# Car insurance



## norman francis (Mar 3, 2010)

Hi
I am in need of some help, i transported a car to spain, and i am unsure as what to do next can some on tell me what i have to do to register, can someone recommend a car insurance company


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

You mean register it with Spanish plates? It's a terrifyingly complicated process, involving eight different stages, and you will also need to replace the headlights. Pay someone else to do it! I'm sure there must be adverts in the Costa del Sol English newspapers for people who will do this.

Linea Directa is a good start for insurance and they have English speakers. As with Direct Line in the UK, they don't have offices, you have to do it online or over the phone.


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Alcalaina said:


> You mean register it with Spanish plates? It's a terrifyingly complicated process, involving eight different stages, and you will also need to replace the headlights. Pay someone else to do it! I'm sure there must be adverts in the Costa del Sol English newspapers for people who will do this.
> 
> Linea Directa is a good start for insurance and they have English speakers. As with Direct Line in the UK, they don't have offices, you have to do it online or over the phone.


Linea Directa are indeed good but will not insure vehicles on non-Spanish plates.
It's only worth changing to Spanish plates if your car is a 'good' one or of sentimental value as it will cost at least 1000 euros to change plates. 
Better to buy a LHD in Spain.


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## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

mrypg9 said:


> Linea Directa are indeed good but will not insure vehicles on non-Spanish plates.
> It's only worth changing to Spanish plates if your car is a 'good' one or of sentimental value as it will cost at least 1000 euros to change plates.
> Better to buy a LHD in Spain.


I use Linea Direct now that my car is on Spanish plates and I think they are great. Better still they have english speaking staff. I sill find when it is a complicated matter I feel more at ease being able to ask things in english (and i know that is an arrogant attitude, but sometimes we all need a little extra help, and you will al knnow i am one of the types that tries wherever possible in spanish so can I be excused fo this little english speaking luxury?)

I agree with you theough Mary. Unless your car is of high value or there is a specific reason its not always worth the hassle.

I have written a couple o posts on here with extensive details of the import process and you will be able to find them with a search. Regarding headlights.. be careful... some cars you canb just flick a switch but not on many. Mercedes wanted hundreds and hundreds to exchange my headlights, but I found a wonderful little man who stripped the lights, truned round all the insides so they pointed the right way, reassembled them, AND fitted an extra bulb so I had 2 foglights... all for 100€ so shop around!


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## taffinspain (Jan 25, 2011)

norman francis said:


> Hi
> I am in need of some help, i transported a car to spain, and i am unsure as what to do next can some on tell me what i have to do to register, can someone recommend a car insurance company



Ibex did a good job for me and they insured a UK plated car, decent price as well


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## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

We are with whoever took over from Saga and they have allowed us to continue with their insurance cover since the fully comp covers us in most of Europe without restriction on time or mileage. We also have europe assist roadside help through them for £65. My wife's parents changed their UK car to Spanish plates which also involved changing the headlights but it cost nowhere near 1000 euros. They told us how they did it - completely legally - and I'll try to remember to ask them on Sunday and post it here.


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

Afaik matriculation costs between €600 - €800 but gets more expensive if you dont meet the criteria for not paying the import registration fee, i.e. you must have owned the car for 6 months and you should start the process witin 30 / 60 days of residencia

I know its not normal, but I had a RHD car here for four years and never changed the headlights, as LHD headlights did not exist for my car


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## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

Stravinsky said:


> Afaik matriculation costs between €600 - €800 but gets more expensive if you dont meet the criteria for not paying the import registration fee, i.e. you must have owned the car for 6 months and you should start the process witin 30 / 60 days of residencia
> 
> I know its not normal, but I had a RHD car here for four years and never changed the headlights, as LHD headlights did not exist for my car


I thought you couldn't get the car passed if you didn't have the correct headlights? Am I wrong?


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

thrax said:


> I thought you couldn't get the car passed if you didn't have the correct headlights? Am I wrong?


Legally you can't BUT there's always some that get through. I know an old boy who changed on to spanish plates & still had beam converters on ! Had to change them 2 years later at the ITV. You can't re-register RHD commercial vehicles & vans , due to visibility , but I've seen loads of rhd vans on spanish plates around Alicante, & for sale from dealers !!


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

thrax said:


> I thought you couldn't get the car passed if you didn't have the correct headlights? Am I wrong?


Well ..... it's all relative.
In theory no you cant.
You can only import a non modified car, i.e. one that relates to the manufacturers standards & specifications

Mine had grooved brake disks, performance induction air filter system, carbon fibre bonnet, non cat stainless steel exhaust, low profile alloy wheels etc etc. The headlights were a minor worry.

When it went for its first ITV the examiner and the gestor went and stood in the corner for a while. They seemed to do that every year. They seemed very friendly.


