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Spanish car guides: the paperwork, the rules and the money

Everything we've learned buying Spanish-plated vehicles across the UK, written down. Each guide is specific to a Spanish-registered vehicle that's physically in Britain — not generic import advice — and links to the official DVLA, HMRC and DGT sources so you can check for yourself.

Rules and the law

Where you stand with the DVLA, the police, HMRC and TfL.

UK rules
Spanish-registered car in the UK: the rules on time limits, insurance, ITV and clamping
The 6-month visitor limit, what changes once you live in the UK, clamping and release fees, insurance and the obligations that follow the car from Spain.
9 min read →
Importing
How to register a Spanish car in the UK: the process, the real cost and whether it's worth it
NOVA, VAT and duty, transfer-of-residence relief, GB conversion approval for LHD cars, MOT, DVLA forms and fees — and when it isn't worth doing.
10 min read →
Travel & arrival
Bringing a Spanish car to the UK: ferries, driving routes, and what to do when you arrive
Brittany Ferries routes and crossing times, the drive through France, what to carry, the 14-day NOVA rule, ULEZ — and selling on arrival.
8 min read →

Spanish paperwork

The DGT side: deregistration, the ITV, tax, fines and documents.

Spanish paperwork
How to deregister a Spanish car from the UK: baja temporal, baja por exportación and what to do if the ITV has expired
Temporary vs export deregistration, DGT fees, applying from abroad, what blocks a baja, and why the ITV matters.
9 min read →
ITV & MOT
Spanish car with an expired ITV in the UK: what it means, what it costs and what you can do
ITV intervals, Spanish fines, why a UK MOT doesn't count, the effect on the export baja, and the options for an ITV-expired car in Britain.
7 min read →
Tax & fines
Spanish road tax (IVTM), fines and insurance: the bills that follow a Spanish car to the UK
How the IVTM is charged, why a parked car still needs insurance, how fines are served to an old address and what the fix is.
8 min read →
Documents
The documents you need to sell a Spanish-registered car — and what to do if you've lost them
Permiso de Circulación, Ficha Técnica, ID and NIE, finance clearance, the sale contract — and how to get duplicates from the UK.
8 min read →
Checks
How to check a Spanish car's history: the DGT vehicle report, and how to read Spanish number plates
The free and paid DGT reports, what each shows, what blocks a sale, how to request one from Britain — and dating a car from its plate.
8 min read →

Selling

What your car is worth, how a sale works and the mistakes that cost people money.

Valuation
What is a Spanish-registered car worth in the UK? How buyers price Spanish-plated cars
Why UK valuation sites don't apply, the LHD effect, how ITV and paperwork change the price, and what to do before you ask for offers.
8 min read →
Selling
How to sell a Spanish car in the UK
The questions people ask before they sell, answered.
Guide →
Selling
The selling process, step by step
From valuation to collection and same-day payment.
Guide →
Selling
The dangers of selling a Spanish car the wrong way
Why a handshake sale can leave you liable for years.
Guide →
Selling
Spanish car buyers in the UK
Who actually buys Spanish-plated cars here, and why most dealers won't.
Guide →
Selling
Selling a left-hand-drive Spanish car
What LHD means for the price and the process.
Guide →

Not sure where to start?

Most people arrive at one of three questions. "Can I keep driving it here?" — read the UK rules first; the answer depends on whether you live in the UK. "Should I register it or sell it?" — the import guide has the costs and the valuation guide has the other side of the sum. "How do I get it out of my name in Spain?" — that's the baja guide, and if the ITV has lapsed, read this one too.

Everything here is written for the situation we deal with every day: a Spanish-registered vehicle that is already in the UK. If your car is still in Spain, the DGT and DVLA pages we link to remain the right sources, but our buying service only covers vehicles located in the UK.

About these guides

They're written by the We Buy Spanish Cars team from the paperwork we handle, checked against the official sources — GOV.UK, HMRC, DVLA, DVSA, the DGT's Sede Electrónica and Transport for London — and dated so you can see when they were last reviewed. Fees and rules change; where we quote a figure, the source is linked so you can confirm it. None of it is legal or tax advice, and if you have an unusual situation, a Spanish gestoría or a UK customs agent is the right person to ask.

Frequently asked questions

Do these guides apply if my car is still in Spain? +
The official sources they link to do, but the guides are written for a Spanish-registered vehicle that's already in the UK, which is also the only situation our buying service covers.
Can I get help with the DGT paperwork without selling the car? +
The guides explain how to do each step yourself or through a representative in Spain. If you decide to sell to us, the deregistration is handled by our Gestoría as part of the purchase.
How often are the guides updated? +
Each guide shows the date it was last reviewed. We update them when the DGT, HMRC or DVLA change a fee or a rule, and when our own experience of the process changes.
Where do I get a valuation? +
Use the form on any page — make, model, year, mileage, where the car is and the ITV situation — and we'll come back with a price that includes free UK-wide collection and the Spanish paperwork.
Sell your Spanish car

Got a Spanish-registered car in the UK? We'll buy it.

Whatever the paperwork situation — expired ITV, car still in your name in Spain, no Spanish bank account — we buy Spanish-plated cars, vans, bikes and campers anywhere in the UK, handle the Spanish side through our Gestoría, and pay you the same day.

Spanish plates? No problem — it's all we do
Free collection anywhere in the UK
Spanish-speaking Gestoría handles the paperwork
Same-day payment, no hidden fees
How selling works
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