Car Ownership Transfer

Sometimes it feels like Spain tries to make things as difficult as possible and buying or selling a car falls right into this category. It’s not just a case of filling in new owner data and popping it in the post, oh no, it’s a trip to Trafico at the very least.

When you buy or sell a car it’s important to make sure the paperwork is correctly done or you could end up paying hundreds of euros in fines and charges.

Buying a Car

When you buy a car from a garage it is normal for them to do the transfer for you, if you buy it privately though you need to make sure you get all the necessary paperwork from the previous owner, this includes:

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• Copy of sellers passport and NIE number or residencia

• Permiso de circulación (log book)

• Ficha tecnica (ITV / MOT certificate)

• Last paid SUMA (road tax)

You also both need to sign a sale and purchase contract as well as the application form for the transfer from Trafico.

If the ITV is not up to date the transfer can still go ahead but if there is any outstanding road tax Trafico will reject the transfer until it has been paid up to date, so it is always wise to ask to see a copy of the last paid SUMA (paid in May of each year).

As well as the cost of the car there is a transfer fee to pay (which is calculated on the age, engine size and value of the car) plus a Trafico fee for preparing the new log book. If the car is under twelve years old the transfer fee also has to be registered at the conselleria before presenting it to Trafico.

Selling a Car

Although it’s the buyers responsibility to transfer the car into their name there are many instances where this hasn't been done properly and years down the road the previous owner receives an embargo on a car they have sold. If you cant provide proof of the sale via a contract of sale and purchase you may be liable for the fines so it’s not always buyer beware.

If you have any doubt about the buyer’s responsibility or just want to belt and brace the process you can do a notification of sale at Trafico, this lets them know the new owners details and absolves you from any future disasters!

Remember though, when you sell your car you need to provide the new owner with a copy of your passport and NIE number or residencia, there is nothing sinister in this, Trafico just want clarification of your identification and the validity of the sale or purchase contract.

Re-Matriculation

Anyone looking to buy a second hand car in Spain will realise that they really do hold their price, whether this is down to the fact that cars don’t rust over here no-one knows, but sometimes people prefer to bring over their own car or buy one from Germany or France and have the registration changed over to a Spanish one.

The process is quite straight forward but there are taxes to pay which are based on the co2 emissions and the value of the vehicle. If the car you have has co2 emissions over 120 then there will be taxes to ay, under this you can get away with it.

When doing a re-matriculation the cost includes:

• Engineers report

• Headlight change if necessary

• Full ITV (and a pre-check)

• Road tax

• Taxes if applicable

• Trafico fee

• Number plates

Basically, once completed the car is completely road worthy. As with buying a second hand car Trafico will want to see your original passport and NIE or residencia along with proof of address and the log book.

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Car Baja

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If you need to get rid of your car it is important that it is disposed of correctly, if not you could be liable for SUMA for years to come. As well as selling a car privately or through a garage, you can also have it scrapped, but you need to ensure that the garage and the scrap yard give you the relevant paperwork showing that you are no longer the owner.

Anyone acquiring the vehicle is liable for doing the changeover at trafico and suma but if in doubt, its always best to present a notification yourself to guarantee that nothing comes back on you in future years. 

Tips For On The Road

• You must not overtake (undertake) on the right on the highways unless there is a slip road or another road indicated and you are taking it.

• To take a left turn from many roads you will need to find a slip road to the right. You may not stop in the road and wait to turn left if there is a solid white line in the road, on highways and motorways you must look out for a "cambio de sentido" to change direction, these will either take you above the highway or below to change your direction.

• All passengers (and the driver) must wear seatbelts and small children must be securely fastened to an EU approved child seat situated in the rear of the car.

• Do not use your mobile phone whilst driving. If caught you will have to pay an on the spot fine.

• When driving in heavy traffic on a dual carriageway, if the traffic ahead is stalled, especially in your lane, you must by law switch on your four way hazard lights to warn the vehicles behind.

• Contrary to popular belief, drink driving in Spain is not tolerated. The limits are much lower than in the UK (about half) and the fines can be very large. Recent legislation gives a court the authority to imprison an offender for 3 months, all fines must be paid on the spot, if you do not have the cash on you it is not uncommon for the police to escort you to a cash machine. Failure or inability to pay may again result in imprisonment.

• There are many road related deaths in Spain and the government are trying very hard to reduce the figures. It is common to see checkpoints at various junctions where you may be asked for your documentation, in some cases they might check to ensure you have all of the basic requirements in your car for driving in Spain and may even ask you to take a breathalyzer test.

• You are not allowed to sound your horn at night in town especially residential areas and can result in being fined. Horns must only be used in an emergency as a warning to prevent an accident or when overtaking on a main out of town road.