In Spain, the periodic road worthiness inspection, is the ITV. (Inspeccion Tecnica de Vehiculos – Vehicle Technical Inspection).  Like the UK MoT test, it’s mandatory for all road going vehicles, and driving without a valid ITV can result in fines.

When Does The ITV have to be done?

The frequency of the ITV test depends on the age and type of vehicle.  New cars are first tested after 4 years and must be inspected every 2 years thereafter, until they reach 10 years of age. Any car over 10 years of age has to be tested annually.

Motorcycles, mopeds and quad bikes are first tested after 5 years, after which the test is due every 2 years. Caravans are first tested at 6 years, after which the test is due every 2 years.

If a vehicle has been involved in a serious accident, it also has to undergo an ITV assessment after being repaired, to confirm its road worthiness.

Coronavirus State of Alarm ITV Expiry Date Extensions

During the first Covid 19 state of alarm, expiry dates of ITV’s falling due during the period were extended.  The tab below lists all the extensions:

Spain does not have a system to issue personalised licence plates.  It does however have a system to identify and recognise Classic Cars.  Cars that qualify can achieve the status of being certified as a ‘historical vehicle’.  Classic Cars with this status can be registered with historical licence plates, so the owner can enjoy the kudos of having their beloved motor officially recognised and marked as a Classic Car.

Getting ‘historical vehicle’ status for a Classic Car, also brings with the added perks of cheaper insurance, longer gaps between ITV´s and road tax exemption.

The starting qualifying criteria is the age of the car, the qualifying age being 30 years.  The age for a Classic Car in Spain used to be 25 years, however was changed to 30 years in May 2018.  This change was not retrospective.  Classic Cars that already had historical number plates kept them, so there are cars with these plates that are less then 30 years old.

IVTM Impuesto sobre Vehículos de Tracción Mecánica is Spanish vehicle tax, the equivalent of what we refer to in the UK as road tax.

Almost all cars registered in Spain are subject to this vehicle tax, and it’s administered and collect locally by the Town Hall.   If you aren’t familiar with the vehicle tax system in Spain, you’ll find the following useful, to understand it, if not to flag issues, get them resolved and avoid problems in the future.

If you own a Spanish registered vehicle, and by mid May haven’t received a bill for vehicle tax, or notification of payment, this could be an indication of a problem relating to details held by the DGT (Direccion General de Trafico) about the registered owner of the vehicle.

The following are some of the things we hear and questions we get asked about Spanish vehicle tax.

When taking up residence in Spain, there has always been a requirement to either exchange your UK driving licence for a Spanish driving licence, or at least register it with the Spanish traffic authority, the DGT (Direccion General de Trafico).

Now, due to Brexit, all UK licence holders living in Spain, must exchange their UK licence for a Spanish licence, if they wish to continue using it to drive in Spain after Brexit.

The following link takes you to a guide on how to do this provided by the DGT.

Canje de Permisos – Ingles

It is written in English, however, its not entirely clear, so we’ve summarised below the key points regarding the documents you’ll need and the process, based on our experience doing these.

Registering Classic Cars in Spain

The process of assigning a registration number to a Classic Car in Spain is more or less the same as that for a normal car.  However the car will have to go through more vigorous checks before it can be passed.  There is no differentiation in regard to age of vehicle and the registration number issued.  So a 50 year old classic Ferrari brought to Spain from another country, and a brand new Nissan Micra, could end up with consecutively numbered plates.

This is quite different to the UK for example, where vehicle registration numbers have a year marker, so you can know the cars are from the number plate.  Spanish vehicle registration numbers have no age identifier.

From a Classic Car perspective, this means that, if you’re bringing your pride and joy 1964 Mercedes SL to Spain, when you register it, you will end up with a registration number that doesn’t fit with the age of the car.  The registration will be just like any other regular new cars registered at the same time. Not great for prestige.

Fill in your vehicle details below to check tax and MOT status online.

Note – In addition to the tax and MOT information above, the authorities in Spain can access the details of the registered keeper of the vehicle.

When you own or register a vehicle in Spain, you almost always have to pay some form of vehicle tax.  The type and amount that applies depends on the vehicle.

Local Vehicle Tax

IVTM Impuesto sobre Vehículos de Tracción Mecánica is the Spanish equivalent of what we refer to in the UK as road tax.  Almost all vehicles driven on public roads in Spain, are subject to this tax, which is administered and collected locally by the Town Hall.

The tax is set by the municipal authorities, and varies from area to the next. IVTM is paid to the local authority and can be paid in person at the relevant Town Hall office (Ayuntamiento), at a bank or by direct debit.

Vehicle Tax When Registering a Vehicle in Spain

When you register a vehicle in Spain, either new or used, in all cases locally collected road tax‘ – IVTM (Impuesto Sobre Vehículos de Tracción Mecánica), must be up to date.

