Features of buying a car in Spain

Moving around Spain by car is the most convenient way to get to know the country and see the maximum number of its attractions. And the purchase itself can be classified as a profitable investment. In this regard, many questions arise: how to buy a car in Spain, whether a non-resident can make a purchase, how to properly draw up documents and take the vehicle home.

Why buy a car in Spain

Many residents of the CIS consider Spain as the most affordable place to buy a car from a financial point of view, no matter whether it is new or used.

Here you can buy not only locally made Seat, but also over 40 types of cars produced by car manufacturers Opel, Peugeot, Renault, Ford, Volkswagen, Nissan and others.

Many factors testify in favor of buying a car in this particular state:

• Spain has a good climate with little rainfall, warm weather and even freezing temperatures in winter in most regions. This means that sand and special chemicals are not used on these roads, which can have an adverse effect on the vehicle body;
• the roads in the kingdom are in perfect condition, therefore, when buying a used car, you can be sure that it has not undergone serious tests during operation;
• over the past decade, the country has significantly expanded its car park. Today, almost all the most popular models can be brought from here;
• the cost of cars, motorcycles, buses and other vehicles is much lower than in other European countries.

Where can I buy a car

Places to go if you are looking to buy something worthwhile are auctions, car dealerships, and specialist sites.

A huge number of interested parties are gathering international car dealerships. They are held all over the world and Spain is no exception. As part of such events, test drives, auto shows, promotions are organized, hundreds of contracts are signed, and profitable deals are concluded.

In particular, worth visiting:

• Madrid Auto is an autobiennale held in the Spanish capital every two years (late May - early June). In 2021, more than 30 car brands presented their products here. In just 6 days of work, 4150 new machines were sold, a little more than 7 thousand tests were carried out.
• Automobile Barcelona - In 2021, the exhibition will celebrate its centenary. Held in the capital of Catalonia at the same time as the Barcelona Formula 1 round. These two events turn Barcelona into a real automotive capital for exactly one week.
• Feria Valencia is the third largest car fair in the country. Here you can buy any vehicle, from a motorcycle to a truck. Their services are offered by sellers of car cosmetics, spare parts, as well as repair shops and tuning companies. Among the exhibitors there are also representative offices of companies dealing with road safety systems, for example, the world famous ITV company. Within the framework of the exhibition, cars are sold - both new and used. The event is usually held in December, which allows you to timed all kinds of discounts for the New Year.

In addition, everyone can take part in auto auctions, of which there are almost three dozen in Spain (a little more than ten all-European and the same number of national ones). The lots on them are cars that have already been in operation: broken, confiscated, with defects and others.

Both a resident of the country and a foreigner can become a participant in the auction. At the same time, the latter does not have to be in Spain at all - he can register on the WebAutoBid.eu website, pay a deposit (10% of the planned maximum purchase amount, but not less than 500 euros) and follow the events online.

Another option for buying a car is car websites. On these Internet sites, you can buy a vehicle directly from the owner. The most popular are:

• AutoScout24.com
• coches.net
• Motor.es
• Segundamano.es

Thus, the car seller can be:

• private person;
• reseller;
• dealer.

Each option has its own pros and cons:

We buy and fit a car ourselves

If you decide to get down to business on your own, then step-by-step instructions will come in handy.

The first stage is visa processing. If your passport already has Schengen, you can enter the country using it. For information on what documents will be needed and how to submit a request to the consulate, read the article "Schengen visa".

To begin with, let's dwell on the key points that you should pay attention to when choosing a car:

• check if the owner paid the road tax;
• check the date of the last technical inspection. This procedure is mandatory according to local laws. New cars pass it once every 4 years, vehicles whose age does not exceed 10 years - 1 time every 2 years, cars over 10 years old - annually;
• check the presence of important vehicle modifications, its mileage, repair records in the card;
• make sure that the car is not seized and that all fines have been paid. To do this, use the services of the Automobile Register and the Tax Office.

