Levante V12 blog
Guides for anyone thinking of buying a car in another European country and bringing it to Spain: documents, ITV inspection, registration, taxes and what to check before you pay. Every fact comes with its official source.
TaxesBuying a car in the EU as a self-employed person or company: VAT
A self-employed person or company buying a car from a trader in another EU country makes an intra-Community acquisition: with a VAT number, the seller charges no VAT and the buyer declares it on form 303 and deducts it if the requirements are met. For passenger cars, 50% business use is presumed.
· 7 min read
TaxesVAT on a car bought in another EU country: new or used
If the car is new for VAT (under six months old or no more than 6,000 kilometres), the tax is paid in Spain even if you buy as a private individual (in that case, with form 309). If it is used and you buy as a private individual, there is no intra-Community acquisition subject to Spanish VAT.
· 7 min read
Buying in EuropeWarranty on a used car bought in another EU country
If you buy a used car from a professional seller in another EU country, you have a legal guarantee of at least two years, which for used goods can be agreed at a shorter period, never less than one year. When buying from a private individual, European consumer rules do not apply.
· 8 min read
Buying in EuropeTampered odometer: how to spot it before buying in Europe
The most reliable way to spot a tampered odometer on a car bought in another European country is to compare the readings on its inspection certificates, its garage invoices and its wear. Spain's ITV does not replace that check before you buy.
· 7 min read
TaxesSpanish tax tables for used cars: the value of an imported car
The Hacienda tables are the average sale prices approved each year by Spain's Ministry of Finance, with a scale of percentages by years of use. In 2026 Order HAC/1501/2025 applies. For an imported used car they set the market value for the registration tax.
· 7 min read
TaxesRoad tax on an imported car in Spain: when and where it is paid
The road tax (IVTM) on an imported car is paid to the town council of your address before applying for registration, because the DGT (Spain's traffic authority) requires the proof. The amount depends on the fiscal horsepower on the ITV card and on the municipal coefficient, which cannot exceed 2.
· 6 min read
TaxesRegistration tax on an imported car: how it is calculated
The registration tax on an imported car is calculated by applying to the taxable base (the VAT taxable base of the purchase if it is new, the market value if it is used) a rate that depends on its CO2 emissions and the autonomous community. It is declared on form 576 before registering.
· 8 min read
PaperworkRegistering an imported car in Spain: the DGT procedure
Registration is the last step: the DGT processes it once you have the ITV card, the registration tax, the road tax and, depending on the case, proof of VAT or Property Transfer Tax. It is requested online or by appointment.
· 7 min read
TaxesREBU on imported cars: what it is and how it affects VAT
The REBU is the special VAT scheme for resellers of second-hand goods: the tax is calculated on the margin and is not shown separately. A used car bought under the REBU in another EU country is not an intra-Community acquisition, and a company cannot deduct that VAT.
· 8 min read
TaxesMoving to Spain with your car: the change-of-residence exemption
Anyone moving to Spain with their car can register it exempt from the registration tax if they lived abroad for at least twelve months, used the car for six months there, bought it with its taxes paid and do not sell it within a year. It is declared on form 06 within 60 days.
· 7 min read
PaperworkITV inspection for an imported car: which documents are required
To register in Spain a car brought from another EEA country you must pass the pre-registration inspection at the ITV. If it was already registered there, the reduced data sheet or certificate of conformity (CoC), the original registration certificate and the inspection card from the country of origin are required.
· 7 min read
PaperworkInsurance for an imported car: before and after registering it
An imported car needs insurance from the moment it is driven. If you drive it back, you need insurance and temporary plates from the country of purchase; in Spain, for up to thirty days from delivery, you can insure it there or here, and the ITV requires proof of compulsory insurance.
· 6 min read
PaperworkIndividual vehicle approval: when an imported car needs it in Spain
A European car with a certificate of conformity does not need individual approval. Cars already registered without valid approval in Spain need an authorisation to be put into circulation from the type-approval authority, and those individually approved in another EEA country need an equivalence authorisation.
· 7 min read
Buying in EuropeImporting an electric car from Europe: what changes
An electric car bought in the EU is imported with the same steps as any other, but a pure electric car is taxed at 0% in the registration tax (though it must be declared), is entitled to the CERO label and its VAT follows the usual rules. The battery deserves a separate check.
· 6 min read
Buying in EuropeImporting a motorhome from Europe: what you need to know
A motorhome bought in the EU is registered in Spain like a car, but its category and CO2 emissions decide the registration tax (with a 30% reduction in the base), its maximum mass decides whether a B licence is enough and its category changes how often the ITV is due.
