# Car



## MandyW (Jun 8, 2017)

Hi guys,

Recently got rid of my PCP car in prep for moving to Costa Del Sol next year and I have a question regarding cars.

I have applied for a couple of jobs, where transport is absolutely necessary, so would it be best to get myself a cheap run around here in the UK to transport over to Spain (or drive over - I know there are rules regarding changing plates after a certain period of time, this is something I would have to look into further) 

OR 

Is it easy enough to get a decent, small car for around 1500 euros over in Spain? Something like a wee 3 door Corsa will do me fine. 

Your advice is much appreciated  

Regards
Mandy


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

1500€ in Spain will get you very little. Expect it to last 6 months.


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## MandyW (Jun 8, 2017)

Overandout said:


> 1500€ in Spain will get you very little. Expect it to last 6 months.


Oh really, ok thanks for the heads up. Might be worth taking a car over then perhaps.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

MandyW said:


> Oh really, ok thanks for the heads up. Might be worth taking a car over then perhaps.


it may well cost you €1500 to have it homologated onto Spanish platesand the expense of getting it to Spain. You would also be stuck with a RHD car in a LHD country (difficult for car-park barriers, toll booths, overtaking, etc.

Go to www.autoscout24.es and fill in the search criteria not forgetting the postcode* of the nearest city (limits the number of results,) you will find quite a lot. I just ran a check on cars within 20km of Málaga centro and it came back with 79 vehicles and some of them looked quite reasonable/good. Autoscout gives you private sales and dealers.

* to get the postcode (codigo postal) just put in the search box of Google 'cp' then the name of the Provincial capital of where you moving to e.g. cp Málaga capital will give you 29001.


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

baldilocks said:


> it may well cost you €1500 to have it homologated onto Spanish platesand the expense of getting it to Spain. You would also be stuck with a RHD car in a LHD country (difficult for car-park barriers, toll booths, overtaking, etc.
> 
> Go to www.autoscout24.es and fill in the search criteria not forgetting the postcode* of the nearest city (limits the number of results,) you will find quite a lot. I just ran a check on cars within 20km of Málaga centro and it came back with 79 vehicles and some of them looked quite reasonable/good. Autoscout gives you private sales and dealers.
> 
> * to get the postcode (codigo postal) just put in the search box of Google 'cp' then the name of the Provincial capital of where you moving to e.g. cp Málaga capital will give you 29001.


Availability of vehicles there may well be, but taking into account the new ITV (MOT) regulations coming into force next year, how many of those will pass? I don't expect our 2004 Citroen to pass, every time it is plugged into a computer it shows at least 3 or 4 faults (although they don't affect the real use of the car).

I think that it is no coincidence that there is a flood of cheap used cars onto the market a week after the new law was passed!

If you want a cheap car which will pass the ITV, you now are really restricted to cars before circa 2000 so that they don't have an ODB II port for diagnostics.


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

Overandout said:


> Availability of vehicles there may well be, but taking into account the new ITV (MOT) regulations coming into force next year, how many of those will pass? I don't expect our 2004 Citroen to pass, every time it is plugged into a computer it shows at least 3 or 4 faults (although they don't affect the real use of the car).
> 
> I think that it is no coincidence that there is a flood of cheap used cars onto the market a week after the new law was passed!
> 
> If you want a cheap car which will pass the ITV, you now are really restricted to cars before circa 2000 so that they don't have an ODB II port for diagnostics.


I thought I saw a link the other day re new ITV laws. Anyone got It?


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Megsmum said:


> I thought I saw a link the other day re new ITV laws. Anyone got It?


I have tried copying the text of this but it won't let me so here is a link:

Stricter ITV controls from 2018 | N332 - Driving In Spain


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

baldilocks said:


> I have tried copying the text of this but it won't let me so here is a link:
> 
> Stricter ITV controls from 2018 | N332 - Driving In Spain


There is also a thread I started in La Tasca about this.

http://www.expatforum.com/expats/la-tasca/1367545-new-itv-regulations.html


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## danboy20 (Jul 10, 2017)

Spend a bit extra and buy a small car when you are in Spain - bringing a British car over is a false economy, and visibility is reduced, not to mention annoying things like having to get out of the car to take a ticket!


