Keeping Your Car Road Legal in Spain
Once your car is on Spanish plates, it needs Spanish insurance, a valid ITV and the local road tax paid each year, and you need to carry a V-16 emergency beacon. If you live in Spain, you will also need to exchange your UK driving licence.
Insurance, ITV and road tax
A Spanish-registered car needs Spanish motor insurance. It must also keep up to date with its ITV inspections, which our ITV guide explains. Every year you pay the IVTM, the local road tax, to the town hall where you live. It is set locally and depends on the car's power, so the amount varies from town to town.
Exchanging your driving licence
Registering your car and exchanging your licence are two separate processes. The DGT confirms that a UK licence is valid for no more than six months from the date you become normally resident in Spain, after which you must exchange it for a Spanish one.
Thanks to the agreement between the UK and Spain in March 2023, most UK licence holders can exchange without taking a Spanish driving test. DGT appointments can be hard to get in busy areas, so we always suggest booking as early as possible.
The V-16 beacon and other equipment
Since 1 January 2026, Spanish-registered cars must carry a connected V-16 emergency beacon. The DGT has confirmed this is now the only valid way to signal a broken-down vehicle, replacing warning triangles. The beacon sits on the roof and sends your location to the DGT, so you don't have to walk along a busy road to place triangles.
While your car is still on UK plates and just passing through Spain, the DGT accepts triangles or similar devices from the country of registration. As soon as the car is registered in Spain, you will need a DGT-approved connected V-16 beacon. Not carrying one is reported to carry a fine of €80, rising to €200 if you fail to signal a breakdown properly.
You should also keep a reflective vest inside the car (not in the boot), plus a spare wheel with tools or an approved puncture repair kit.
Before you register: the UK sticker and headlamps
While your car is still on UK plates, GOV.UK is clear that in Spain you must display a UK sticker, whatever is on your number plate. Your headlamps must also be adjusted so they don't dazzle oncoming traffic, usually with beam deflectors or a built-in travel mode.
Environmental labels and low emission zones
Spanish law requires every town with more than 50,000 people to set up a low emission zone (Zona de Bajas Emisiones, or ZBE), and many already have rules in force. Access is often based on the DGT environmental label, the etiqueta ambiental. The DGT does not issue these labels to foreign-plated cars, which can make some city centres harder to use in a UK car.
Once your car is registered in Spain, it can receive the label that matches its fuel type and emissions. Each council sets its own rules, so always check the council's website before driving into a city centre.
We're here to help
Whether you need your car transported, registered or both, our team is happy to advise. Email info@costa-cargo.com or call us in the UK on +44 7938 751 790 or in Spain on +34 711 022 816.
This guide is general guidance only. Traffic rules and fines change regularly, so please check the latest DGT guidance or contact us for up-to-date advice.