There are 3 main circumstances and taxes that apply when registering a vehicle in Spain. These are:

• Purchase of a new vehicle
• Buying a second hand vehicle or changing ownership
• Importing or registering of a foreign vehicle

Tax – New Vehicle Purchase

New vehicle purchases in Spain are subject to IVA (Impuesto sobre el Valor Añadido), Spanish VAT – currently 21% of purchase value.

In addition, when a vehicle is first registered in Spain, it may be subject to an additional registration tax.

This vehicle tax is based on the new value of the vehicle and it’s CO2 emissions.  Vehicles with CO2 emissions below 120g/km are exempt from the tax, and the rate increases with the level of emissions as follows:

• 121g/km – 159g/km = 4.75%
• 160g/km – 199g/km = 9.75%
• 200g/km or higher = 16.75%

Road and driving laws in Spain are being more strictly enforced than in previous years to decrease the amount of fatal car accidents on the road due to reckless and drunk driving.

On July 1st 2006 a points system was introduced to enforce them more punitively. The system which is similar to the UK´s, but in reverse,  means that in addition to any fines or penalties a driver receives for any wrongdoing, the offender loses points  which can ultimately result in the revocation of their driving licence (Permisso de Conducir) either temporarily, or in some cases permanently for repeat offenders.

The points system is only applicable to people holding a Spanish driving licence.

Basic road and driving rules in Spain guidelines.

Spanish law requires the following of drivers:

• Driving licence, car document and insurance be carried in the car at all times.
• Seat belts worn front and back at all times.
• Less than 25mg/100ml of alcohol be in the blood (much less than many other countries – only one small glass of wine or beer)
• Two reflective warning road triangles be carried along with reflective jackets for ALL occupants.
• To not use a mobile phone while driving unless completely hands free system.
• Children under 12 not permitted in front seats or on a motorcycle.
• Not to use radar detectors or warn drivers behind of an upcoming checkpoint.
• Follow speed limit signs as indicated.
• Give way to the right and priority to vehicles already on a roundabout.
• Helmets compulsory on all motorbikes at all times, even under 50cc.

Car Insurance

All car owners driving and living (resident, non- resident or visiting) in Spain must have car insurance. Cities such as Marbella where there are a large group of English speaking residents have insurance companies with English speaking agents and policies written in English for easier understanding. These can be found in English language newspapers, or other foreign language papers.

Depending on the make and year of your vehicle all risk “todo riesgo” comprehensive car insurance will cost between €1.000 to €2.000 per year. The legal minimum is third party insurance and will cost about €400 to €600 per year. It will cover you for claims by third parties up to €360.000, for injury and €100.000 for damage.

It does not cover you or your car, only third parties up to the maximum limits stated. These limits can be increased and extended to cover for fire, theft, damage to your vehicle.

Your Spanish car insurance will automatically cover you for the legal minimum in other European countries as well. A green card will increase this coverage to the same level as your own policy. Many insurance policies issue a green card “free”; others may charge a small fee.

However, if you travel to Morocco with your car you will be required to take out temporary Moroccan car insurance whether you have a green card or not.

Car Accidents

If you are unlucky and have a car accident, follow the same procedure as you would in your own country:

• Make sure you obtain the licence plate, drivers name and NIF number (National Identification Number) and the name of the insurance company of the other vehicle.
• Complete the blue form from your insurance packet (you should carry these papers at all times), recording all relevant details and information.
• If you are driving a rental car, call the rental company for assistance.
• If you or another party needs an ambulance call 112.
• If you need Roadside Assistance, your insurance paperwork may provide numbers to call for assistance, otherwise call the “Gruas” (local tow truck) for help to take your car to the nearest garage or your destination.
• At the earliest opportunity call the insurance company or his agent and they will guide you through the claims policy.
• There is no specific requirement to inform the Police, though it obviously depends on the nature of the accident.

Unlicensed drivers and most non-EU citizens are required to take a Spanish driving test, (written theory and practical),  in order to obtain a Spanish licence. Helpfully, in larger cities and places where a large part of the population is not from Spain, the test can be conducted in your native language.

There are many driving schools advertised in foreign language newspapers and magazines offering preparation for the Spanish test. If it is not available in your native tongue, you will have to take it in Spanish, and this can be challenging even for native speakers. The testing process is difficult and not cheap, the theory quite involved. You have three attempts to pass (this includes both the written and actual driving test) and then you have to pay additional fees for another three opportunities. The theory test consists of 40 questions, of which you can fail only three. So make sure if you sign up, you are prepared to dedicate considerable time to study and practice.

This can be a frustrating experience for drivers who have already held a driving license in their own country and been driving for many years.