Frequently Asked Questions about Importing Cars to Spain

Registration tax depends on CO2 emissions: 0% for under 120 g/km, 4.75% from 120–159 g/km, 9.75% from 160–199 g/km, and 14.75% above 200 g/km. Our calculator uses the official BOE tables to determine the exact fiscal value of your model.

Main costs: 1) Registration Tax (IEDMT) on BOE fiscal value; 2) ITP (4–8% of value if buying privately); 3) Import ITV (€150–300); 4) DGT fees (~€100); 5) License plates (~€50); and 6) Agency (€200–400, optional but recommended). Total typically €1,500–5,000 depending on the car's value.

Pure EVs (BEV) are exempt from the registration tax with 0 g/km CO2. You'll still pay ITV, DGT and plates. Plug-in hybrids (PHEV) with over 40 km electric range can also be exempt in some cases.

Yes — apply for the registration-tax exemption by change of residence. You must have owned the car at least 6 months before moving to Spain and apply within 60 days of arriving. Filed at the Tax Agency.

Shipping a car from Germany to Spain costs €800–1,500 depending on distance, transport type (open or enclosed) and the company. Munich–Madrid runs €1,000–1,200 on an open trailer. Sea freight from Northern European ports can be slightly cheaper.

The tax base is the car's value per BOE (Official State Gazette) tables, adjusted by a depreciation coefficient based on the vehicle's age. It's not the purchase price but a reference fiscal value. Our calculator finds it automatically from brand, model and year.

5 steps: 1) Special import ITV with technical sheet; 2) Pay registration tax at Tax Agency (Form 576); 3) Pay ITP if buying privately (Form 600); 4) Pay IVTM (sticker) at the Town Hall; 5) DGT appointment for the registration permit. Full process usually 4–8 weeks.

You'll need: Certificate of Conformity (COC) from the manufacturer, technical sheet from the country of origin, sales contract or invoice, buyer's DNI/NIE, proof of tax payment (Forms 576 and 600 as applicable), passed import ITV, and the foreign registration certificate. From outside the EU, you also need the DUA (Single Customs Declaration).

The full process typically takes 4–8 weeks depending on region and DGT load. ITV can be done in 1–2 weeks. Tax payment is immediate. The DGT appointment is usually 2–4 weeks. Hiring an agency speeds it up significantly.

Not mandatory, but highly recommended. An agency knows the procedures, deadlines and forms — fewer mistakes, less time. Cost is €200–400, reasonable for the weeks of paperwork it can save.

The import ITV is a special technical inspection for foreign-registered vehicles. It's done at any authorised ITV station in Spain. Bring the technical sheet from the country of origin. If it passes, you receive the certificate needed to continue with registration.

Yes. If you reside in Spain and have imported the car, you have 30 days from the vehicle's entry into the country to start registration. Missing the deadline can result in penalties. For Cambio de Residencia, the deadline is 60 days from arrival in Spain.

Yes — it's often profitable to import mid-to-high-end cars (Audi, BMW, Mercedes) from Germany. Larger supply, better condition and lower prices than Spain. Savings range €2,000–10,000 even after taxes. Models 3–6 years old are usually most profitable.

Most profitable from Germany: BMW 3/5 series, Mercedes C/E, Audi A4/A6, Volkswagen Golf/Passat and EVs like the BMW i3 or Volkswagen ID.3. EVs have the extra advantage of being exempt from the registration tax.

CO2 is on the Certificate of Conformity (COC) or technical sheet. You can also find it on the manufacturer's website using the VIN. For German cars, TÜV records and the Zulassungsbescheinigung also contain this info.

Yes — you can import hybrids and EVs from outside the EU (e.g. UAE, USA), but the process is more complex. On top of VAT (21%) and customs duty (10% for non-EU), you'll need individual homologation, costing €1,000–3,000. EVs are still exempt from the registration tax.

If the import ITV is failed, you'll get a defect report. Repair them and resubmit. Minor faults ('Desfavorable Leve') let you drive for a limited time to fix things. Serious faults ('Negativa') prevent driving until repaired.

Madrid, Andalusia, Aragón, Murcia, Navarre, the Basque Country and La Rioja have Spain's lowest ITP for used vehicles at 4%. Canary Islands, Ceuta and Melilla are special cases: no ITP (they use IGIC or IPSI). At the high end: Asturias, Cantabria and Galicia at 8%. Difference can be hundreds of euros depending on car value.

ITP rates: Madrid (Comunidad de Madrid): 4%, Barcelona (Catalonia): 6%, Valencia (Valencia region): 6%. On a €20,000 used car bought privately, you'd pay €800 in Madrid, €1,200 in Barcelona and €1,200 in Valencia. Bigger gaps for higher-value cars.

You must register the car in the region where you have habitual residence — you can't pick freely to pay less ITP. If you can legally change residence, Madrid (4%), Andalusia (4%) and Aragón (4%) are the most favourable peninsular regions. The Canary Islands have no ITP but use IGIC.

From a dealer: you pay VAT at origin (already included in the German price), no ITP in Spain, but base price is higher. From a private seller: lower base price, but you pay ITP (4–8%) on registration in Spain. For high-value cars, dealer purchases are usually cheaper in total taxes.

Yes, importing cars from Dubai (UAE) to Spain is legal, though more complex than EU imports. You'll pay customs duty (10% of car value), import VAT (21%), the registration tax (per CO2), and individual homologation costs (mandatory for cars not homologated in the EU). Sea freight from the UAE can run €1,500–3,000.

Importing from Dubai (non-EU) you'll pay: customs duty: 10% on CIF value (cost + insurance + freight), the EU general tariff (TARIC 8703); import VAT: 21% on CIF + duty; registration tax: per CO2 (0–14.75%); individual homologation: €1,000–3,000 by model. Some FTA countries (Japan, South Korea, UK) may have reduced or 0% duty.

It can pay off for very specific luxury cars unavailable in Europe or much pricier here — certain Lamborghini, Ferrari or American cars like the Dodge Challenger. But extra costs (10% duty on CIF, 21% VAT, individual homologation €1,500–3,000, transport €1,500–3,000) are significant — calculate carefully before deciding.

Individual homologation is a process where a technical body certifies the vehicle complies with Spanish and EU safety and emissions rules. Mandatory for cars imported from outside the EU without European (EC) type approval. Cost: €800–3,000 depending on model and required adaptations.

No — in Dubai and the UAE driving is on the right, so cars are left-hand drive, same as Spain. This eases the import. However, the UAE market includes many American or Japanese cars whose specs may differ from European ones, complicating or increasing homologation cost.

Yes — EVs can be imported from the UAE. Tesla is common there. Being electric (0 g/km CO2), you're exempt from the registration tax. You still pay duty (10%), VAT (21%) and possibly homologation. For Tesla models already type-approved in the EU, the process is simpler.

Shipping a car from Dubai (Jebel Ali) to Spain (Valencia, Barcelona or Algeciras) costs €1,500–3,000, with 20–35 days transit. Transport insurance is mandatory and adds 1–2% of the vehicle value. Customs clearance in Spain is €200–400 extra.