# Keeping uk car in Spain



## Espananewbie (Dec 1, 2012)

In order to keep the costs of our 6 month- 1 year sabbatical/ adventure in Spain to a minimum (interesting previous posts on cost of living/ moving to Spain if you know you will or might retrun to uk one day)... We may consider using our uk car in Spain.

NOw I know the official line is you can only do so for 3 months....then you have to register it, etc etc...

reminds who currently live in Spain and have done for several years still have their uk car....yes, they have been stopped asked to produce papers when did they arrive? ( recently officer...) and they have managed to get by.

if we know it is only for 6 months plus...can we not just wing it?? Not wanting to break the law, just know where the flexibility lies! 
Thanks


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## VFR (Dec 23, 2009)

Yes of course you can.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Espananewbie said:


> In order to keep the costs of our 6 month- 1 year sabbatical/ adventure in Spain to a minimum (interesting previous posts on cost of living/ moving to Spain if you know you will or might retrun to uk one day)... We may consider using our uk car in Spain.
> 
> NOw I know the official line is you can only do so for 3 months....then you have to register it, etc etc...
> 
> ...


You can "wing it! But you would e breaking the law! There are many police checks on cars in Spain especially UK cars - Spain needs the revenue and cant wait to fine you!! I drove a Spanish and legal car and was stopped many, many times, simply because I looked British. Its not like the UK where they can only stop you for a reason, they often park out on a roundabout or something and simply pull people over. Its also worth remembering if the car is illegal, its pointless bothering with insurance as regardless of what the insurance companies may say, they wont pay up if you need them to, so try not to have a prang, get it stolen or worse!

I guess another way of looking at it is; how do you feel about immigrants in the UK who move over and then dont bother to legalise their cars and "wing it"???

Jo xxx


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

playamonte said:


> Yes of course you can.


yeah.......... if you want to take the chance of getting it crushed into a little block of metal


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

It's illegal. It's cheating the system.
You can either afford to live in Spain and abide by the rules or you can't.
What about the insurance issues? What if you cause or are involved in an accident?
As Jo has said, how do you feel about immigrants in the UK who flout the rules to save money?
We all like to save money where we can but most of us British immigrants obey the laws of the country we have chosen to live in.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

playamonte said:


> yes of course you can.


*no you d*mned well can't!!!!* This stupid thing will not let me do that in BLOCK CAPITALS and in size 7


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

mrypg9 said:


> We all like to save money where we can but most of us British *immigrants* obey the laws of the country we have chosen to live in.


It is basically the difference between being an "immigrant" or merely an "expat"

The forum is not for the purpose that the OP is trying to use it. WE DO NOT CONDONE illegal activity nor help you to cheat.

So now we know, Meldrew has sisters on the forum!


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## Espananewbie (Dec 1, 2012)

Thank you for your frank advice. Looking back at my post it does read as if i want to cheat the system, but that is not the case i can assure you. However i am really getting the feel for the expat community thanks to your responses.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Espananewbie said:


> Thank you for your frank advice. Looking back at my post it does read as if i want to cheat the system, but that is not the case i can assure you. However i am really getting the feel for the expat community thanks to your responses.


We're _*immigrants.*_ 
When a Pole or a Somali living in the UK is routinely referred to as an'expat' I'll consider calling myself that and not an immigrant.

I know it's a trivial point but there is more in the use of that word 'expat' than meets the eye. Some British immigrants think it bestows a kind of superior status upon them, no doubt, but to our Spanish hosts we are 'guiris'.

On the whole we immigrant Brits are a decent, law-abiding community although I've come across a few for whom a twenty-first century equivalent of Botany Bay would be too good.

All present company excepted, of course...


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

mrypg9 said:


> We're _*immigrants.*_
> When a Pole or a Somali living in the UK is routinely referred to as an'expat' I'll consider calling myself that and not an immigrant.
> 
> I know it's a trivial point but there is more in the use of that word 'expat' than meets the eye. Some British immigrants think it bestows a kind of superior status upon them, no doubt, but to our Spanish hosts we are 'guiris'.
> ...


The Spanish (so I'm told by Spanish friends) make a big distinction between expats and immigrants.

Expats (or foreigners) can pay their way.

Immigrants can NOT!


Whilst we all know that we are immigrants, I quite like their distinction.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

snikpoh said:


> The Spanish (so I'm told by Spanish friends) make a big distinction between expats and immigrants.
> 
> Expats (or foreigners) can pay their way.
> 
> ...



