Importing a car from the UK into Gran Canaria

Martin. You have already answered your own question. If you do not like the Spanish driving laws take it up with the Spanish authorities.

SPAIN

Spanish Flag  SPAIN – drives on the right

Essential Safety Equipment

    Warning triangle x 2
    Headlamp converters   
    Spare bulbs
    Reflective vest
    Spare pair of prescription spectacles (if worn for driving)
    Spare wheel
    Spare fan belt

Recommended Safety Equipment
    Fire extinguisher
    First aid kit
    Torch

Seatbelt Requirements
The wearing of front and rear seatbelts is compulsory when fitted.

I think you will find that the spare wheel requirement has been dropped due to many cars now come new with puncher repair kits.
The same situation with spare bulbs. A lot of new cars it requires a mechanical to change the bulb sometimes dismantling the front half of the car. So that requirement also has been dropped.
No Spanish registered cars do not require two triangles, only one, but it is preferred if you have two.
Reflective vests for all occupants. and within easy reach so they can be put on before exiting the car. So not in the trunk.

Thanks for the reply to some of my questions Ribeira
Kind Regards Martin

Hi Riberia
Thanks again for the help in December, but I’m having a real problem obtaining replacement E spec headlamp fittings for my Jeep, I wondered if you know if the lens deflectors available to us in GB would be sufficient to allow it to pass being re-registered in Gran Canaria , I am getting pretty desperate as our moving date is looming , I’ve tried many garages in GC but to no avail , any help would be appreciated ?

It is a hard question to answer.I do not know what model of Jeep you have.
Maybe it was a version that was not imported to Europe.
However, most cars will have parts that are used in other cars, headlamps, brakes, clutches, loads of electrical parts, door handles and more.
I would suggest you first search for either LHD headlamps for Jeep....(insert model). Or if car was important to Europe and not just made for the US market search in Spanish. Jeep (model) faros
I maybe teaching you to suck eggs when it come to language, forgive me if so.
other Spanish websites for spares are
https://www.milanuncios.com/
Especially this section https://www.milanuncios.com/recambios-y-accesorios/ under qué buscas use the Spanish term I suggested above. Look in the whole of Spain to give a better chance of a result.
The next site is  search engine for breakers in Spain. http://www.desguaces.eu/
You can ask for parts you are looking for via this website too.
hit the piezas-de-desguace on the left click your model and then in the list of parts again look for faro. Then fill out the form and you may get a reply.
the last chance is a forum covering the Jeep cars, Maybe you can find a solution that way too.
Hope this helps. Please let me know if you have success or want more help.

Like I said we (or I) do not know which model or year the car is. Have you tied the breaker search site I gave a link too?
The Dutch, Begluims and Germans are also great American car buffs. So maybe you can find a site in one of those countries.
Also do not forget orange lamps at the front (side markers could be a failure, Red turn signals at the rear a failure, Any tow-bar that is not e marked a failure, Change the location of the rear fog lamp if it is on the off side of the UK so it is on the offside in Spain. The same if you have only one reverse lamp. These are usually on the nearside when you are in Spain.
Is it all worth it especially if you have to pay someone to do it?
Here is a link for Jeeps for sale in Tenerife
https://www.milanuncios.com/todoterreno … mp;cerca=s
and for Las Palmas
https://www.milanuncios.com/todoterreno … mp;cerca=s
Cover all of Spain and you will find a lot more.

Hi Ribera, Thanks for the reply , my Jeep is a 2006 Gran Cherokee, it does have orange indicators at the front , twin reversing lights(one in each light cluster)  orange turn indicators at the rear, no tow bar ,I will look on those sites to see if I have any luck , I’ll get back to you , thanks, Martin

Hi Ribera,
Forgot to say that the Jeep was built with UK spec , right hand steering wheel etc etc , I’ve contacted my local Jeep dealership and have been told although it’s an American company the American headlights are not legal in Europe for some unknown reason !
Martin

