In this article we look at the topic of driving in Spain primarily from the point of view of driving a car in Spain. We also look at how to purchase a car in Spain as well is giving you information on procedures for owning a car in Spain such as the maintenance of your car and the regulations and costs to keep your car on the road legally.
Whether you are resident in Spain or you are a tourist visiting Spain who will be hiring a car, you must be absolutely aware that Spanish drivers often do not stick to the road rules that you may be used to in your own country. Often drivers will turn off without indicating or they will weave in and out of lanes rather than sticking to the outside lane.
When the Spanish park in a small and tight space they often move backwards and forwards nudging the car in front or behind with their bumper in order to fit into the parking space! Therefore scrapes and bumps are commonplace in Spain so it really doesn’t pay to have a nice top of the range new car model.
Should you be considering buying a car in Spain you will need plenty of paperwork including proof of address, a copy of your passport, copy of your NIE identification number or residencia one. When you sell a car in Spain and transfer ownership to another owner there is a transfer fee payable to the government, this usually is approximately 5% of the value of the sale.
From your point of view make absolutely sure that the person who says they the car actually does! Check the paperwork carefully and involve a Gestor if you are in any doubt as to what procedure to follow. If you employ a Gestor they will ensure the car does not have any debts on it such as finance or fines.
Having purchased the car successfully you will need to ensure that it has the applicable Spanish road tax and car insurance in order to be legal on the roads in Spain. You will often see road tax called SUMA and this is an annual tax which must be paid at the local town hall. To make payment easier in subsequent years you can setup a standing order with your bank so it is debited automatically from your account. The amount you must pay for road tax in Spain does vary depending on a number of factors which of course is the type of vehicle including it’s engine size and age. Energy efficient green cars with lower emissions pay less.
Another government regulation is a test which ensures of vehicle is safe to be on the roads in Spain. This is known as a ITV. This is applicable to all feel calls and cars over four years old. Throughout Spain there are specific ITV centres which you must take your car to in order to get the ITV certificate. There are many tests which the car must go through some of the more popular include checking the emissions from the exhaust, brakes, tyres, steering, suspension and windscreen wipers. Should your car fail the test you can resubmit it at a discounted fee or take it back within seven days for no charge.
Last but not least you obviously need to insure your car in Spain. Although we don’t like to be negative, the odds of having a car accident in Spain are pretty high if you are a foreign driver on Spanish roads. The types of car insurance in Spain are very much familiar to those in other countries, these include third party insurance, third party fire and theft insurance as well as fully comprehensive car insurance Spain.
Third-party car insurance in Spain is compulsory and the Spanish police most likely the Guardia Civil, you will stop your car and will most likely seize your car if you do not have insurance. As our website is all about insurance in Spain will find many more useful pages to assist you on this topic. We highly recommend our tips on how to compare car insurance Spain which will help you get the cheapest deals on car insurance.
One final tip is that we always personally recommend getting the fully comprehensive car insurance as this also includes roadside assistance and breakdown cover included in the policy. Most companies also give you a number of useful extras such as cover should your windscreen shatter and also legal assistance which can be very useful if you are involved in a legal dispute in Spain.
Happy motoring in Spain and do take care to drive slowly and safely avoiding all those other crazy drivers on the Spanish roads!