There is some graffiti on a wall near us which proclaims 'Muerte a los imigrantes!'

When I told my Spanish friend Meri that I was tempted to take a spray can and add 'Exceptos Sandra y Mary' she solemnly said ' No eres imigrante, eres guiri!'

That tickled me....


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

I've heard it that "The Immigrants come to Spain to live, draw the water and heat it alongside their Spanish neighbours, the Expats come here to test the water and while it is warm and to their liking, they stay. But when it goes cold, they go".

I'll omit the part that says 'leaving a ring of scum on the sides of the bath'.


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

This reminds me of a conversation that I had with Spanish colleague when discussing schools for my first son.... it went something like this:

Him: I wouldn't send my kids to a state school.
Me: Why not?
Him: Too many immigrants.
Me: I'm an immigrant.
Him: Yeah, but that's not what I mean, I'm talking about those that are all over the south of Madrid.
Me: I live in the south of Madrid.
Him: Yes, ok, but I mean the immigrants that have only come to Spain for the better quality of life.
Me: And what do you think I'm here for?
Him: OK, I mean those that come to earn more money that they can in their own country.

I had to leave it there...... :focus:


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

snikpoh said:


> The Spanish (so I'm told by Spanish friends) make a big distinction between expats and immigrants.
> 
> Expats (or foreigners) can pay their way.
> 
> ...


Are you sure that you got that the right way round? In most cases it is the immigrants who pay their way and stick it out through thick and thin. It is the expats who, as soon as they find the local bar has run out of their favourite beer and they've got to drink San Miguel, up sticks and move on or away, leaving their tab behind them!


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Overandout said:


> This reminds me of a conversation that I had with Spanish colleague when discussing schools for my first son.... it went something like this:
> 
> Him: I wouldn't send my kids to a state school.
> Me: Why not?
> ...


so is that why you're showing you are an expat in Thailand?


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## VFR (Dec 23, 2009)

baldilocks said:


> *no you d*mned well can't!!!!* This stupid thing will not let me do that in BLOCK CAPITALS and in size 7


Of course he can as the countless thousands from across Europe do, yes he knows he is chancing his arm but that is his outlook.

Saga will insure a car for up to a year in Europe, so if he goes this route he will be insured.
Any insurance taken out "has to" cover any Third Party claim, regardless if the terms of the policy have been breached by the insured person.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

playamonte said:


> Of course he can as the countless thousands from across Europe do, yes he knows he is chancing his arm but that is his outlook.
> 
> Saga will insure a car for up to a year in Europe, so if he goes this route he will be insured.
> Any insurance taken out "has to" cover any Third Party claim, regardless if the terms of the policy have been breached by the insured person.



I know what you're saying - I cant remember the number of Brit cars I used to see in spain, but they are now doing their best to rid their roads of those Brits who flout the law - they see €€€€€s when they see a Brit car and go for it!!!! 

As for insurance, trust me - insurance companies are only too happy to write and say that due to the cars illegal status, they are unable to honour the policy - third party or otherwise - even if they did - thats not much use if you crash into a tree and end up disabled or worse. It only takes one journey!

I wouldnt risk any of it and I certainly couldnt condone it! 

Jo xxx


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## VFR (Dec 23, 2009)

jojo said:


> I know what you're saying - I cant remember the number of Brit cars I used to see in spain, but they are now doing their best to rid their roads of those Brits who flout the law - they see €€€€€s when they see a Brit car and go for it!!!!
> 
> As for insurance, trust me - insurance companies are only too happy to write and say that due to the cars illegal status, they are unable to honour the policy - third party or otherwise - even if they did - thats not much use if you crash into a tree and end up disabled or worse. It only takes one journey!
> 
> ...


Hi Jo.
I have not condoned anything as the guy asked a civil question & I gave a civil answer & as you know I prefer to keep things by the book myself.
The Insurance Company cannot opt out of the third party payout, they can of course refuse to pay the insurer, but not any third party obligations.

Still lets just ponder a moment ................ ?

So any one of us may decide to pop over to the UK for a spell, 3/4 months ?
Opps need to stay a piece longer as the family need some help etc, or etc ?
Hmmmm ?, better register my Spanish car onto UK plates, well you know just to keep within the regs.

Now how many would you think would do that ..................... ?


