Car Registration Service
Moving to Spain with your car? We'll get it onto Spanish plates, legally registered and ready for the road.
Bringing your car to Spain is only half the job. Once you're resident, a UK-registered car must go onto Spanish plates within 30 days, or 60 days if you're claiming the tax exemption for moving home.
The process involves customs, a technical inspection, tax forms and Spain's traffic authority, the DGT. A missing document or a wrongly declared figure at any stage can cost you weeks, and sometimes money.
Costa Cargo can take care of all of it. We're a family-run business with bases in Gloucester, Gatwick and Alicante, and over 30 years of experience in vehicle transport. We can collect your car in the UK, deliver it to Spain and see it all the way through to its new Spanish number plates.
What we can help with
Transport to Spain - We collect your car in the UK and transport it to Spain, with secure storage available at either end if your dates don't line up.
DVLA paperwork - Before your car leaves, we make sure your V5C logbook and DVLA export paperwork are in order. The logbook is needed later for the Spanish registration, so this step matters.
Customs clearance - We coordinate customs clearance in Spain, including the import declaration and the import certificate the DGT needs before it will register your car.
The import ITV - We arrange the technical report, advise on any changes your car needs and book its import inspection. Right-hand-drive cars usually need new or adjusted headlamps, and often a rear fog light change too.
Tax and the moving home exemption - We prepare your registration tax forms. If you're moving your home to Spain, we help you claim the transfer of residence exemption, which can remove import duty, VAT and registration tax altogether.
DGT registration and number plates - We submit your application to the DGT and, once your Spanish registration number is issued, arrange your new Spanish number plates.
Temporary green plates - If you need to drive while the paperwork is processed, we can help you apply for temporary green plates, which are valid for 60 days.
Already in Spain, or still deciding? - If your car is already in Spain on foreign plates, we can take on the registration from there. If you're thinking of buying a car to bring over, ask us first and we'll tell you honestly whether registration makes sense and roughly what it will cost.
How it works
Tell us about yourself, your car and your move using the form below.
We send you an individual, itemised quote, and tell you honestly whether registration makes sense for your car.
We transport your car to Spain, or pick things up from wherever it is now.
We handle customs, the import ITV, the tax forms and the DGT application.
Your car receives its Spanish registration number and its new number plates.
With complete paperwork, the Spanish side usually takes a few weeks. Allow several weeks from the day your car arrives, to cover customs, any work needed for the ITV and appointments.
What will it cost?
Every car is different, so every quote we give is individual and itemised. The biggest factors are your car's official value, its CO2 emissions and whether you're moving home to Spain.
Cars emitting 120 g/km of CO2 or less pay no registration tax at all. If you qualify for the transfer of residence exemption, you may pay no import duty, VAT or registration tax either, leaving only the inspection, registration and number plate fees.
Why choose Costa Cargo?
Because we transport your car and handle its registration, one team is responsible from the day we collect it to the day it wears Spanish plates. Nothing falls between two firms, and you always know who to call.
As a small, family-run business, we treat every vehicle as if it were our own. Every week we move cars between the UK, Spain and Portugal, from everyday family cars to high-value luxury vehicles, and we have people on the phone in both the UK and Spain.
Request a Registration Quote
Tell us about yourself, your car and where in Spain you'll be living, and we'll come back to you with a quote. We'll ask for anything else we need, such as the details on your V5C logbook and your car's CO2 figure.
Further Help & Advice
