Motorhome in Spain (Resident) (1 Viewer)

rrusty

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If I was applying for residency in Spain what are the legalities if I want to park my UK reg M/H at Spanish home.
 

Emmit

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I'm no expert but from I think I've read on here, after 183 continuous days in Spain, the vehicle has to go through the hoop of being registered as a Spanish 'van.

Also from these hallowed pages, that procedure is not straightforward and could even be, dare I say, impossible, dependent on where the steering wheel is. ie left or right.
 

Billy23

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If I was applying for residency in Spain what are the legalities if I want to park my UK reg M/H at Spanish home.


As a resident you cannot drive a foreign registered vehicle in Spain. And Uk reg is foreign.

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rrusty

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If M/H is registered in my sons name and a UK address, but I drive it as a Spanish resident and park it at Spanish address for the max continuous term and then take it out of Spain for X amount of days and then return, would that work?
 

Billy23

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If M/H is registered in my sons name and a UK address, but I drive it as a Spanish resident and park it at Spanish address for the max continuous term and then take it out of Spain for X amount of days and then return, would that work?



Nope.

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Emmit

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rrusty said,"Thanks it is R/H drive"

Again as a non expert, I would imagine there's a snowball in Hell chance of getting that reregistered as Spanish.
 

irnbru

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Have you thought about how you would get it MOTd?
 

jumar

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Motorhome in Spain on UK plates, being driven by a resident......just as well you asked....sorry my friend not possible.....simple solution....don't become resident...remain in Spain for 183 days a year only.

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Xabia

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As the motorhome is a Neismann & Bischoff with the habitation door opening on the ‘correct’ side in Spain you might just stand a chance of getting it registered there. You need to contact a Gestor proficient in such matters to get definitive advice. If on the Costa Blanca pm me and I can send you a recommendation.
 

jumar

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As the motorhome is a Neismann & Bischoff with the habitation door opening on the ‘correct’ side in Spain you might just stand a chance of getting it registered there. You need to contact a Gestor proficient in such matters to get definitive advice. If on the Costa Blanca pm me and I can send you a recommendation.

The questions was "Where do I park my UK MH"....not where can I transfer on to Spanish Plates.....If it was done, then that would also make the position more Legally friendly.
 

Xabia

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The actual question was - ‘what are the legalities if I want to park my UK reg M/H at Spanish home.’

The answer to that as we know is that he can’t, the only alternative is to register in Spain or sell and buy one locally. I would have thought the former alternative would be preferable, if it is achievable.

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jumar

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The actual question was - ‘what are the legalities if I want to park my UK reg M/H at Spanish home.’

The answer to that as we know is that he can’t, the only alternative is to register in Spain or sell and buy one locally. I would have thought the former alternative would be preferable, if it is achievable.

Exactly.....I rest my case, or I park my motorhome.....whatever....
 

The Nomad

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As others have said, I think you're in a bit of a muddle, and you've got some big legal issues.

As a Resident of Spain it is illegal for you to drive anything other than a Spanish matriculated vehicle on any Spanish road, whether it's in your name or not. The ONLY exception to that law is that in an emergency if it's owned by another person and that owner is present in the vehicle throughout the entire journey then you may drive it (assuming you have correct licence and age insured to do so) as a one - off.
Driving it illegally would be an offence "grave" under the Spanish Codigo Penal, and what would be potentially even worse than vehicle seizure and fine would be the insurance implications if you were involved in an accident whist doing so.

Additionally a British registered (it is British not UK as Northern Ireland has its own separate registration system) can only guest in another EU country under the EU wide concession system for up to 6 months in any year (during which time it must be continuously maintained as legal under the laws of its "home" country...... So in the case of a British registered vehicle that means continuous current VED (tax), continuous current MOT and continuous current insurance of at least third party level.

There are normally limits in motoring insurance regarding max length of time outside home country too.

It MIGHT be legally possible to rematriculate it onto Spanish plates IF it's under 10 years old (it's impossible nowadays to import commercial vehicles of over 10 years of age) But it'd be eye wateringly expensive because in addition to all the other engineers reports, other complicated paperwork and fees, modifications of lights etc, you will as already a Resident not be able to claim the tax relief associated with importing a vehicle already owned by you within the 3 months of moving to Spain; thus you'd pay the importation tax on its Spanish Hacienda book value on top.... That tax would be many many thousands of euros alone on a such a big-original-price vehicle.

Its not good news I'm afraid.

Have you considered just taking that British registered vehicle back to Britain to sell and buying a spanish one here instead maybe?
 
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rrusty

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Thanks, I am only at the planning stage.just weighing up the options.

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jumar

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Thanks, I am only at the planning stage.just weighing up the options.