Hi Ribeira,
Still no luck obtaining LHD headlights for my Jeep but have found out why the USA ones are not legal, apparently it’s because the indicators are white and are on ALL the time and flash when needing to turn !!! But could you clarify that the indicators need to be orange for Spain (as they are in the UK) ? I have been quoted €1,000+ for a pair of headlights but feel this is ridiculous, If I have to pay this amount I will ,begrudgingly!
My new question is this ; I keep reading that I have a month to register a vehicle taken over to GC before incuring any import duty , and then reading that I have six months to register it before incuring import duty , which is correct ? I have understood that it is best for me to obtain residencia as soon as possible when I arrive there ( 2nd March at this point ) which of these importing rules apply? My problem is that I intend on importing two vehicles now ,at present both are registered in my name so am I only allowed to be free of import duty on one? In which case I can register one in my partners name, I do realise it has to be in their name for six months before attempting to register it in GC, this is not a problem,we can come back for it after six months, thanks for any help ,
Martin

You have white indicators on a car in the UK? I thought that law changed back in the 1960's, since then all vehicles have to have orange.
If you are saying you have the typical USA running lights on. Then disconnect the cable that supplies the power all the time. Please make it secure so it does not short out and set the car on fire. Before making permanent adjustments make sure that you do not get any fault lights on the dashboard.
I hope your rear indicator is not red. That will be an ITV  failure in here too, I think.
If your car has either LED or HID headlamp bulbs then you may will have to change the unit.
I have read that vehicles in Spain have to have E marks on at least the lights and tyres.
It has been many years since I imported a vehicle. When I done it it was 6 months. But in that time you have to get the correct documentation. As that takes time I would never wait until the last minute to import the car.
If you change the name of the owner then they will have to have owned it for 6 months before you move. Or pay import duties.
I understand it is all down to you. But have you thought about the cost of all of this. Just to get to the Canaries you have two ferries, fuel, tolls for roads. double that for two cars. Plus you are doubling up your costs to register the car. It ill also involve a lot of running around to get the double amount of paperwork. If either car is RHD it will be worthless second-hand should you need to sell in Spain.

Hi ,as I said ,we have orange front indicators in the UK which are not running lights , and the rear indicators are orange ,no problem there ! Regarding the six months time scale we have decided to fly to GC on 2nd March and spend a couple of weeks sorting the paperwork for bringing the Jeep over and hopefully sourcing the headlights from the Jeep dealership in GC to take back to the UK ready for fitting ! So hopefully on my return to GC it’ll be a smoothing re-registering of it ! Regarding the cost implications,we have taken these into account and yes, I’m sure we’ll regret it at some point but we are car fanatics and both vehicles are quite rare and I have no chance of buying the same vehicles in GC,and considering the high price of secondhand cars in GC wouldn’t be able to anything remotely as interesting as what we already own , also plan to run them into the ground eventually lol .I didn’t know about the “E” spec on the tyres, thanks I’ll look into that because I shall put new tyres just prior to coming over, I also know I need to obtain a “Certificate of Conformity “ from the manufacturers,on the plus side I’ve found that the Insurance is half what it is here in the UK, and road tax about a tenth , that’ll offset the trip down there a bit lol !

I wish you good luck in your trip. Only a few days to go. 
Let us all know haw you get on.

Yes , I will thanks , and hopefully be of some use to people thinking of doing the same trip .

Hola Riberia and others,
Regarding the registration of my vehicle to Spanish legal requirements,just to let you know 9 months after first applying for registration I am still without a legal to drive vehicle due to some ridiculous beaurocracy, we are 99% there but am waiting for an official at our local ITV station to give it the all clear ,after having new headlights fitted , new tyres ( ours were fitted just prior to leaving the UK , we’re the highest quality and have been fitted since new) New Certificate of Conformity etc,but someone somewhere decided they weren’t correct, anyway we’ve done everything asked of us but we’re still being given the run around !
This is only part of the story ( fiasco)
Moral of our story is think very very carefully about shipping a car from the UK , on reflection I should never have done so , they don’t seem to want someone to bring a car into the country , patience is being pushed to the limit !

If you are moving to GC and bringing your car with you

Before coming:

Order a Ficha technical reducida – online is fine as it comes with a digital signature.
Change headlights to LHD and speedo if it’s only in mph. If it has KPH as well it’s fine.
Check tyres. Look at your ficha technical and go on this website to make sure that the tyres you have on your car match the tyres – this includes size, load and speed rating: http://www.equivalencias.info/neumaticos/

Arriving in Gran Canaria:

Sign up at your local town hall with your new address (empadronar) as a Cambiar de Residencia. You’ll need your NIE which can be obtained at the main police station in Las Palmas. Get the form officially printed and stamped in the town hall (you must pay for this, just a couple of euro but could take about a month to get done and you need to collect it) – the paper they give during the appointment should work all the way through the process until you meet that one person who doesn’t like you, I mean doesn’t like the paper.

