular route. Our car however was 11 years old and the tax worked out at 200€, so I would not have bothered with the Baja Consular process for that on it's own.

I suggest that you contact the consulate in Malaga for advice on the Baja Consular process, you will need your V5, passport, NIE and copies. I went to Seville and had to swear an oath on the bible as part of the process it was all rather... fantastic.

Important note. You will be exempt from paying import tax for a vehicle for 60 days from the date on the Baja Consular document. So you need to make it to the Hacienda (the tax office) in time. We'll get to the Hacienda bit in a minute.

Once you have the Ficha Técnica you will then be able to pay the local 'Impuesto sobre Circulación de Vehículos' (which is the road tax). You can do this at local Ayuntamiento (town hall office) and you will need to do this every year anyway for the motorcycle once it is registered. Take the Ficha Técnica, your NIE and copies. They will issue with three copies of a document, you then need to take these to a bank to pay. From memory road tax in Spain is about 115€ per year. The bank will frank the documents and your done.

Now for Hacienda (Tax office) to sort out the import tax. You may need to book an appointment for this bit. I did in Granada. I then had to come back the following week which was a bit frustrating as it only took them a couple of minutes to process it all. The process is like this. You turn up and tell reception that you wish to speak to the vehicles department. They give you a number on a slip of paper, you wait, you go to the window when it is your turn. I handed over the Baja Consular, the Ficha Técnica and my NIE with copies of all of them. They then gave me a document to say that the import tax had been settled. If you are going to pay the import tax then much like the Ayuntamiento office before, they will issue you with a document which you would then need to take to the bank to pay. Then you would need to return to the Hacienda office, queue up again (often you can use the same queue number so don't lose you little slip of paper!). Then they would issue you with the document saying that the import tax has been settled.

Now you can go back to Tráfico. Taking... wait for it... original and copies of the completed 'Solicitud de Matriculación de Vehículos' document, your Ficha Técnica, your NIE, the receipt for the 'Impuestos de Circulación' and the receipt from Hacienda in your hand. Go to 'Tasas' window and give them the 'Solicitud de Matriculación de Vehículos' document, they will ask you for about 90 euros to register the motorcycle, you pay and then they stamp the 'Solicitud de Matriculación de Vehículos' document and give it back to you along with another queue number written on a slip of paper. Find the queuing area and wait until you are called to the window.

Hand over all the documentation (with copies) they will check and stamp everything. They will then issue you with a green 'Permiso de Circulación' document and a registration plate number for the motorcycle (which will be stamped and perforated into the Ficha Técnica'. Congratulations, you now have both official documents for your motorcycle!

Now you can go to a shop and buy a licence plate, it will cost about 15€.

Also you can now arrange for some insurance. A nice policy which will probably cost more and have less cover than in the UK... and then you can sit back and laugh or cry depending on how you feel. Your bike may now have appreciated in value (Spanish second hand market is a ***** old thing) and you can now drive around legally without worrying about being stopped by the police for failing to import your bike, which is nice.

Comments welcome, I'm off to have some breakfast...


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Phsye said:


> How to register a car or motorcycle in Spain
> 
> Martin,
> 
> ...


Phew, a big read!!! However, Spain has a habit of changing their rules and ways of doing things on a daily basis, they also vary hugely from town to town, province to province and even depending who you see or speak to in the office!! - thats the beauty of Spain, its dfferent everytime 

Jo xxx


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## VFR (Dec 23, 2009)

Much much easier to visit a Gestor who will do all this for you for little money.


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## VFR (Dec 23, 2009)

CroptopMartin said:


> Oh yes and it's odd, this bike is available new in Spain, yet no longer sold in UK, my dealer in England says it's cos new models don't meet EU emissions regulations. Something odd???


Absolute twaddle from your dealer (IMO)


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## Phsye (Aug 4, 2010)

playamonte said:


> Much much easier to visit a Gestor who will do all this for you for little money.


I found two quotes from Gestors for importing the motorcycle. First was 650€ the second was 1000€, I didn't bother looking any further. Maybe there was less competition in Seville at the time. Probably a a lot cheaper this year.


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## Happyexpat (Apr 4, 2011)

We imported our Goldwing a few years ago and did it ourselves. At the time it was valued at 8000 pounds in the UK. But they valued it at 11000 euros over here. The first thing I would say to you is do it yourself. It's frustrating, confusing and a fair bit of running around but worth it. Each region in Spain has its own 'little ways' of doing things and we live in Alicante so there might be slight differences to the process.
We didn't have to change the headlights but they made me disconnect the factory fitted turning lights for the ITV and then helped me reconnect them LOL.
We were quoted by three businesses to do the import with prices vary from 1000 to 2000 euros inc taxes. We did it ourselves with everything paid for 425 euros!
First point, if you do it straight away (within six months in Alicante) there is NO import tax
The process is
Get an engineers report. Basically they just check that the bike matches the logbook and is factory standard.
Go to your local council office and they will value the bike and give you a ticket to take to the bank to pay for the service and or any import tax due. Go to your Suma office and pay the road tax for the year.
Take both docs to the ITv station, get it tested and obtain the certificate. You will find the brake test a real invigorating experience......
Take all the docs back to the local council and they they will issue an import certificate.
Take this plus everything else to Traffico and they will register the bike. Some time later, a few days, up to a couple of weeks you go back and collect all the Spanish docs and get the number plate made.
In each place Suma, tax office, and Traffico they will issue you a document to take to a different bank to pay and bring back to them receipted. If you want to get it done quick take it to the bank they specify!
Job done.

By the way the figure I quoted you included the import tax on the bike as we were over the six months in Spain before we imported it. It certainly isn't as expensive as people would have you believe. Oh one other thing, we had very limited Spanish at the time but still coped. We tried our best Spanglish and they met us half way, they were all very helpful.


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