# MOT and vehicle tax



## Thembaskywalker (Jan 6, 2021)

Hi I wonder if you could help. We arrived in Spain in October, between the lockdowns, and were looking to stay until Christmas. However what with the virus and the fact that we fell in love with the place we have decided to apply for our Spanish residency. I have a bit of a dilemma as we wait for that residency to come through, that being that our campervan is over here and it's MOT will run out at the end of this month and tax in May. 
I will be looking to transfer the vehicle to spanish plates etc but not until we have confirmation of our residency. I would be happy to drive it back to the UK for its MOT but don't want to drive across Spain and then ferry to England whilst both countries are now in tighter lockdowns (especially England) and have thought about registering it SORN with the DVLA and move around via foot and or taxi etc in the mean time. Anyways can anyone help me make an informed decision. And yes I know it would have been better to have MOT'd it before coming but we didn't know that we would be stuck here longer else I would have (hindsight and all that). Thanks in advance.


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## DonMarco (Nov 20, 2016)

My advise would be to clarify if you can import your Campervan in the first place. In Andalucia you can not import commercial vehicles from abroad. I was told by a company specialising in imports of vehicles that because my Campervan in based on a comercial vehicle I'm unable to import IT as well as my Motorbike trailer.


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## Thembaskywalker (Jan 6, 2021)

DonMarco said:


> My advise would be to clarify if you can import your Campervan in the first place. In Andalucia you can not import commercial vehicles from abroad. I was told by a company specialising in imports of vehicles that because my Campervan in based on a comercial vehicle I'm unable to import IT as well as my Motorbike trailer.


So if you weren't able to import it what did you have to do?


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

If you can't put the vehicle onto Spanish plates then you can't legally use it here. The best option would be to sell it in the UK, but you might be able to sell it here.

But as DonMarco says, the first thing to do is find out if it is possible. I am not normally in favour of paying gestores or other professionals to do admin work for me, but in this case I think I would look for professional help because as has been said, it can be impossible to register a used commercial vehicle.

Maybe you should tell us the vehicle make, year, and camper conversion company to see if anyone has been succesful in the past with a similar camper?

Here is a website of a homolgacion company that has a specific page dedicated to campers:








Homologaciones de Autorcaravanas de Importación - Homologar vehículos · 4x4 · tuning · caravanas · remolques


Homologar y matricular Autocaravanas de Importación



www.homologar.com





I have no connection with that company and have never used them bu the way.


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## Thembaskywalker (Jan 6, 2021)

Overandout said:


> If you can't put the vehicle onto Spanish plates then you can't legally use it here. The best option would be to sell it in the UK, but you might be able to sell it here.
> 
> But as DonMarco says, the first thing to do is find out if it is possible. I am not normally in favour of paying gestores or other professionals to do admin work for me, but in this case I think I would look for professional help because as has been said, it can be impossible to register a used commercial vehicle.
> 
> ...


Thanks for you help and advice. I'm still looking at the issue of MOT and Tax with the issues that we are currently facing I'm not sure I'm going to attempt to get back to the UK to sort that. Any further advice around that would also be welcome. Thanks again.


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## DonMarco (Nov 20, 2016)

Thembaskywalker said:


> So if you weren't able to import it what did you have to do?


Just to clarify - my Campervan is registered (interchangable plates) in Switzerland so I have to return every two years for its MOT. Its complicated and I don't want to derail your thread. My point is, dont make any plans before clarifying whether you can actually import your campervan.


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## davexf (Jan 26, 2009)

Hola, 
A lot of campervans are not "type tested" in that they don't have a certificate of European conformity. To rematriculate these vehicles there are two special testing stations, one in Madrid and the other in Barcelona. The cost of the test last time I heard was 3,000€. 

Your local ITV station should have details 

Davexf


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## Brian Beezwax (Jan 8, 2021)

Hi *Thembaskywalker

I would strongly advise you to get the campervan back to the UK before the MOT runs out. As others have said, it may well be financially unviable, or even impossible to get it onto Spanish plates, and once the MOT runs out you won't be able to do anything with it at all as it will be illegal for it to be on the road in Spain. Where I live, the first thing that the Policia Local do when they see a UK plated vehicle is run the plate through the (public) DVLA vehicle check website, and then impound it if either the tax or MOT is out of date, so leaving it anywhere on a Spanish road will be very risky soon. Once impounded, you won't be able to drive it out, as you won't be able to get an MOT on it.....

