Buying A New Or Second-hand Car In Spain

This guide covers dealer and private purchases, the checks to make before you pay, the contract, the costs, the transfer of ownership and the rules for non-residents. Every fee and rule was checked on the DGT, tax office and official gazette pages in October 2026; the sources are listed at the end.

Buying from a dealer

A dealer (concesionario for new cars, compraventa for used) handles the registration or transfer for you, includes it in the price or charges a fee for it, and gives you an invoice. A used car bought from a dealer comes with a legal warranty of at least one year against hidden faults. Ask for:

• the invoice with the car’s registration and chassis number (VIN);
• the registration document (permiso de circulación) in your name, or the receipt showing the transfer is under way;
• the technical file (ficha técnica) with a valid roadworthiness test (ITV);
• the service history and the warranty terms in writing.

Buying a second-hand car privately

A private sale is usually cheaper but leaves the checks, the tax and the paperwork to you. The steps below protect you from buying a car with debts, a false mileage or an owner who is not the seller.

Before you pay: the checks

1. Get the DGT’s full vehicle report (informe completo de vehículo) for €8.67, online at the DGT’s electronic office, in the miDGT app or by appointment. It shows the owners, ITV history, recorded mileage and any charges or embargoes on the car. A shorter report (informe reducido) is free in the app.
2. Check that the seller is the owner: the name on their identity document must match the registration document.
3. Check that the ITV is in date: the new registration document is only valid with a current ITV.
4. Check that the road tax (IVTM) is paid for the year; ask for the receipt.
5. Inspect and test drive the car, ideally with a mechanic.

The contract

Put the sale in a written purchase contract (contrato de compraventa), signed by both of you on every page, with the date and time of the handover, the price, the registration and chassis numbers, the mileage and both parties’ details. The DGT publishes a model contract. The date and time matter: from that moment, fines and responsibility for the car pass to you.

What it costs

The transfer tax is paid to the regional tax office on form 620 or 621 before the DGT will record the change of owner. A car bought from a dealer is sold with VAT instead, so there is no transfer tax. Our guide to car taxes in Spain covers the rates and the yearly road tax.

Registering the change of owner

The buyer must register the transfer with the DGT within 30 days of signing the contract:

• Online at the DGT’s electronic office, signing in with Cl@ve, a digital certificate or a Spanish electronic identity card. This is the DGT’s main route.
• Through a gestor, who files it for you for a fee.
• In person at a Traffic office (Jefatura de Tráfico), by appointment only, paying by card, with form 02 (application for change of ownership).

You will need the signed contract, your identity document (passport and NIE, or a residence card), the registration document, the valid ITV, the fee and proof that the transfer tax is paid. Our guide to changing the ownership of a car in Spain takes you through the filing.

For the seller: there is no rule that the buyer must show you proof within 15 days, whatever some guides say. To protect yourself from fines on a car you no longer own, file a notice of sale (notificación de venta) with the DGT within 10 days of the sale; it costs €8.67.

Can a non-resident buy a car in Spain?

Yes. The DGT accepts a passport plus NIE as identification. Each Traffic office decides which proof of address it accepts, so bring a Spanish address document if you have one, or use a gestor. Our article on non-residents buying a car in Spain covers the details.

If you are moving to Spain with a car, note that a car used in Spain by a resident must be registered here within 30 days of first use, or 60 days if you are moving your residence. A car from the UK is now a non-EU import and needs customs clearance first. See our guide to importing and registering a foreign car in Spain.

Help with buying a new electric car

The old car scrappage schemes ended long ago, and the MOVES III grants closed to applications on 31 December 2025. In 2026 the national Auto+ programme (Real Decreto 609/2026) gives a private buyer up to €4,500 off a new electric or plug-in hybrid car priced under €45,000, on top of a dealer discount of at least €1,000, with no need to scrap an old car. Applications run from 4 August to 31 December 2026 for cars registered from 1 January 2026, while the €350 million budget lasts. Our guide to electric car purchase aid covers how to claim.

Driving in Spain long term?

Once you live here, you will also need to exchange your driving licence; our guide to Spanish driving licences explains when. If you are settling in Spain, private health insurance gives you fast access to specialists, and most residence visas require it: see Sanitas health insurance for expats.

Sources

Checked in October 2026. Dirección General de Tráfico: transfer of vehicles (procedure, documents, fee 1.5), vehicle report, notice of sale and ordinary registration. Boletín Oficial del Estado: Real Decreto 2822/1998, Reglamento General de Vehículos (article 32, deadlines), and Real Decreto 609/2026 (Auto+ programme). Agencia Tributaria: instructions for form 576 (registration tax and the deadline for residents’ vehicles). Regional tax offices: forms 620 and 621 (transfer tax).