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## MandyW (Jun 8, 2017)

Thanks everyone for your help and advice - I have taken this on board and will wait until I get over to Spain to look for a car.

Thanks again


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

MandyW said:


> Thanks everyone for your help and advice - I have taken this on board and will wait until I get over to Spain to look for a car.
> 
> Thanks again


Be careful from whom you buy, Arthur Daley has branches in Spain as well. Go, if possible to a reputable dealer, a main agent if you can, and tell him/her what you want. Main agents are often getting cars in part exchange which they would, in the normal way, not be interested in and they sell them as part of a job lot of secondhand cars just to get rid of them. If they are aware that you want an inexpensive runabout, they might be willing to sell you one and would make sure that it was in a satisfactory condition before letting you have it, in order to preserve their reputation.


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## Gerrie19 (Oct 7, 2017)

great post ! 

we are moving out in 2 weeks time and are looking to buy a cheap car so thanks for the info.


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## MandyW (Jun 8, 2017)

baldilocks said:


> Be careful from whom you buy, Arthur Daley has branches in Spain as well. Go, if possible to a reputable dealer, a main agent if you can, and tell him/her what you want. Main agents are often getting cars in part exchange which they would, in the normal way, not be interested in and they sell them as part of a job lot of secondhand cars just to get rid of them. If they are aware that you want an inexpensive runabout, they might be willing to sell you one and would make sure that it was in a satisfactory condition before letting you have it, in order to preserve their reputation.


Thank you - are there any second hand dealers you would recommend? I am doing a bit of google research at the moment, but word of mouth is always better! 

I wouldn't be looking to get a car until the new year, so really just doing the research now, so hopefully things will be a little easier when the time does come.


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## VFR (Dec 23, 2009)

Worth checking facebook groups for the area you are moving to as you will often see used vehicles from known members.
Vehicles bought from dealers will mean you will be paying VAT on top (quite a bit) so bear this in mind if you are looking (as the OP is) for a cheap runaround.


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

VFR said:


> Vehicles bought from dealers will mean you will be paying VAT on top (quite a bit) so bear this in mind if you are looking (as the OP is) for a cheap runaround.


That's not really true I'm afraid.

A used vehicle bought from a company which is not dedicated to selling vehicles is indeed subject to IVA (normal 21% on top of the price).

BUT if the company selling is a vehicle trader it is a special IVA which is only applied to the profit of the seller, not the whole price and is NOT added seperately to the advertised sales price, it is included. Or it should be, and was when I bought my last used vehicle from a trader.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

MandyW said:


> Thank you - are there any second hand dealers you would recommend? I am doing a bit of google research at the moment, but word of mouth is always better!
> 
> I wouldn't be looking to get a car until the new year, so really just doing the research now, so hopefully things will be a little easier when the time does come.


Not knowing where you are likely to be, it is difficult. If you were in our area, I would recommend the Citroën agent in Alcalá la Real which is where we go for everything car related.


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## VFR (Dec 23, 2009)

Overandout said:


> That's not really true I'm afraid.
> 
> A used vehicle bought from a company which is not dedicated to selling vehicles is indeed subject to IVA (normal 21% on top of the price).
> 
> BUT if the company selling is a vehicle trader it is a special IVA which is only applied to the profit of the seller, not the whole price and is NOT added seperately to the advertised sales price, it is included. Or it should be, and was when I bought my last used vehicle from a trader.


So its added to the sticker price then & as a traders profit is at least 1k you pay 21%of that.


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

VFR said:


> So its added to the sticker price then & as a traders profit is at least 1k you pay 21%of that.


That is correct (assuming that a trader can buy a vehicle for 500€ and knock it out at 1500€....)


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## Subndancer (Jan 18, 2018)

Hi guys i am new to the forum ( and still trying to find my way around) so if this is in the wrong thread i am sorry.

