Buying A Car In Spain As A Non Resident?
How to buy a car in Spain – If a foreigner decides to buy a car in Spain, they must provide the following documents:
- An official resident document;
- A title deed in Spain;
- A rental agreement for an apartment in Spain ;
- NIE;
- Municipal registration.
Do you need an NIE to buy a car in Spain?
What documentation do I need to provide? – Ironically, just about the only thing you won’t need in order to buy a car is a driving licence. However, you will need to provide:
- Your NIE (número de identidad de extranjero) – your foreigner ID number
- Proof of permanency in the form of your house deeds or a rental contract for a minimum of one year
- A proof of residence (certificado de empadronamiento) which is no more than three months old
If you’re financing the car through the dealer you’ll need to provide proof of your income.
Can I buy a car without NIE?
If you are planning to move to Spain or to purchase a property in Spain you will need to get a NIE number (Foreigner’s Identity Number – Número de Identidad de Extranjero). It might be beneficial to also have if you rent a property. While some say its mandatory to have a NIE to purchase a car it is possible to own a car without a NIE, but the registration process is easier with a NIE number.
Without an NIE you won’t be able to open a bank account, pay your taxes, register a business, or get a Spanish driver’s licence as a resident in Spain. The NIE is specifically for foreigners. If you’re a Spanish citizen, on the other hand, you’ll get a Documento Nacional de Identidad (DNI), which includes your own unique reference information.
Your NIE certificate don’t include a photo of you, so it is not enough to use as proof of your identity on its own.
Why do I need a Padron in Spain?
What else do you need a Padron Certificate for? Because the Certificate is official proof of address, it’s one of the most requested pieces of paperwork for many Spanish processes – registering with your local Health Centre, buying a car, renewing your Spanish driving licence, to name just a few.
How much is car transfer tax in Spain?
How much does it cost to change car ownership in Spain? – The cost varies depending on what type of vehicle you have. Firstly, there is the vehicle transfer tax fee. This is calculated as 4-8% (depends on the region) of the official/fiscal value of the vehicle and depends on the type and size of the engine.
Secondly, there is the Trafico fee of €55. 70, €27. 85 for mopeds (as of Jan 1st 2022). Lastly, the gestor fee for doing the transfer. Simple English Advice charge €50 to transfer vehicle ownership in Spain. If you would like us to do this process for you then we need the following documents: • Copy of the Permiso de Circulación (green paper) • Copy of the Ficha Técnica (blueish one) • Copy of NIE & passport or DNI/TIE of both seller and buyer • Empadronamiento or rental contract or property deeds of buyer (if resident in Spain) • Signed sales contract in Spanish Once you send us the documents we can work out how much transfer tax you need to pay and start the process.
We can email you a provisional permiso de circulacion the next day which will cover the buyer to drive the new vehicle. You will have the new permiso de circulacion (log book) back in a week. (Occasionally there are slight delays due to Trafico). If you bought a car through a dealership, the car dealers normally do the above procedure for you and you will receive the documents in your name when you receive the car.
- Make sure you get proof of this as a friend of mine got ripped of by Top Gear Cars in Fuengirola;
- They didn’t change ownership of her car (among other things) and so when she came to sell it, she found out it’s not legally hers! Buying a used car is increasing in Spain due to the recent increase in car registration tax;
If it’s a private sale it is advisable to hire a professional to make sure the car ownership transfer process is done speedily and correctly as well as saving on headaches and queuing times in the Trafico department. Simple English Advice can also take care of car importation (matriculation), Spanish residency (TIE) and similar procedures that expats have to deal with during their life on the Costa del Sol.
- With over 25 years of dealing with Andalusian bureaucracy, our bilingual team can take the stress and headache out of vehicle transfers and more for you at a much cheaper price than a gestor;
- We can transfer car ownership anywhere in Spain due to our online logbook transfer service;
We can transfer a vehicle in areas such as Malaga, Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia, Sevilla, San Sebastian, Granada, Bilbao, Benidorm, Cadiz, Almeria, Alicante and many more. Contact us today if you want to change your car ownership online in Spain.
How long does a Padron last?
Do I need to renew my ‘ Padrón’ ? – Once issued, the padrón certificate is valid for 3 months as a document to validate your address. You therefore have to go and obtain a new certificate each time you need it as proof of address. Your registration on the padrón needs to be updated if you change address, and renewed every 2 years if you are a non-resident or non-EU citizen.
Otherwise you renew every 5 years. If you do need a new padrón certificate, then it is a case of going to back to your Town Hall and asking them to issue another one with. In some places it is possible to do this online if you have a digital certificate.
In the last couple of years many Town Halls have been checking the accuracy of their padrón registers and others have been campaigning to get foreigners to register. This is because local government budgets are based on the amount of people living in the area.
Growth in the number of residents helps them petition for grants, and an increase in funds from central government to provide and improve local services and facilities. If you are unsure about whether you should be on the padrón , our related article ‘ Registering on the Padron ‘ explains more about this.
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