Torrevieja Forum

Here you can ask questions about anything that relates to Torrevieja.
Anything not related to Torrevieja can be posted in General Chat.

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By SteveD
Have people noticed a downturn in the amount of UK cars etc on the roads?
Do we expect a glut of RHD UK cars for sale?
Is it 90 or 180 days that UK cars are allowed to be in the country?
How do they know?
Will it just continue as is, where a blind eye seems to be turned?
By Info
The car can stay in Spain as long as it has a valid MOT which could technically be a year and a day. The person differs depending on their status i.e whether resident or non-resident or working or a student.

By freddo
I am out and about every day and I see more and more UK reg cars on the roads not less
By SteveD
OK Folks, ive found some definitive info. See the full link ... -in-spain/

Basically, If you are a Spanish resident, you are not allowed to drive a UK or any other foreign vehicle.
If you are no resident you are allowed to have a UK car in Spain for 6months (183 days) and after that, you will be considered a tax resident and so are NOT allowed any further use of UK vehicle.
The reason for my original post was that maybe we will see a very big tightening of the rules if a no deal WTO Brexit occurs. I was told by a fairly large garage owner, that the motor trade are on standby for a glut of used UK cars stuck in Spain coming to the open market. Transporter companies could also be rubbing their hands.
May be if any of us have just been running UK cars willy nilly, now is the time to get rid and/or get legal? I'm not scaremongering peeps, just some thoughts.

BUT maybe the Spanish will just shrug their shoulders and carry on, as it may cause some Brits to take their money elswhere ???

Quote from the website
"Nonresident can drive and keep a non-Spanish plated car here for up to six months in any period of 12 months. This is tied in with the residency issue as you are considered a resident when you reside here for the same amount of time. Link with the EU Directive that states this. art. 3"
By freddo
The car can stay in Spain as long as it is road legal in its country of origin That's what the law says
By SteveD
Jimbo1916 wrote:
Mon Jul 08, 2019 8:12 am
SteveD wrote:
Sun Jul 07, 2019 2:12 pm
May be if any of us have just been running UK cars willy nilly.
Really ... Who`s `us`
Some of "Our" Brit ex-pat community.
By SteveD
freddo wrote:
Sun Jul 07, 2019 3:02 pm
Thanks for that Freddo, Please could you direct me to where I can see that law?
I did feel the info I found to be definitive, it coming from the Citizens Advice Bureaux but I am all eyes and ears on this.
By strolling_minstrel
The car can stay in Spain for as long as it is road legal with insurance, road tax and UK MoT.
That means it can, legally, remain in Spain forever as long as you take it back to UK each year to have the MoT done and keep it taxed.

What can't stay is the driver. It can only be used for a maximum of 6 months in any 12 month period providing the driver remains a non-resident.

You can use it for a period of, say, 2 months for 3 times in any 12 month period, again providing the MoT and road tax remain in date.

You cannot use it for over 6 months in that period.
[ ... -in-spain/][/url]
By Info
It is understood that the law relates to the person and their status while using the car in Spain. The law is interpreted by each EU country and their tax laws. It is a customs regulation and a personal tax regulation both of which become entwined once you the person surpass the 183 day rule. ... dex_es.htm

Pensionistas, propietarios de segundas residencias, trabajadores transfronterizos, trabajadores transfronterizos autónomos (vehículos de empresa)

Los ciudadanos de la UE que tengan una segunda residencia en España (habitada durante menos de 6 meses al año) no tienen que matricular sus vehículos en este país
EU citizens who have a second residence in Spain ( where they live for less than 6 months a year) do not have to register their vehicle in this (Spain) country.

The car has to be legal in its home country in order to be driven on the Spanish highway. It must have its certificate of roadworthiness, its road tax up-to-date and be insured. It can remain in Spain only under those circumstances. The person driving it may be asked by the Guardia Civil to supply evidence of their status and would be obliged to show proof they are non-resident if requested. As you know you are required to carry certain vehicle and personal documents at all times in Spain.


By SteveD
Thanks for this info folks, it seems that we are reaching a consensus. I figured it's that with the person becoming a "tax resident" by default if on over a 6 months stay that makes it illegal to drive a car for more than the 183 days. The reason I ask is that we have friends coming over in a very large UK motorhome with the intention of seeing if they can settle. I think as it seems is the current case, it's a situation that is very hard to police, hence they don't (unofficially). Maybe the UK motor trade are going to be disappointed in their expected deluge of cheap UK vehicles coming to the market in Spain.
By Jimbo1916
Buy a Spanish car and be done with it. ... Why anyone would want to drive a RHD car here is beyond me. !!

Too frightend to change probably .
By Info
Do all new cars in UK have to have an annual MOT? I ask because in Ireland the first MOT is after 4yrs and then from year 4 to 10 its every 2nd yr and from year 10 its once a year. Naturally enough you would MOT just before it reached its 10th year so that it would be year 12 before you needed an annual MOT. So not such a hassle to bring an Irish car to Spain and leave it there.

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