We have just moved to Spain ( from France), i have a 2003 VW Passat 1.9td which is on French plates, i bought it in England and changed it to French plates while we were there. Now i have to get it changed again to Spanish plates and i have been told that it could cost me up to 1,000 euros. Is that right? Any advice would be welcome.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Subndancer said:


> Hi guys i am new to the forum ( and still trying to find my way around) so if this is in the wrong thread i am sorry.
> 
> We have just moved to Spain ( from France), i have a 2003 VW Passat 1.9td which is on French plates, i bought it in England and changed it to French plates while we were there. Now i have to get it changed again to Spanish plates and i have been told that it could cost me up to 1,000 euros. Is that right? Any advice would be welcome.


The basic, fixed costs are about 500€. Then you have (possibly) first registration tax.

I'm assuming that the lights (front and rear) already conform to continental European standards.


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## Subndancer (Jan 18, 2018)

snikpoh said:


> The basic, fixed costs are about 500€. Then you have (possibly) first registration tax.
> 
> I'm assuming that the lights (front and rear) already conform to continental European standards.



Thank you for your reply, i have had the lights changed to register it in France so i assume it would conform to here. What would the first registration tax cost ( if applicable).

Again i have been told ( and i expect just like i found in France that not all advice is always spot on) that once i have a property here i can drive on foreign plates for up to six months? before i have to have them changed is that correct.

I have been to several insurance brokers and they have all said different things, i want to make sure i do the right thing.

Thank you again for your help.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Subndancer said:


> Thank you for your reply, i have had the lights changed to register it in France so i assume it would conform to here. What would the first registration tax cost ( if applicable).
> 
> Again i have been told ( and i expect just like i found in France that not all advice is always spot on)* that once i have a property here i can drive on foreign plates for up to six months? before *i have to have them changed is that correct.
> 
> ...


You have to register on the Foreigners' List within three months of arrival. Once you are registered, you can *not* drive a foreign registered vehicle, so the answer is 'NO' Having a property here has no bearing on the matter. The six months rule applies to people who are not living in Spain, i.e. say, for example, you were here carrying out research for a doctoral thesis and you needed your car, then you could remain and use it for up to six months since you would not be resident in Spain.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Subndancer said:


> Thank you for your reply, i have had the lights changed to register it in France so i assume it would conform to here. What would the first registration tax cost ( if applicable).


Yes the greatest tax will be the "import tax" correctly called the first registration (in Spain) tax. Avoidable if you buy the car 6 months before importing it and re-matriculate within 60 days of signing on the Padron and becoming resident.

The tax reduces on the age of the car but will mount up - you lose from the full brand new price (from memory) 16%, then 14% then 12% then 10% - so for a four /five year old car the tax is reduced by 16+14+12+10 =52%. You then multiply that figure by the tax according to the pollution it creates - think it is a max of 16% 

I assume the car has a certificate of European conformity if not add 150€. 
ITV is 120, road tax 150? Trafico 100.


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## Subndancer (Jan 18, 2018)

baldilocks said:


> You have to register on the Foreigners' List within three months of arrival. Once you are registered, you can *not* drive a foreign registered vehicle, so the answer is 'NO' Having a property here has no bearing on the matter. The six months rule applies to people who are not living in Spain, i.e. say, for example, you were here carrying out research for a doctoral thesis and you needed your car, then you could remain and use it for up to six months since you would not be resident in Spain.




Thank you for your reply, it seems i have a few decisions to make.


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## Subndancer (Jan 18, 2018)

snikpoh said:


> Yes the greatest tax will be the "import tax" correctly called the first registration (in Spain) tax. Avoidable if you buy the car 6 months before importing it and re-matriculate within 60 days of signing on the Padron and becoming resident.
> 
> The tax reduces on the age of the car but will mount up - you lose from the full brand new price (from memory) 16%, then 14% then 12% then 10% - so for a four /five year old car the tax is reduced by 16+14+12+10 =52%. You then multiply that figure by the tax according to the pollution it creates - think it is a max of 16%
> 
> ...


 Thank you again for your reply, i will have to work out if it is worth keeping the car or buy one already on Spanish plates.


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