Better to drive it back now, as otherwise you will probably need to send it back on a lorry. If you're worried about getting back into Spain as a non-resident then maybe get someone else to drive it......*


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## DonMarco (Nov 20, 2016)

Brian Beezwax said:


> Hi *Thembaskywalker
> 
> I would strongly advise you to get the campervan back to the UK before the MOT runs out. As others have said, it may well be financially unviable, or even impossible to get it onto Spanish plates, and once the MOT runs out you won't be able to do anything with it at all as it will be illegal for it to be on the road in Spain. Where I live, the first thing that the Policia Local do when they see a UK plated vehicle is run the plate through the (public) DVLA vehicle check website, and then impound it if either the tax or MOT is out of date, so leaving it anywhere on a Spanish road will be very risky soon. Once impounded, you won't be able to drive it out, as you won't be able to get an MOT on it.....
> 
> Better to drive it back now, as otherwise you will probably need to send it back on a lorry. If you're worried about getting back into Spain as a non-resident then maybe get someone else to drive it......*


Bit extreem.


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## Brian Beezwax (Jan 8, 2021)

So many people having to scrap their UK plated cars in Ibiza now as it's just not worth the hassle. My mate managed to scrape back with his winnebago about a week before the MOT ran out, but loads of others haven't been so lucky.....


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## trotter58 (Feb 8, 2017)

Brian Beezwax said:


> Hi *Thembaskywalker
> 
> I would strongly advise you to get the campervan back to the UK before the MOT runs out. As others have said, it may well be financially unviable, or even impossible to get it onto Spanish plates, and once the MOT runs out you won't be able to do anything with it at all as it will be illegal for it to be on the road in Spain. Where I live, the first thing that the Policia Local do when they see a UK plated vehicle is run the plate through the (public) DVLA vehicle check website, and then impound it if either the tax or MOT is out of date, so leaving it anywhere on a Spanish road will be very risky soon. Once impounded, you won't be able to drive it out, as you won't be able to get an MOT on it.....
> 
> Better to drive it back now, as otherwise you will probably need to send it back on a lorry. If you're worried about getting back into Spain as a non-resident then maybe get someone else to drive it......*


Good advice. 
I can confirm that the Traffico are using their access to UK database to check MOT, tax & insurance of UK vehicles. Ours was checked at the roadside while parked, all OK as we we're fully street legal in UK.


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

trotter58 said:


> I can confirm that the Traffico are using their access to UK database to check MOT, tax & insurance of UK vehicles. Ours was checked at the roadside while parked, all OK as we we're fully street legal in UK.


Will they continue to have access to UK database post Brexit? UK has lost instant access to Schengen and Europol database, among other things. They now have to ask first.


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## trotter58 (Feb 8, 2017)

Joppa said:


> Will they continue to have access to UK database post Brexit? UK has lost instant access to Schengen and Europol database, among other things. They now have to ask first.


I'm not sure whether they have/had a separate access to the UK database but anyone can access via Check the MOT status of a vehicle.


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## MataMata (Nov 30, 2008)

Guardia can also check insurance via the MIB.


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## Brian Beezwax (Jan 8, 2021)

@Joppa 

They use the public database on their smartphones, nothing to do with collaboration between UK and Spain.....


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## Ukfamof5 (May 29, 2021)

*Brian Beezwax or can anybody else help with this. What happens if a British car is impounded without UK tax or MOT in Spain. What is the protocol in this situation? *


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

Depends on who has impounded it. Normally this is something the local piloce would do, as they belong to the town hall, you would need to contact them to find out the exact procedure, but it usually involves paying for the cost of the tow service, the number of days that it has been impounded and any fines for the offenses committed.
In the case of the vehicle being untaxed and without ITV, there is no way that you can make it roadworthy whilst it is impounded, so you will need to go there with a tow truck as they won't let you drive it away.


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## MataMata (Nov 30, 2008)

I seem to recall reading somewhere that there was a procedure for that sort of situation whereby the police would release a car, minus registration doc and plates, and give the owner x days to have it transported to an ITV station and then Spanish registered.

I doubt they'd simply release it to an owner who turned up with a tow truck as there would be nothing to stop him from offloading it around the corner and driving it away!

No doubt one of the companies who advertise reg swaps could give you the full griff.


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