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

you _can _actually drive your car in Spain _as a tourist _for up to 6 months - but you have to get a 'temporary registration certificate' on arrival



> *Do you want to travel to Spain in your car?*
> 
> Tourists travelling in their own vehicles should be aware that the following documentation is required:
> Driver’s license: see section on “What documentation is required to drive in Spain?”
> ...


from this link which I just remembered was in the FAQs sticky

Driving in Spain: practical information and advice. |spain.info in English


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## Espananewbie (Dec 1, 2012)

The plot thickens....! This forum is an excellent resource, and very entertaining to boot! Thank you everyone for your help and the interesting debate. I will look into temporary registration in more detail, as a law abiding citizen I do not relish the thought of being stopped by the police regularly. It can be fairly intimidating I am sure.
Playamonte makes an interesting point...having lived in Ireland for a year the car insurance was difficult for the uk car, the longest duration of cover was 90 days in a row. I could have repeated trips of 90 days so it was suggested that I pop back to the uk after 90 days to ensure it was valid. As I visit family regularly that was never an issue and the insurance remained valid and legal. I will look into insurance companies mentioned on the forum.
Thanks again everyone.


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## jojo (Sep 20, 2007)

Espananewbie said:


> The plot thickens....! This forum is an excellent resource, and very entertaining to boot! Thank you everyone for your help and the interesting debate. I will look into temporary registration in more detail, as a law abiding citizen I do not relish the thought of being stopped by the police regularly. It can be fairly intimidating I am sure.
> Playamonte makes an interesting point...having lived in Ireland for a year the car insurance was difficult for the uk car, the longest duration of cover was 90 days in a row. I could have repeated trips of 90 days so it was suggested that I pop back to the uk after 90 days to ensure it was valid. As I visit family regularly that was never an issue and the insurance remained valid and legal. I will look into insurance companies mentioned on the forum.
> Thanks again everyone.


We love a good debate lol!!! The police/guardia can be a little intimidating. Its cos they carry guns and arent as politically correct as they are in the UK. That said the one that used to stop me the most only did it because he liked my english cigarettes and would crouch down by my car door going thru my paperwork while he had a quick ciggie lol!!!!

You would be better off getting a car in Spain tho - hey, you could get one of those little aixum things lol!!! 

Jo xxx


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## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

mrypg9 said:


> It's illegal. It's cheating the system.
> You can either afford to live in Spain and abide by the rules or you can't.
> What about the insurance issues? What if you cause or are involved in an accident?
> As Jo has said, how do you feel about immigrants in the UK who flout the rules to save money?
> We all like to save money where we can but most of us British immigrants obey the laws of the country we have chosen to live in.


 I have to agree entirely with what you have said here Mary. If you drive a UK car in Spain for longer than the permitted period then you are ultimately breaking a law. Whether your insurance company is and whatever they tell you they will go through relevant checks in the event of a claim. These checks could include number of things including the dates that the registration number was clocked leaving the UK port alongside several other things. The insurers will ensure you to drive the car out of the country and indeed when I came to Spain I owned a fleet of cars and my insurance company were only too happy to make an exception in my case and extend my period of cover in Europe unlimited however the paperwork clearly stated that this was subject to me meeting and abiding local legislation.

There are indeed many British people driving around on UK registered cars and it makes me so angry because if one of them hits me then ultimately I cannot claim. This makes genuine road users and people like myself who spent a lot of money when I first came to import my car as well as of course the locals who pay to maintain the road system and the innocent pedestrians vulnerable. Likewise, it leaves the owner of the UK registered car potentially open to is very serious consequences in the event of something happening and then a technicality such as a date causing their insurance to be invalid.

I think that I should say here that when I first moved to Spain the police who were very friendly and used to come to my house to see my dogs on a regular basis did point out to me at one point that my car had been here for sometime. It was actually well within the period and the paperwork had already been sent to my gestor to begin the importation process so they had no problem whatsoever with me but they are certainly now clamping down and investigating British registered cars a lot more. The police in Spain a lot more like the "Bobbies on the beat" – they know what's going on and they get to know the locals and they get to know the cars that drive around frequently and they watched them waiting to pounce.

