A car driven down from abroad, or bought second-hand here
Car registration and change of ownership
The car you drove down is still foreign, and that gets fined
A foreign-plated vehicle that stays in Spain stops being lawful once the legal period runs out. This is not a job for next year: the plate identifies you at every camera and every roadside check.
What you get
- The full file: technical sheet, European COC, invoice or contract, and whatever is missing requested from the manufacturer.
- The ITV appointment for the registration inspection, and the Spanish technical sheet.
- The registration tax calculated on your car's real emissions, before you start.
- Filing with the DGT and follow-up to the final plate and the circulation permit.
- If the car is already Spanish: the full change of ownership, with a warning about unpaid fines and taxes.
Why this matters now
The DGT publishes both the ordinary registration procedure and the change of ownership procedure, and neither tolerates «I'll do it later». A foreign car left here unregistered is driving outside the rules, and a private sale that is never transferred leaves the buyer's fines in the seller's name for years. Both are cheap to avoid and expensive to fix.
What this service is NOT
We are not a garage or an ITV station, we do not homologate vehicles and we cannot guess whether yours will pass. We prepare the file and we file it. DGT fees, registration tax, the ITV test and any modification the inspection demands are paid separately and do not pass through us. A non-EU car, or one without a COC, may need individual type approval — a different quote and a different timescale.
Questions about this service
How long does it take?
The part that depends on us and the DGT is days. The part that really governs is the ITV: depending on the season, the registration inspection slot can be the longest step. We give you the real date as soon as we have it, not an optimistic estimate.
Can I do it without being in Spain?
Yes, with a power of attorney. The car has to be here for the ITV; you do not. That is exactly the situation of almost everyone who calls us: the car came down in summer and the owner flew home.
I bought a second-hand car and we never transferred it. What now?
As far as the DGT is concerned it is still the seller's: their fines go to them and your insurer can argue about a claim. It can be fixed, and the sooner the cheaper, because a late transfer carries a surcharge.
The other services
The other areas
This page was last checked on 4 September 2026
Responsible for this content Sullivan Benedetto · Torrevieja (Alicante), España
Tell us your case in five lines
We answer the same working day, in your language. And if your case is not for us, we say so and tell you who to go to.