Moving to Spain brings a practical choice: bring your car or buy one there. Both have consequences for cost, time and paperwork, and the answer changed after Brexit.
Importing from the UK #
You can bring your current car and register it in Spain. That involves a technical inspection (ITV), registration with the traffic authority, and paying tax.
Here is what changed. Before Brexit, bringing a car from the UK was an intra-EU transfer. Now it is an import from a third country, which means import duty and Spanish VAT on the value of the vehicle, on top of the registration tax based on emissions and value.
That turns what used to be a modest administrative exercise into a significant cost. Exemptions exist for people moving their permanent residence who have owned the vehicle for a minimum period, but the conditions are specific and worth checking properly rather than assuming.
There is also the practical matter that a UK car is right-hand drive, which is a genuine nuisance at Spanish toll booths, car park barriers and when overtaking on a single carriageway.
Buying in Spain #
No import procedure, the vehicle already meets local requirements, and you are on the road faster.
When buying, check the condition, request an official vehicle report from the traffic authority showing history and any outstanding charges, and look at the service history and mileage. Buying through a dealer usually means the transfer of registration is handled for you.
Also check for outstanding fines or debts attached to the vehicle, because in Spain they can follow the car.
Your driving licence #
Since the UK-Spain agreement came into force in 2023, UK licence holders resident in Spain can exchange their licence for a Spanish one without taking a test.
If you become resident you are expected to make that exchange. Visitors driving on a UK licence are fine.
Making the choice #
It comes down to cost, effort and certainty about the vehicle’s condition.
Post-Brexit, buying in Spain is the straightforward answer for most people. Importing is worth considering for a recent or unusual car where replacement would cost more than the import charges, or where a relocation exemption applies.
Practical points #
Compare the total cost of both routes including tax, not just the vehicle values. Check the residual value of a right-hand drive car in Spain, which is lower. And get the import tax position confirmed before you ship anything.
In short #
Importing became considerably more expensive after Brexit. For most people buying locally is now the simpler and cheaper route.
Import duties and relocation exemptions are technical and change. Confirm your position with a specialist before shipping a vehicle.
Last reviewed 2026-08-24
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