Having said that, I want to make my standing on the Spanish police very clear… I have always found them to be nothing but polite, professional and simply doing their job. They have indeed stopped me on a number of occasions because the route that I often take is one of their regular hotspots for paperwork checks and they are never rude, they simply ask me for my documents which I always have on me and they check them and then bid me a good evening. They only stop me now if it's a police officer that hasn't stopped me before because they obviously seeing my papers and they know that I'm legitimate. I did get stopped the other week – for speeding. It was crazy because I just left the office of my gestor to take the paperwork in order to exchange my old English licence for a Spanish one on the road was a 100 km/h road in open countryside with wide-open junctions but at the Crossroads the speed limit slow down to 60 but I didn't. So they were right to stop me but I have to say they were not rude or intimidating like the police in other countries including the UK can be – they politely asked me to stop and they explained the reason why they had asked me to stop and told me that I had travelled through a 60 kilometres per hour section of the road at 97 km an hour. I had nothing to dispute because I had done so and they duly checked my papers and printing out my ticket but they were not nasty or rude or arrogant like a lot of people make them out to be – they were very fair and just did their job.

If you are coming to Spain for a fact-finding trip which is a wise thing to do prior to making a permanent commitment but you are likely to stay for a period of up to a year then my advice would either be to do the legitimate thing and import your car, or rent a car – and some car rental companies especially the smaller ones will happily do a very good deal on one of their older models for longer periods – or alternatively by a second-hand car and then sell it again before you return to the UK. Either way, do it legally and not only protect yourself from potentially serious consequences but at the same time show respect for the other people in the country especially the locals who are paying to maintain the local road systems. In Spain if you follow the rules you live a peaceful life and you get back the respect that you deserve:car:


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

jojo said:


> hey, you could get one of those little aixum things lol!!!


No, No, No, a thousand times NO!


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

baldilocks said:


> so is that why you're showing you are an expat in Thailand?


I'm not sure that I understand the point of your question....

I am showing as an expat in Thailand because I joined this forum because my company is offering me a position in Bangkok. This forum has been a help to me with regards to going to my new destination and leaving my current home.

With regards to the police in Spain, I think we should be careful not to generalize too much.
In low density populations with a high number of immigrants (or is it expats??) I would think that the police are polite and realtively laid back, but with priority items on their agenda like controlling illeagally used foreign cars.

In Madrid (just to cite the example that I know), they are generally highly strung, stressed individuals incapable of reasoning. (Much like many other Madrid residents ).
On the other hand they don't seem too bothered by the odd foreign car. In the car park of my office there is a French registered car that has been used daily by the driver to come to work for the last couple of years. It's also quite common to see small motorbikes and scooters with Italian registration plates. I don't know why.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Espananewbie said:


> The plot thickens....! This forum is an excellent resource, and very entertaining to boot! Thank you everyone for your help and the interesting debate. I will look into temporary registration in more detail, as a law abiding citizen I do not relish the thought of being stopped by the police regularly. It can be fairly intimidating I am sure.
> Playamonte makes an interesting point...having lived in Ireland for a year the car insurance was difficult for the uk car, the longest duration of cover was 90 days in a row. I could have repeated trips of 90 days so it was suggested that I pop back to the uk after 90 days to ensure it was valid. As I visit family regularly that was never an issue and the insurance remained valid and legal. I will look into insurance companies mentioned on the forum.
> Thanks again everyone.


Stuart Collins a Swansea broker, will provide a 365 day Europe=wide policy for anyone residing outside the UK on any plated car, with reputable insurance companies.

Comes at a cost, though...

If you would like more details, pm. me.

And no, I'm not Stuart's mum


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## Jon.P (Oct 5, 2012)

Espananewbie said:


> In order to keep the costs of our 6 month- 1 year sabbatical/ adventure in Spain to a minimum (interesting previous posts on cost of living/ moving to Spain if you know you will or might retrun to uk one day)... We may consider using our uk car in Spain.
> 
> NOw I know the official line is you can only do so for 3 months....then you have to register it, etc etc...
> 
> ...


Hi, also looking to do the same , but only for the official 90 days .Then convert to Spanish reg . Can anyone advise , is this a good or bad idea?, my car is RHD but only 3 years old and low miles , prepared to put up with the pitfalls of RHD in LHD country , for at least a couple of years.Want to be fully legal though . Any advise would be appreciated.Thanks


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## VFR (Dec 23, 2009)

Jon.P said:


> Hi, also looking to do the same , but only for the official 90 days .Then convert to Spanish reg . Can anyone advise , is this a good or bad idea?, my car is RHD but only 3 years old and low miles , prepared to put up with the pitfalls of RHD in LHD country , for at least a couple of years.Want to be fully legal though . Any advise would be appreciated.Thanks


As you intend to live here permanently (ish) unlike the OP this is the route to take, still it will always be woth a great deal less here (if not worthless)
Why not sell it and buy here ?

