To import a car from Spain to the UK, ask the seller for the original Permiso de Circulación, the Spanish registration certificate, and a contrato de compraventa or invoice showing the price. When the car reaches Britain it goes through UK customs, HMRC's NOVA notification and DVLA registration. Tax depends on the car, not the plates: a genuine classic that is over 30 years old, in its original state and of a model no longer in production pays no duty and 5% VAT, while a newer car pays 20% VAT and faces 10% duty if it was not made in the EU or origin is not claimed.
- El permiso de circulación, the registration certificate issued by the DGT (Dirección General de Tráfico) that names the registered owner, the titular. This is the document the DVLA asks for. Make sure you get the original: the DVLA keeps it. If the seller also has la ficha técnica (officially the Tarjeta ITV), take it as well, because it helps support the application.
- A contrato de compraventa for a private purchase, or a factura (invoice) from a dealer, showing the price, the VIN and both parties. If there is none, an independent valuation is needed instead.
If the Permiso de Circulación has gone missing, the DVLA may accept other proof of the build date, such as a dating letter, which we obtain for you.
Deregistration in Spain, any export plates and the export paperwork are handled by the seller. If you need it, we arrange the transport to the UK, and we handle the customs declaration, NOVA and the DVLA paperwork.
Importing a car from Spain? Get a free quote for your car import from Spain →
Duty and VAT
| Your car | Customs duty | Import VAT |
|---|---|---|
| Collector's vehicle (code 9705): 30+ years, unmodified, no longer produced | 0% | 5% |
| Made in an EU factory, origin claim on the declaration | 0% | 20% |
| Built outside the EU, or origin not claimed | 10% | 20% |
Spanish plates say nothing about origin for duty purposes. What counts is where the car was manufactured under the UK-EU trade agreement rules, backed by a valid origin claim. A car assembled in Spain or elsewhere in the EU can qualify; a Japanese or American import that happens to be registered in Spain will not.
If you are moving your home back to Britain with a car you have owned and used in Spain, Transfer of Residence relief may remove the duty and VAT altogether.
Spanish classics
Spain built its own motoring history under licence and locally. SEAT produced Fiat-based cars such as the 600 and 124, FASA-Renault built the Renault 4, 5 and 8, Citroën made the 2CV and Dyane in Vigo, and Pegaso produced the Z-102 sports car. You also find plenty of European classics that spent their lives in the hot, dry interior, where bodywork generally survives better than in Britain.
Two cautions. Coastal and northern Spain is far from dry, so judge each car on inspection, not on the postcode. And Spain has its own historic vehicle status, shown by an H plate or VH badge: it is helpful evidence of age and originality, but a modified car can be a Spanish histórico and still pay 20% VAT here.
Bringing a car back from Spain?
We handle the origin claim, any relief you qualify for, the duty and VAT, and we prepare every DVLA form, you just sign and post. Over 1,500 vehicles cleared since Brexit.
Get a free quote for my Spanish importThe UK steps
- Import declaration: we declare the car to HMRC and the VAT, plus any duty, is paid.
- NOVA: we send the NOVA arrival notice within 14 days of the car landing.
- MOT: if the car needs one, book a UK MOT; it can be done on the Spanish plates. Cars under 3 years old do not need one, and vehicles built or first registered more than 40 years ago with no substantial changes are exempt, with a V112 declaration instead.
- V55/5: we prepare it for the DVLA registration; you sign it and post it with the original Permiso de Circulación, the MOT certificate if one is needed, photo ID, proof of UK address, the £55 first registration fee and road tax.
On a car under 10 years old, a certificate of conformity is also needed, because younger cars need UK vehicle approval before the DVLA will register them. We obtain it for you.
Check your Spanish import
Set the country and details, and see your duty and VAT in seconds.
Work out my import tax