Moving to Spain part 4 - Cars and Driving
Cars and Driving In Spain
Hiring
If you are going to rent a car in Spain then there are some basic requirements that you must be aware of.
You must be 26 or over.
You will need a credit card and your passport to hire a car.
You will probably need the address of where you will be staying to provide to the hire car company.
UK Registered cars (insurance)
If you are driving over with your UK registered car then you need to consider a few basic requirements.
Insurance: Check with your UK company to see what you are covered for by moving over to Spain for a longer period than just a touring holiday. If your are not going to be covered under your existing policy then try to get something sorted out before you set off as you may find it very difficult and expensive to insure a right hand drive UK registered car in Spain .
Tax: Although you will not see a tax disc displayed on a Spanish car, they are required to be taxed and the paperwork for this is kept within the car. Consider this when you UK Tax.
MOT: This is known as an “ITV” in Spain and this is actually displayed on the windscreen of the car and shows how long it is covered for. So once again if you UK MOT runs out think about how you are going to keep your car legal.
If you buy a Spanish car the ITV requirements are for a test after 4 years from new then every 2 years thereafter. If you have a commercial vehicle the re test requirements may differ so be sure to check this when you purchase the vehicle.
Re-registering
You can have your UK car re registered with Spanish plates which will make it legal to drive in Spain. There are a number of companies and individuals who can offer this service although it is not necessarily cheap and certain features on the car may have to be altered to meet Spanish requirements.
Even once you go through this process, if your car is a right hand drive you may still find yourself paying a higher insurance premium that the equivalent left hand drive car
By the way re registering the car is not optional if you intend to keep it in Spain as you only have 6 months from when you bring it over before you either have to take it back to the UK or go through the re registering process
Driving Licence
Provided you have a photo style driving licence from the UK you can carry on with this in Spain. If you do decide you would prefer to have a Spanish licence then you will have to surrender your UK Licence. Again there are people who can offer this service unless you speak Spanish and want to try yourself.
Driving Generally
The law requires that certain specific items be kept in the car.
Documentation: The following should always be in the car when you are driving and should you be stopped by the police you will be required to produce them. Vehicle registration document, ITV certificate (Unless the car is new under less than 4 years old) Vehicle Tax papers, Insurance Policy and you passport and driving licence. We have recently heard (April 2009) that this is no longer required but it may be safer to keep them with you.
Equipment: Reflective jackets equal to the number of people who could be travelling in the vehicle.(They must be kept inside and accessible as they must be put on before exiting the car in the case of breakdown or accident at night.) 2 triangles, a complete set of bulbs for all lights on the vehicle (this is no longer required but probably best to keep them in the car, just in case you are stopped by a policeman who is not up to date with changes) , first aid box, a bottle of water for drinking and one for use for the car. If the driver wears glasses then a spare pair must be kept in the car.
Seat belts: Seat belts must be worn at all times by all passengers. It is the responsibility of the driver to ensure that this is applied. A fine of €150 was applied to an individual who we know personally for failing to wear a seat belt.
Mobile Phones: It is an offence for a driver to use a mobile phone whilst driving. We even know of a case where the driver had his Blue Tooth ear piece on his ear and was not even using the phone and was fined for having part of the phone touching his body whilst driving.
On the road: When driving expect the unexpected. Indicators seem to be optional and overtaking of 4 or 5 cars at a time seems to be the national past time. Don’t be surprised if someone stops in front of you and conducts a conversation with someone in another car or on the pavement. Stopping at pedestrian crossings is also optional, well unofficially anyway and they often make idea parking spaces especially in crowded streets. When it rains then expect roads to be flooded and afterwards watch out for pot holes, man hole covers lifted and sand banks suddenly appearing. Although this is written with tongue in cheek, you will soon find that it has more than a hint of truth behind it.
