Why you need to Seek Professional Help when You Want to Register a Car in Spain
First things first, is it a must that you register a car in Spain? Well, like in most other jurisdictions, it is a legal obligation to register all non registered cars in Spain. You will need to register your non-Spanish plated car so to drive legally and comfortably. It therefore goes without saying that driving an unregistered car is punishable by law, and needless to mention, the penalties are always very severe, sometimes even having your car impounded for a set period of time, and of course paying hefty penalties.
The need to register a car in Spain should be treated with the seriousness that it deserves. Sadly, the process of registering a car is not always an easy and straightforward one as most people would want it to be. Note, however, that this process can be very easy and straightforward if you have all paperwork in order, if you speak Spanish, and if you exercise utmost patience standing in long queues waiting for your turn to have your car registered.
Some of the documents you will need to register a car in Spain include your official valid travelling Passport, original V5 logbook of the car that needs to be registered, original NIE, and an Original and up-to-date Padron. A Padron is simply a certificate that states where you are living in Spain and often includes the NIE number.
The above mentioned documents would need to be presented to the Local Government Offices where you will be expected to pay what is known as road tax. The Traffic Department and Local Tax offices should be your next stop where you will present a copy of each of the above mentioned documents and paperwork.
Once all that is ready, you will need to have a thorough technical report of your car, which is often obtained from a local certified Engineer. With the report at hand, your next course of action would be to schedule an appointment with the local ITV to get a thorough car inspection so as to ascertain of its roadworthiness. Be advised that even though your car may have an updated MOT certificate, it has to pass the ITV test for it to be registered and recognized in Spain.
After the ITV test, you will be expected to wait for several more days so as to get all paperwork back. After which you will be expected to pay the road tax for your car at the nearest local tax office. Be advised that paperwork will only be accepted if you make the payments in advance after the road tax is calculated.
Simply put, the process of registering a car in Spain can be a tiresome and very long one for most people, especially those who are non-Spanish more so because of the language barrier in most of these local offices. It therefore goes without saying that seeking professional help and having your car registration done online could be the greatest gift of all when you want to enjoy the freedom to drive your car in Spain.
