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Importing a Car A general overview   Importing a car to Spain can be a daunting process and the use of professional help is almost a necessity unless you are patient and a good Spanish speaker.   If you are a non-resident of Spain but from an EU member state then you can import your vehicle into Spain and use it without paying any taxes for up to 6 months. The vehicle must be road worthy and legal in the country from where you have left from. However, you automatically become a resident, from a tax perspective, after being in Spain for 182 days in a year.   You can be fined for driving an imported vehicle after this six month period if it does not have Spanish plates. You may need to prove that you have not been using it for a period greater than 6 months.   To register your imported vehicle it must be registered at the local provincial traffic department (jefatura provincial de tráfico). You may want to use the services of a Gestor to assist with the process.   Permanent residents of Spain are not permitted to operate a car on foreign registration plates. This does not mean you cannot import a car it is just that on doing so you will have to have it registered on Spanish plates when it arrives.   Right hand drive vehicles can be imported and registered for new residents of Spain. There are various taxes to be paid when importing a vehicle to Spain. These include, VAT if the car is imported from outside the EU, Import duty of 10% on vehicles imported from outside the EU and a registration tax of up to 12% based on the current value of the vehicle regardless of where the vehicle is imported from. The current value is based on a sliding scale starting at 80% after the first year reducing to 20% after ten years. You will need customs clearance in order to then register the car correctly.   Car Registration in Spain. If you import a car to Spain it must be registered at the local provincial traffic department where you are resident.