A car from Germany to Spain: how to find one and clear it

This article is dated as shown. Laws, fees and prices have changed since then. Check the figures before you rely on them.

Every year German-built cars from Porsche, Mercedes Benz, BMW, Audi and Volkswagen grow more popular. These vehicles stand out for their comfort, reliability and safety. A sensible decision is to bring a car from Germany to Spain. You can buy a car from private sellers, at car markets or through online listings. But to avoid falling victim to fraud, it is worth turning to professionals. Destacar offers the full range of services, from finding the car to the technical inspection and the paperwork.

Points to note when buying

When a car moves between EU countries, no customs duty is charged. VAT and national registration taxes are checked separately. For VAT purposes a car counts as new if it has no more than 6,000 km on the clock or is delivered within six months of its first registration. For a used car, both opposite conditions must be met. These guidelines apply to a private buyer; a purchase in a company's name is assessed separately. Importing from Germany to Spain does not automatically create a 10% customs duty or an obligation to pay VAT twice for good. The tax regime of the deal and the registration procedure are clarified before payment.

Rules for registering cars in Spain

The first requirement is to obtain a certificate of conformity with EU standards, if the seller has not provided one. That is why it is very important to ask for it already at the stage of calling the seller and asking about the car. This technical description (all technical parameters of the car) is drawn up by a Spanish engineer. Once you have the CoC, you need to pass the technical inspection (for roadworthiness and safety). When the technical card is in your hands, you pay:

• road tax;
• The applicable registration taxes, separate from customs duty within the EU.
• the fee for re-registration and for the CO2 level.

As a rule, a technical engineering assessment does not need to be ordered for a car from Germany; the cars arrive from there with certificates already. A few days after the tax payment receipts and the set of documents listed above have been submitted to the traffic authority Jefatura de Trafico, the owner receives permission to drive the car, stating the Spanish registration number. The last step is ordering and fitting the new number plates.

An example of a client's costs for 2024. Current costs are calculated separately.

So, given: a BMW 330d from 2020.

• 76€ toll roads in France
• 155€ fuel
• 99.99€ technical inspection: the procedure differs from the usual periodic inspection, not every station does it, and at the end a technical card (Ficha técnica) of the local format is issued, which is needed for registration
• 99.80€ state registration fee
• 41.82€ local municipal tax
• 40€ production of number plates
• 130€ services of assistants who submit the documents to the tax office and for registration
• the registration tax came to 4.75% of the net price (emissions of 159 g/km were stated in the brief and the CoC, they were carried over into the Spanish technical card, and the car fell into the upper part of the 120 to 160 band)

Points to note about clearance

When buying in Germany for Spain, transport and registration need to be arranged separately. The duration of the procedure and the final costs depend on the documents and the car; completion within a few hours and savings are not guaranteed.

If you have decided to buy a car in Germany and register it in Spain, it makes sense to turn to a specialised company. Destacar provides its services at an affordable price and quickly. We will select a model at a favourable price, with parameters that help you save on the registration procedure. The company checks the vehicle documents, the date and results of the technical inspection, concludes the purchase contract and handles the paperwork.

You can order a car directly on the website.