How to Buy a Secondhand Spanish Car

Buying a secondhand car in Spain involves some paperwork. The buyer must register the car in his name, and the seller must notify the local traffic department of the transfer. Motor tax is payable on cars in Spain, as is a fee for registration. Cars must also have a valid Inspeccin Tcnica (ITV) test certificate to be driven on the road.

Instructions

1

Choose whether to buy the secondhand car through a private sale or a dealer.

2

Search for the car on websites such as Autonetplus or Supermotor, weekly car magazines such as Coche Actual or in newspapers.

3

Bring proof of residency in Spain with you if you are a foreigner and buying a Spanish-registered car. An official residence permit (residencia), a rental contract for a Spanish home for a minimum of one year, proof of registration with the townhall as an inhabitant of that town (a certificado de empadronamiento) or proof of owning a Spanish home will suffice. Alternatively, you can bring your foreigners identification number with you if you have a national identification (NIE/NIF) card.

4

Bring a transfer of ownership form (solicitud de transmisin de vehculos) with you when viewing the car. This is available on the Direccin General de Trfico (DGT) website.

5

Inspect the car for damage and wear. Negotiate the price. Both private sellers and dealers can be haggled with. Worn tires, old brakes and windshield cracks can all be used as leverage to lower the price. Ask whether the dealer offers warranties or trade-ins for old cars.

6

Look at the expiry of the inspeccin tcnica (ITV) test certificate. Cars in Spain must have an ITV test to be legally driven on the road. If the ITV certification is expired, this may indicate there is something wrong with the car.

7

Ask to see the car's other paperwork and personal identification of the seller. The car registration is called the permiso de circulacion. Check that it is registered to the seller. The municipal motor tax in Spain is called the impuesto municipal sobre vehculos de traccin mecnica. The seller should show you the receipt for the tax paid on the car.

8

Write down a sale agreement containing the car's details, the seller's and buyer's names, date and time of the sale and the final sale price. Alternatively, a dealer can give you a sales invoice. Fill in the transfer of ownership form. Both seller and buyer should keep a copy.

9

Pay by bank check (cheque bancario). This will keep the transaction traceable for you in case something goes wrong. The seller will then use a notificacin transmisin de vehculos form, along with a copy of the registration and transfer of ownership form to tell the jefatura de trfico (local traffic department) of the sale.

10

The buyer should register the car at the jefatura de trfico's registro de vehculos, or vehicle registry. There is a fee of a percentage of the car's value to pay for registration. As of September 2010, this was 4 percent. Bring all car-related documentation with you, along with your proof of living in Spain if you are a foreigner.