The majority of vehicles imported/re-registered in Spain are for ex-pats who owned the vehicle before coming to Spain to live, either permanently or on a part-time basis. Where the vehicle was pre-owned, they are re-registered under the regime known as “ Cambio de Residencia” (Change of Residence / country) and the rules regarding the age, approvals, emissions etc are relaxed as the vehicle is included as part of their personal possessions Vehicles in this category are motorbikes, cars and motor homes irrespective of where the steering wheel is Due to the high cost of new and particularly second hand vehicles in Spain, more and more ex-pats are obtaining vehicles from their country of origin and importing them If any individual of any nationality is registered on the Padron, or has “Residencia” then any vehicle that they wish to bring into Spain is classed as a pure import and the rules are more stringent. It should not be assumed that just because a vehicle is registered in another EU country it will automatically be accepted here. Why? Well since the vehicle was originally made and registered, the acceptable standards have risen, particularly in relation to emissions, so the original country may be stuck with it, but other countries don’t want them.

How can these vehicles be imported? Since the late 1980’s a European standard has been in force for all vehicles that are to be sold within Europe, irrespective of where they were made. Every vehicle that achieves this standard is given “European Type Approval” and an accompanying identification number. Here is an example: 13*97/27*0040* Where a vehicle has such a number, import is no problem. If the vehicle does not have the approval number, then it may not be possible to import it Do not assume that because the vehicle was made in Europe, it has type approval; it may have been made for another market such as the Far East or Africa. If that did not have type approval , so the vehicle was imported as unique at a higher costs than usual.

If the vehicle does not have European Type Approval, does this mean that it cannot be imported? Not necessarily, there are 2 ways that it may be possible to import. The most common is by “Unit importation”. This means that the vehicle is treated as if it was a “one- off” and undergoes an inspection by a specialist team who create a comprehensive technical report, however, this is quite expensive A vehicle imported under this regime must comply with modern build standards, specifically emissions. If the car does not meet these standards, it will not be allowed in. For example, many cars built for the US market will not achieve the desired standard. Incidentally, in the USA, reversing and rear fog lights are not a standard fit, though this is easily overcome and the indicators are commonly red, not orange as demanded in Europe .

The other way to import is if the vehicle is more than 25 years old; it can then be imported as an “Historic Vehicle.” Whilst this is also not cheap, it does mean that the vehicle can be imported in its original condition, without the need for modern upgrades and is provided with a special number plate denoting it as historical, thereby making it attractive to car buffs as well as adding value .