Just as well that you have asked on this forum.....many of us, ourselves included, started our travels in our UK motorhomes...without a care in the world.
Then we just got to like the place, found a place to live and decided to change a thing or two, all to remain legal, some do, some don't, the choice is that of the individual.
With Brexit just around the corner changes to Residencia could be more difficult....or perhaps not....but what will be sure is UK vehicles parked up extending their allowed time will be open to scrutiny by those that do.....interesting times.
I am not aware of your personal circumstances, but applying for Spanish residencia for those under State retirement age can be a costly event, true benefits are gained by those who qualify for the S1 form of medical cover ( Over state pension age and those who qualify for other reasons) worth looking into this. You state Only in the planning stage...well I hope you continue to plan and seek the information that you need. Good luck.
 
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If I was applying for residency in Spain what are the legalities if I want to park my UK reg M/H at Spanish home.

We met a gentleman in Hispavan near Vera, he had a British registered lhd, he had got his residencia already and was unable to import, he was told he should have imported it first before applying for residencia. I don't this to be fact but he had this confirmed.

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We met a gentleman in Hispavan near Vera, he had a British registered lhd, he had got his residencia already and was unable to import, he was told he should have imported it first before applying for residencia. I don't this to be fact but he had this confirmed.
Yes probably quite true but nonsensical when you can buy & legally import ones you do not own.
**It could have been got around by re-registering it in a Uk persons name then importing it as though buying. Would also have had to pay the 4% import tax though.**
 

ukbill

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The answer to the question is NO
 

The Nomad

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We met a gentleman in Hispavan near Vera, he had a British registered lhd, he had got his residencia already and was unable to import, he was told he should have imported it first before applying for residencia. I don't this to be fact but he had this confirmed.

There must be more to his story, as based on what you've mentioned here that is a nonsense excuse by him
Whether or not he was already a Spanish Resident has no bearing whatsoever on whether he could import a British vehicle owned by him.

The only difference that already being a spanish r
Resident makes is that you'd have to pay the rematriculacion tax (as you missed the time window for importing it free of that tax when you first applied to become Resident) ; and you'd have to get someone else to do the driving around of it to the engineers homologation inspection and ITV test, as you cannot drive a non Spanish registered vehicle in Spain once Resident.

My guess is that the vehicle was either too old for rematriculacion (you can't import commercial vehicles over 10 years old, as they are trying to reduce the number of high polluting vehicles on Spain) or it or some of its systems /additions weren't properly homologated.
Or he simply didn't want to pay the quite substantial costs of getting it rematriculated perhaps...

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BreweryDave

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Do bear in mind that there is no need to become a resident. You can still live there as a non resident which is much easier assuming you don't want to work there full time etc.
Any UK plate vehicle though is only allowed for 6 months. (although many ex pats ignore this but it is being clamped down on in many areas)
 

Mikey RV

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Do bear in mind that there is no need to become a resident. You can still live there as a non resident which is much easier assuming you don't want to work there full time etc.
Any UK plate vehicle though is only allowed for 6 months. (although many ex pats ignore this but it is being clamped down on in many areas)

How to peaple stand if they come here on holiday or sell up move to Spain and decide to stay and keep there car in Spain with them on Uk plates. Will they have problems if they try to leave for the Uk for a visit or is it on record when they arrived etc.
 

ukbill

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U can't if you become resident

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MickyP

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The actual question was - ‘what are the legalities if I want to park my UK reg M/H at Spanish home.’

The answer to that as we know is that he can’t, the only alternative is to register in Spain or sell and buy one locally. I would have thought the former alternative would be preferable, if it is achievable.

If its more than 10 years old it can not be registered in Spain.
 

BreweryDave

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How to peaple stand if they come here on holiday or sell up move to Spain and decide to stay and keep there car in Spain with them on Uk plates. Will they have problems if they try to leave for the Uk for a visit or is it on record when they arrived etc.
You can't keep it on uk plates in spain for more than 6 months.

There is confusion over being a ' resident' and living there ( which after 6 months you technically automatically become 'tax resident' but not an actual 'resident' )
A resident, has taken out full Residencia. You are then a Spanish resident, pay tax, receive certain benefits if entitled etc. That does NOT make you a Spanish national!

If you move over, buy or rent a place, and just stay there, you can simply do that without being a 'Resident' for as long as you like! Obtain an NIE number, do everything else, and not be a 'Resident'.


.......it's spain, nothing makes sense in burocratic terms!!!

But whichever way you go, same rules apply for registration of vehicles as in every other EU country. If you're a ' Resident' you need a Spanish reg. if not, you can use your uk reg vehicle for 6 months, them either matriculate it, or sell it and buy Spanish reg.
 

Alistair33

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You could buy a caravan (now static)... on a site to use as an address

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Hi, slightly off-topic we are UK citizens & this is our 3rd year of residence in France. Our Hymer was on UK plates having been imported new from Belgium. We had to register it here & had to pay import fiscale a tax on the import value & we had the original certificate from Hymer so it was pretty straight forward & cost about €350 in total. We have a control technique test that lasts 2 years & there is no road tax. As an aside I am diabetic & my UK licence was to expire & it was relatively simple to apply for a licence de conduire by post. We pay French tax on our pensions & since I offer online therapy here I pay tax & health insurance contributions on that income.
I guess you could live in your motorhome or buy & live in a caravan for 6 months or so then go back to UK for the rest of the year.
 

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