· 7 min read
Buying in EuropeImporting a motorbike from Germany: paperwork and taxes
A motorbike bought in Germany is registered in Spain like a car, but with its own rules: combustion models up to 250 cc are not subject to registration tax and the rest are taxed on CO2 in their own brackets. The licence required and the ITV calendar also change.
· 6 min read
PaperworkImporting a classic car and registering it as historic
An imported classic car can be registered like any car or directly as historic, with an “H” plate. It must be at least thirty years old, out of production and in its original condition, and go through a Historic Vehicles Technical Service, the ITV and the DGT.
· 6 min read
TaxesImporting a car to the Canary Islands: IGIC, registration and paperwork
The Canary Islands charge IGIC rather than VAT, settled with the introduction declaration at customs: 9.5% up to 11 fiscal horsepower, 15% above and zero rate for electric cars. Registration tax rates are one point lower than on the mainland.
· 7 min read
TaxesImporting a car from outside the EU: customs, duty and VAT
A car bought outside the EU is declared at customs with a DUA and pays duty and import VAT before passing the ITV and being registered. Which documents are required, how the amount is calculated, relief for moving residence and what changes with the UK and Switzerland.
· 9 min read
Buying in EuropeImporting a car from Germany to Spain: steps and documents
To bring a car from Germany you must buy it with all its documents, pass the pre-registration ITV, pay the registration tax and, if the car is new for VAT purposes, VAT in Spain, pay the road tax and register it with the DGT.
· 8 min read
TaxesHow much does it cost to import a car to Spain: every cost item
The cost of importing a car goes beyond its price: transport, VAT or customs, registration tax based on CO2, transfer tax if a private seller sells it, road tax, ITV, DGT fee, plates and an agent. Which amounts are official and what the rest depends on.
· 8 min read
PaperworkRegistration certificate of a German car: part I and part II
The German registration certificate follows the European two-part model. To register the car in Spain, the DGT (Spain's traffic authority) asks for part I and for part II if it was issued; without part II, confirmation from the authority that issued it is needed.
· 8 min read
TaxesForm 576 for an imported car: how to file it
Form 576 is the self-assessment of the registration tax. It is filed by whoever is going to register the car, once registration has been applied for and before it takes place, with the data from the ITV card. Filing it, normally online, gives you the CEM.
· 8 min read
PaperworkForeign-registered car in Spain: how long it can be driven
It depends on where you live. If you reside in Spain, the registration tax falls due if you do not apply for definitive registration within 30 days of starting to use the car here. If you live in another EU country and are only passing through, you do not have to register it in Spain.
· 7 min read
PaperworkDGT environmental label for an imported car
The environmental label of an imported car is assigned when it is registered in Spain, based on its fuel and Euro standard. Which label applies to each engine, how to work it out before buying, where to get the sticker and whether you have to display it.
· 7 min read
PaperworkCertificate of conformity (CoC): what it is and when you need it
The CoC is the manufacturer's document certifying that a car matches an EU-approved type. When you import a car into Spain, the ITV accepts it in place of the reduced data sheet. What to check on it, what to do if it is missing and what changes for the United Kingdom, Switzerland and other countries.
· 8 min read
Buying in EuropeChassis number (VIN): how to check it before you buy
To check a car's chassis number (VIN), compare the number marked on the vehicle with the one on the registration certificate, the certificate of conformity and the inspection certificates. With it you can look up recalls and, if the car was registered in Spain, request a DGT report.
· 6 min read
Buying in EuropeScams when buying a car abroad: warning signs
When buying a second-hand car in another country, be wary of anyone asking for money in advance for a very cheap car you cannot see. We cover the warning signs flagged by INCIBE and the European Consumer Centre, how to pay safely and what to do if you have already paid.
· 6 min read
Buying in EuropeBuying a used car in Europe: what to check before you pay
Before paying for a used car in another EU country, check who is selling and what guarantee you have, that you will receive the original documents to register it in Spain, that the car matches its papers, its mileage and inspections, any recalls, and how to bring it over.
· 7 min read
Buying in EuropeBuying a car in Germany: from a private seller or a dealer?
Buying a car in Germany from a dealer gives you the EU legal guarantee and an invoice with their VAT number; a private seller may be cheaper, but without the consumer guarantee and with a contract you will have to translate. VAT and the checks differ too.
· 6 min read