Go to the ITV centre and book an appointment (Cita Previa) in person as it can take about a week to get a slot. You need to take your original car documents, NIE, passport, ficha technica reducida and empadronamiento form. Complete the ITV, get the ITV certificate and ITV sticker which you put on your windscreen and wait up to 8 days to get your official papers printed (green A4 papers). Pick them up when they are ready. Make sure the paper states Cambio de recidencia and includes the country where you lived before.

Book an appointment for Agencia Tributaria (hacienda)
agenciatributaria.es/
either in Las Palmas, Calle Luis Doreste Silva #6 or the Agencia in Guia Galdar, Calle Lomo Guillén #0. I’ve always found the people in Guia much more helpful and relaxed. Take all your papers: Passport, NIE, empadronamiento, boat ticket, Sellers/buyers contract showing when you bought the car, how much it cost and the car details (translate this into Spanish as well), Ficha Technica (green A4s), original documents, a paper showing that you’ve left the UK (the UK no longer provides an official paper, however, there is a Spanish consulate PDF which you can print out from the gov.uk website which is good enough:

main page: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/notarial-an … ot-provide

Direct link: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.u … cation.pdf

This stage allows you to begin the importation process. You will be exempt from paying taxes if you’ve lived for the past 12 months outside of Spain. If you aren’t exempt you can work out how much you will pay for the import here:

<span class="reintegratelink">[link under review]</span>

You will also have to pay car emission tax which is between 3.75% and 13.75% depending on your car. You can find the CO2 level of your car on your UK V5 document. This tax can also be avoided if you are exempt for import costs. The Agencia Tributaria will give you a paper, we were given a Model 06 (tax free) which you take to Trafico allowing you to pay the registration fee (DVLA equivalent) which is roughly 95€, this is one of the last steps.

If you’ve got to pay import costs they will give you a paper which you take to the bank, pay and then take it back to the office. Usually you don’t need to make another appointment, simply go back to the desk once you’ve finished it.

Back to the town hall or centro de recaudación depending on how your area does it to register your car (dar de alta / nueva matriculación) in the municipality where you live. Take your NIE, ficha technica and your empadronamiento form (plus any other piece of paper you own as you never know). They will give you a slip showing how much road tax you’ve got to pay for the current year. The year runs roughly from April to April, so if you arrive in August you’ll only pay a part of the year. Take the form they give you and go to a cash machine or bank. Pay the amount and make sure you get a receipt as you will need to take it to trafico to prove that you’ve paid the road tax.

Go to the DUA office on the second floor of the office which open from 8am until 1pm (roughly). If you have owned the car for more than 6 months before arriving in GC, then you will not have to pay import tax. This is very important because if you are a pleb or unlucky like me, you arrive 5 months and 30 days after buying the car which meant I had to pay the DUA because I arrived one day early. No joke. If you’ve owned the car for less time, then you’ll need to pay the import tax. There are a few other rules regarding this which may mean you need to pay the tax, such as the car having less than 6000 KM or it’s new. You will need your empadronamiento form, passport, NIE, ficha technical from ITV (green papers),  boat ticket and, why not take all the papers from your house because you never know.

DUA Office is 2nd floor, Gobierno de Canarias Consejería de Obras Públicas y Transportes, Plaza de los Derechos Humanos, 22, 35003 Palmas de Gran Canaria (las), Las Palmas.

Make an appointment Dirección General De Tráfico, Plaza de los Derechos Humanos, 2, Las Palmas and take all your shiny new papers. Pay the 95€ and you’ve made it! Almost! You’ll have to go back the next day to get your certificado de circulación.

You can now get your number plates printed and put them on your car. Somewhere like Autorepuestos Nucho SL, Calle Simancas, 93, Las Palmas & then get car insurance. 
Finally, contact the DVLA to say you’ve exported your car, cancel your insurance, road tax and then go and get drunk to celebrate or cry depending on how many papers you forgot to take.

