Car Importation Update

Aw mum do we have to sell it?

Previously, the importation charge made was based on value of the vehicle; now it is based on emissions as well, resulting in cheaper importation costs for newer more economical cars. The gas guzzlers get mugged, which is proper and correct. There are other factors to consider if you are thinking of importing your cherished banger…… 

I am in the process of importing my little 1.2 Ibiza and had considered my other UK vehicle, a 1.6 cc estate car, which is five years older, but decided against it. I wondered why the cost of importation was going to be roughly the same, when obtaining quotes from “those that do.” Turns out that the emissions AND the value of the vehicle is taken into consideration.

Chicken!

Opted to let one of the specialists to do it for me. Quotes from three, all roughly the same at about 400 euros. All the other costs including MOT, engineer’s report, taxes, headlamps and rear lamps (fog on wrong side) brought it out to about 1000 euros……arghh

He Who Hesitates

You can escape most of the taxes, amounting to 200 euros in my case, by importing your car within 60 days of signing on the “padron” at the local town hall. I didn’t so serves me right. The Padron means you are living here permanently and therefore are not entitled to run a UK registered car.

Police Get Tougher

More police checks, particularly for drunk driving, which ex-pats here seem to be prone, means that you have less chance of getting away with a UK plate. The recent accident by a British drunk driver who collected a scooter rider, already knocked down, took him some miles home under his car, went back and forth to try and dislodge him, then denied all knowledge didn’t do the perceived British immunity any good at all. The driver and accomplice will probably go away for a long time as the unfortunate victim was still alive when removed from the bottom of the car, but minus various bodily parts……

Go It Alone?

My total involvement so far is to take the car for the the lights to be changed and for the Spanish MOT. If not for a problem with my NIE number, shouldn’t be much more to do. There are lots of offices and red tape involved, which need totally fluent Spanish, so my recommendation would be to take somebody on to do it.

As I Said Before

Don’t forget you will have to get the car here, by driving yourself or by using one of the removal firms who do this. Neither option is cheap, but at least you could bring some personal stuff with you if you drive. It actually works out about the same whether you do the long route through France or take the Plymouth Roscoff or Poole to Bilbao. The “Pride of Bilbao,” by the way has little pride left, as it is going rusty and its furnishings are somewhat threadbare! The trip to Santander via Madrid has now been improved by the actual avoidance of the Madrid ring road and in future I will be taking this route, rather than the toll ridden Valencia / Zaragosa / Bilbao route

Mike Pick Homesearch Costa Blanca

Tags: car importation, car overseas transport, car taxes