Our UK to Spanish Plates Registration Service
Moving to Spain for good? We can transport your car and then change its UK plates to Spanish plates for you, so it arrives legally registered and ready for the road.
At Costa Cargo we are a family-run business with bases in Gloucester and Gatwick in the UK and Alicante in Spain, and over 30 years of experience in the transport sector. Every week we move cars safely between the UK, Spain and Portugal, from everyday family cars to high-value luxury vehicles, with secure storage available at either end.
For customers moving to Spain permanently, getting the car here is only half the job. Once you are resident, your UK-registered car has to go onto Spanish plates within a short deadline, and the process involves customs, a technical inspection, tax forms and the Spanish traffic authority. Our registration service takes care of all of it, so you can concentrate on settling into your new home.
How our registration service works
We start by collecting your car in the UK and transporting it to Spain. Before it leaves, we make sure the DVLA paperwork is in order, because the V5C logbook is needed later for the Spanish registration.
Once the car arrives, we coordinate the customs clearance, the import technical inspection (the ITV), the registration tax forms and the application to the DGT, Spain's traffic authority. If you are moving your home to Spain, we help you claim the transfer of residence exemption, which can remove import duty, VAT and registration tax altogether. When the DGT issues your new Spanish registration number, we arrange your Spanish number plates.
If you need to use the car while the paperwork is processed, we can also help you apply for temporary green plates, which are valid for 60 days.
Getting a quote for car registration
The cost of registering a UK car in Spain varies a great deal from one car to the next, so we give every customer an individual, itemised quote. To prepare it, we will ask you for some details about the car and about your move.
About the car, we need the make, model and exact version, the date of first registration, the current UK registration number and the VIN (chassis number), all of which appear on your V5C logbook. We also need the fuel type, engine size and power, and the official CO2 emissions figure, because Spanish registration tax is based on CO2. Please tell us whether you have the manufacturer's Certificate of Conformity (CoC), whether the speedometer shows kilometres per hour, and about any modifications.
About your move, we need to know when you became, or will become, resident in Spain, how long you have owned and used the car, and when and where you bought it. We will also ask for a rough value of the car and the town where you will live, because the local road tax is set by each town hall and the Canary Islands have their own tax rules.
With these details, our team can tell you honestly whether registration makes sense for your car, what it is likely to cost and how long it should take.
Our Help & Advice guides
We have written a series of guides covering each part of the process in more detail:
How Long Can You Drive a UK Car in Spain? The rules for visitors and residents, and why registering matters.
How to Re-Register a UK Car in Spain, Step by Step. The documents, the order of each stage and how long it takes.
How Much Does It Cost to Register a UK Car in Spain? How the value and emissions of your car affect the bill.
Moving to Spain? Bringing Your Car Tax-Free. The transfer of residence exemption explained.
The ITV Explained. What the import inspection checks and what a right-hand-drive car may need.
Keeping Your Car Road Legal in Spain. Insurance, road tax, your driving licence and the equipment you must carry.
Ask us for a quote
For a quote for vehicle transport, car registration, or both, email our team at info@costa-cargo.com or call us in the UK on +44 7938 751 790 or in Spain on +34 711 022 816. You can also use the Get a Quote page on our website. Our phone lines are open Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM local time.
This page is general guidance only. Rules, tax rates and fees change regularly and depend on your circumstances, so please contact us for up-to-date advice on your own vehicle.