PS. I have a decent level of Spanish (please ignore any spelling mistakes in both English and Spanish as I am drained. This process has taken everything from me. Except for my now Spanish car which I can’t drive after celebrating too hard for the last few days after finally importing the car) and almost went insane during the process. Especially as you’ll be told by Hacienda to take a piece of paper to Trafico and trafico will look at you like they’ve just found you on the bottom of their shoe and tell you that this form says Hacienda on it so why on Earth are you in trafico. So you cancel your trafio appointment which took a week to get, to then make a Hacienda appointment. You go to hacienda and they ask why you are there and that you should have gone to Trafico. You then make another appoint in trafico, speak to someone else (hopefully) and they say of course you do it in trafico, how silly of you to have gone to hacienda. Tourist.

My last bit of advice. Buy a folder. Make two photocopies (or more) of everything. Put everything in that folder. Don’t let it go. Sleep with it, shop with it. Take it everywhere. You never know when they will want to see something from there and want a copy. It’s just how it is. Good luck.

Hola Hhcompany,
Thanks for your lengthy ( and with some amusing comments, to be frowned upon by some on this site,) I believe a modicum of humour is necessary to ride over the incessant beaurocracy that befits this country !
Anyway to the matter in hand, I went through every point you raised to get my vehicle registered here in Gran Canaria, including being given the run around by several self-important officials , again a good sense of humour being necessary!
I digress,
Owned a property here two years before finally moving here permanently in March 2018, no problems so far, then decided to drive our Jeep over via Spain and associated ferries, with Spanish Insurance in hand we drove it on UK plates until the the tax ran out in July , my previous post says how we modified it to become legal over here ! It took until mid January 2019 to finally be granted the ITV so we could then get it registered!
My major question to you is why did I have to pay import duty of around €2,500 ???
I have owned it for several years in the UK before bringing it over, I must also point out that we employed a very well respected Gestoria lady who was from the UK but has lived here for nearly 30 years so there was no language problems and had a very good relationship with the Police etc etc , and she questioned the huge fee but was assured that it was correct so we had no option but to pay up , the joke here was that the first quote for the duty was for €2,200, when questioned again they added another €200+ for the sheer hell of it ,or so it seems !
Any thoughts from yourselves would be appreciated, I know it’s after the fact but I’m intrigued that the rules seem to change like the wind over here , I understand that the procedure on Mainland Spain is more relaxed and straightforward, when we challenged the authorities here we were promptly told “that’s a different country to here “ without any more explanation followed by “next please” .
Love living here but this has been our single biggest mistake and would advise anyone else to attempt to import their vehicle to seriously think again , sell in the UK and buy a GC registered vehicle, NOT a Spanish registered vehicle because this could still attract import duty ! Some on here disputes this but I can assure you that friends who moved here from the mainland hoping to bring their Spanish registered car we’re going to be charged a huge import duty, they begrudgingly took it straight back and bought over here instead .
The irony of all this is that both our vehicles are top of the range high -end well maintained vehicles and sitting at the ITV station watching car after car sailing through looking only fit for the scrap yard !,,,
Makes you wonder eh ?.
Kind regards Martin

Hi Martin,

I'm pretty sure it's because you were classed as a resident (even if only part-time) since you bought a house. If you signed up at your local ayuntamiento when you came originally, then they will have you registered from then and it's not a 'Cambio de residencia'.

Avoiding import and emission charges are only for changing country for the first time. I was previously registered in GC in 2016/17 but moved to Germany in between for two years, meaning that I qualified for free import as I was changing country and hadn't lived in Spain for the previous 12 months.

Red tape is unavoidable here and you just have to put up with it. We imported a T4 with a rock and roll EU certified rear bench which converts into a bed. We paid £1700 last year and found out last week in will never be legal in our van. If we had a T4 which never ever had seats in from the factory then it would be fine, however, ours once had seats, so it's not valid. Really stupid rule as it's the same van but... red tape!

Hi Hh,
Thanks for the prompt reply,
Yes I think buying the property over three years ago is the cause for this ridiculous import tax but it was never pointed out to us from the beginning, unfortunately we didn’t know or even knew we had to have a Gestoria at that time !
Ah well, a lesson learned and I hope it will help others on this forum regarding bringing a car over !
We potentially had the same issue with our furniture which was shipped professionally in a container but wasn’t needed for the first two years because the “official” at the docks couldn’t understand why we owned a property,that was bought furnished needed any more ! Anyway that’s for another forum which I’m sure I shall get a warning message stating as much !
Haha .
Regards Martin .