The subsequent actions look like this:

1. Conclusion of a contract. It must contain information of the following order:

• information about the buyer and seller (name and surname, DNI or NIE, residential address);
• data on the object of the transaction (year of issue, brand, model, who owns the ownership and on what basis);
• time / date of transfer of the machine;
• payment method and price;
• duties and taxes.

2. Registration of the vehicle for the new owner. This function is entrusted to the General Transport Administration. The buyer will need the following package of documents:

• statement;
• receipt of payment of the fee (7.60 euros);
• a receipt for payment of tax for the transfer of ownership;
• identity card (passport or NIE, resident card or DNI);
• a document authorizing the movement of the vehicle;
• inspection card;
• agreement on a completed transaction.

3. Car insurance. This procedure is mandatory. The cost of the policy will depend on the age of the car and the type of insurance program. On average, such a service will cost 350-450 euros for inexpensive and small cars, 1500-2000 euros for expensive ones.

Please note that to complete the transaction, you will need to open a bank account, and certainly in Spain. The fact is that the Spaniards do not welcome cash payments, especially when it comes to large amounts.

How to buy a car in Spain on order

Buying a car through intermediaries will require additional costs, but will eliminate the need for a personal visit to the country, obtaining a visa and other formalities. An approximate purchase scheme in this case will look like this:

1. 1. Vehicle selection. You can do this yourself, or you can do it on the advice of an intermediary. As a rule, such companies are well guided by the local car market.
   2. Inspection. To this end, the intermediary visits the seller to inspect the object of sale, take photos and send them to the buyer, study the information on the vehicle. It should be borne in mind that before selling a car in Spain, the seller must remove it from the register, as well as pay off all fines. If you buy a car through a car dealership, all information about it can be found on the dealer's website.
   3. The following is the process of sending scanned copies of the buyer's documents to Spain.
   4. The next stage is the transfer of funds to the account of an intermediary or a car dealership.
   5. Distillation of the car to Russia. If the intermediary works as a private person, he takes over this issue. When buying from a dealer, you can contact the ferrymen, whose sites can be found in large numbers on the Internet. By the way, this option will be the most profitable, since the car will be delivered by an auto transporter, therefore, this will not affect the increase in its mileage, and the cost of gasoline will be minimized.
   6. Customs clearance. The vehicle will be delivered to the city that you name. It is advisable to send the documents for it to the customs broker in advance. Upon arrival in the country, a declaration for the car is filled in and the duty is paid. Then the car is parked in the terminal, and the customs broker proceeds to formalize all the documents.
   7. After receiving the car, you must register it with the traffic police.

Car prices in Spain

The range of prices can be quite significant. That is, a car in Alicante or Torrevieja may cost more than in Madrid. It will depend on several factors:

• brands and models;
• new or used;
• year of issue;
• equipment;
• if the car is used, then its value.

It should be borne in mind that locally made cars will cost less than famous world brands. We give approximate prices for used cars in the table:

This data can be compared with the cost of new cars:

Finally

To make your purchase successful, use the following tips:

• if you plan to do everything yourself, do not forget that you will need an international license. In general, you can drive around the kingdom with a Russian driver's license, but in case of an accident it is better to have an IDP with you, since insurance companies require it;
• when taking out insurance for a car, carefully choose a company. Some Spanish insurers are cunning and elusive. At the same time, the policy can turn out to be a very expensive pleasure - in some cases, it costs up to a thousand euros a year;
• you must have the opportunity to drive a car before making a deal;
• enlist the support of an experienced specialist when inspecting a car you like - this will reveal hidden defects;
• in the sales contract, be sure to indicate the period during which the car must be reissued to the new owner. In the interests of the seller, it would be nice to indicate the exact time of the sale - this way he can hedge himself if the new owner gets into an accident immediately after the transaction. The contract will allow you to prove that at that time the vehicle did not belong to the seller.