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## galizaian (Feb 16, 2011)

I use Ibex they cost the same as my UK insurance was but only cover LHD for third party. I have a Mitsi Delica, a grey import from Japan to UK and now to Spain. I was warned by a friendly local trafico that I had been seen in Galicia for a while and they were wondering if I had imported it or was going to soon. I got a good mechanic to to a ficha de matricula, 80 euros. I went for a metriculation ITV, it cost 76 euros they were helpful, I had to take the ladders off as they overhung by 1.5 cms, he said I could put them on again after as it would then count as a temporary modification and I could take them off for the next ITV. I then went to an asesoria who did everything else for me, the van has been in Spain for a year, it took a further three weeks and cost a further 480 euros to get my plates. I felt it was well worth it for peace of mind. There are many ways round things but if something does go wrong say you accidentally cause a coach crash all hell can break loose if you are not covered on all fronts because someone will spend money checking you out properly. I was warned that if I was insuring a car on UK plates beyond the importation period, and as I am resident in Spain with children in school, my insurance would not pay out if I had an accident and the police / authorities would take me to the cleaners because my car would not be legal in either country. How true that is I don't know. A friend was told at his ITV that LHD cars were limited to 80kph. Again I have no further confirmation of that one.

A friend has been told that a firm down in Cadiz offer to insure UK registered cars, they do not need UK road tax or MOT, they do not need Spanish ITV or plates or tax. The owner has to agree to keep the car roadworthy and produce maintenance receipts on demand. That sounds rather dodgy to me on more than one front, if your car is not UK taxed it has to be notified as SORN so if it is on the road in Spain you are still surely liable for UK road tax and hence MOT as it is not off the road. If it is in Spain long term it must be imported and subject to metriculation and ITV unless very new...or is there another way?


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

Hi , & welcome to the forum. Your post is spot on in every respect. I brought a Delica with me when we came . Unfortunately I somehow managed to destroy the engine even though it had a fsh ! I didn't realise until I got rid of it how much it was worth ( apart from the engine ) in spare parts.


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## galizaian (Feb 16, 2011)

I had better not say I have a second Deli here I use as a tractor but won't need for much longer, it has a rubbish body but good engine and transmission. Bit late for you now I guess.


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## galizaian (Feb 16, 2011)

galizaian said:


> I use Ibex they cost the same as my UK insurance was but only cover LHD for third party.


 OOPS I meant only cover RHD for third party.


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

galizaian said:


> I had better not say I have a second Deli here I use as a tractor but won't need for much longer, it has a rubbish body but good engine and transmission. Bit late for you now I guess.


Yes, 7 years ! Mine was immaculate but the early model with seats over engine. 
I 'd break your tractor for parts. They wanted 2k € for a 2nd hand engine around here ! I 've also seen them on segundamano & Autoscout es. Cheapest was 9k € with some phenomenal kms on them.


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## VFR (Dec 23, 2009)

*Many of us have been there !*

Well what are we obliged to do ?
If we live here for more that 6 months we need to re-register the vehicle.

Now you know & I know of lots of UK plated vehicles that have been here for years & may (or may not) insure them via the many company's that do this. They are though illegal (plain & simple) and should they be involved in a big slap (equals expensive) the chances are that the insurer will only pay out on third party (by law they must), but that could well see you with a write off/in hospital/on crutches/facing court proceedings without a leg to stand on regardless of who was at fault.
Yes going back a few years we most probably got away with it, but nowadays all involved are a great deal more clued up and simply know whats what, involved equals Guardia/Insurers/Traffico/DVLC/owners, so ask yourself just what you would do if on a visit to the CDS (assuming you live elsewhere) one of the many hundreds of UK plated motors caused you/or you vehicle a lot of damage ????
Lets not forget that these expat forums are read by a good many Spanish people as well (odds on) as I would read their forums when I am that fluent, so that being the case (?) they also know.

We now know that if you have a good local Gestor who is revved up on motoring issues it is quite easy to re-register a UK plated vehicle (euro spec, not grey import) and off course the cost is set in stone so you know beforehand what the cost will be.
The trouble for UK plated vehicles is that they cannot just nip over the boarder like the French can without leaving a trail.

SAGA will insure your UK vehicle for an unlimited stay (thats handy) trouble is you need to be a UK Resident & in Spain as we know after 6 months ?

So we are back to the start where the OP (original poster) asked about insuring the car here in Spain ?
My reply is to make sure (assuming you intend to live here) that you have at Least Six Months tax/mot before leaving, you should of course also ask the DVLC for a permanent export certificate for the vehicle, but if you do that I do not know how you stand with the UK insurance...........if you do not, then that will be an extra cost at re-registration.
Buy on E-Bay in the UK before you leave a set of RHD headlights, an alternator (much cheaper) a few sets of OE filters, new set of tyres.
The vehicle must have been in your name for at least 6 months before departure to avoid the First Registration Tax here, that you can avoid if you declare the vehicle in the first month of your arrival to permanently live here (see Gestor)
You will though need a document from the British Embassy here to back up this claim (at a cost)

Now all the above I have learned from reading this stuff & going through the process. I think I am right, in fact I'm sure i am, but ?
Also should you wish to chance your arm ?, then feel free to do so as I do not give a monkeys and will not tell a soul, well unless you wreck me or my car


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