Best start the process within the first month to avoid the First Registration fee (Tax) as you can include a vehicle as part of your chattel (goods)
This fee can be quite high on an expensive car so act within the first month, you will though need a document from the British Embassy to verify that its part of your belongings (of course you need to pay for this)

Visit a Gestor to carry out this change for you & life will be a lot easier.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Jon.P said:


> Hi, also looking to do the same , but only for the official 90 days .Then convert to Spanish reg . Can anyone advise , is this a good or bad idea?, my car is RHD but only 3 years old and low miles , prepared to put up with the pitfalls of RHD in LHD country , for at least a couple of years.Want to be fully legal though . Any advise would be appreciated.Thanks


I decided that with all the hassle, to sell my beloved Volvo Estate 2.4 litre turbo c/w cherished number in UK and buy here. That car was the first car I'd ever had in some 40+ years where I wan't looking for my next car. 

But we considered:

*Pluses:*

It was an extremely practical car since it would not only take five people it also took their luggage.
It could also take goods instead of passengers - it even took a single bed and we had on a few occasions slept in the back on a double-size airbed.
*Minuses:*

It was a big car, far too big for some of the narrow streets and very tight corners here in the village and elsewhere.
It was rather thirsty.

So a replacement vehicle here was going to have to fill a big slot. On looking around we found that one type/model of vehicle stood out as being the most popular so we figured that that must be the one that is most suitable for this area - a small mpv (Berlingo/partner/ kangoo/ etc) 

We bought a Berlingo and even that has to take a couple of shunts to get round some corners and we have to turn the mirrors in to get through some streets but it takes 5 people and their luggage and it brought our entire kitchen (flatpack) from Brico to the house. It is nowhere as fast (unless you count numerically in kph what we would do in mph), nippy or powerful as the Volvo nor is it as comfortable but we have driven it to UK and back, Galicia and back, Cádiz and back, Barcelona and back with no problems. A thoroughly reliable car.


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## Jon.P (Oct 5, 2012)

*Many Thanks*

Thanks to Playamonte and baldilocks for response , appreciate it .
Reason for not selling RHD in UK , unless you want to trade , dealers rob you .And yes I know , with hindsight , should have advertised the car months ago .Learning all the time.
This idea of living in spain is not quite as simple as my wife thinks it is. LOL But when the day comes , I'm sure she'll help me pack at least one of the cases. Thanks again guys


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Jon.P said:


> Thanks to Playamonte and baldilocks for response , appreciate it .
> Reason for not selling RHD in UK , unless you want to trade , dealers rob you .And yes I know , with hindsight , should have advertised the car months ago .Learning all the time.
> This idea of living in spain is not quite as simple as my wife thinks it is. LOL But when the day comes , I'm sure she'll help me pack at least one of the cases. Thanks again guys


I agree with the bit about dealers but we had a slight advantahe - the registration. However, if you want to get somewhere, you sometimes have to take a small step backwards to be able to move forward.

In 2001 we decided that where we were living (had been there 17 years in the end) was not going to be suitable for retirement. Running costs were high, area was going downhill, it was on the top floor of a 3 storey Victorian building (9ft ceilings) with no lifts.

We had connections (familial, historical, vacational, etc) with a number of countries and each was ruled out for various reasons. Then my father-in-law died in 2005 which meant that eventually the m-i-l was going to have to live with us. Rate of research was stepped up and we decided that our final destination was very likely to be Spain. In 2006 we started looking for and at properties (we had already decided on the general area). We decided on and bought our the house in September 2007, then we had to push hard for the sale of our flat in UK which eventually happened in September 2008. We moved 1st November 2008 and have been very happy with all our choices.

One of my colleagues on the forum once said that we were living the "elusive dream"! I think she is right, but it won't just happen, it's not just there waiting for you to arrive, YOU have to make it happen.


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## Jon.P (Oct 5, 2012)

Re Gestor , has anyone any suggestions on a Gestor in or around El Campello , that is conversant with vehicle registration transfers ? , once again , would appreciate the guidance .
Thanks


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