Tim Raphael
Free Member
This post is by way of information for other people that have tried in the past and , if you follow posts from 2015, 2017 and 2018,
not been successful in re-registering a UK built MH onto Spanish plates.
Following retirement in 2015 we decided that we wanted to travel more and for longer periods abroad so started a search for a suitable van
to meet our personal needs. We already had a lovely 2008 Autocruise but it had a transverse bed and I always drew the short straw to make the tea as I slept on the outside!
Eventually, in June 2019, we found exactly what we wanted, without spending £100,000 ... Another Autocruise but a rare island bed version, the Oakmont a 2009 model with a huge bundle of extras fitted by the previous owner. We couldn't believe our luck and snapped it up without a second thought.
I had for several years been, like others, looking at the possibility of changing to Spanish plates but had always come up against the problems that others were finding, habitation door on the wrong side, no EU homologation and RHD.
In later 2019, we had decided that Spain was for us and we had been trying to sell our house in the UK which happened in November of that year. So, I contacted a Gestor here in Spain, sent him all the details of the vehicle and photos and to my surprise he returned a quote saying there were no problems
and to contact him when we arrived.
So, here we have a 2009 Autocruise with a left hab door, RHD, no EU homologation number and more than 10 years old, what are the odds going by previous posts on here ? ......... not great. But against those odds we have succeeded. The process was not cheap or without a couple of sleepless nights but the vehicle successfully passed it's ITV and as you can see now has a new Spanish reg plate.
You could ask why go through it, well because this vehicle has every conceivable extra you could wish for, satellite system, bluetooth controlled twin solar, state of the art alarm, rear air adjustable suspension, twin Gaslow system, power inverter, Aldi wet heating and Hydraulic self levellers, all on the vehicle when purchased, so to sell this and buy a similarly equipped Spanish vehicle would have cost a small fortune, set against the hurdles of trying to obtain an ITV pass, we had to try!
Basically, it can be done. The tow bar had to be removed, as the Spanish hate tow bars, safety certificates had to be obtained for Gas and Electrics and a certificate called a "Ficha Reducida" was also required, basically this document is a short cut through a full homologation. The latter is a document that can only be issued by a chartered engineer who is recognised by the ITV system. New headlights of course and the ITV inspection, all of that came to around 1300€. The Oficina de Trafico took another 700€ for plates, registration and local taxes, so all in all around 2000€.
One important point needs to be made here to do with "import tax", the ITV and re-reg were done within 30 days of receiving residency cards, which avoids a huge import duty bill and a homologation charge both of which together would have been around 5000-6000€ (partly based on value, so variable)!! So, if you are considering such a move, time it exactly right to avoid being stung!! The reason for this time slot deems that you are importing the vehicle for your own personal use thereby avoiding the tax/homologation fees. 30 days after residency or carrying out the process without residency, which is permitted, would incur these hefty charges as they regard the import as non personal use. It is 30 days and NOT 60 as I have seen suggested elsewhere.
I had spent many hours researching this and read many posts on this forum and elsewhere where people said it absolutely could not be done and until last year I was of that mind. The thought of having to sell this vehicle filled us both with dread as we had finally found our perfect van but we had resigned ourselves that if it was indeed to be the case, so be it.
Now we can celebrate! We are understandably over the moon and it has to be said that without the enormous efforts of an amazing guy, who appears to speak every language known to man and who has really done most of the work, we probably would not have succeeded. Basically DO NOT try this yourself on a vehicle of this type it is just way too complex.
Feel free to ask any questions and I will do my best to answer them or point you in the right direction. I have attached a couple of images FYI.
1) The vehicle, as Parked on Area Los Alcazares, a fantastic Camper park, 5 Mins walk from the Mar Menor (google it) -
https://area-los-alcazares.business.site
2) The ITV preparation and certification account showing New HLights, Removal of Tow bar, Gas & Electric Cert, Ficha Reducido and ITV Inspection.
* It should be noted that the cost of the ITV Inspection is always much higher than normal for a first Inspection.
* It will be an annual inspection from now as the vehicle is more than 10 years old, under 10 years is every 2 years.
3) The ITV Cert
4) The plates!
One last point ............ I still get landed with making the tea!
Thanks for reading.
not been successful in re-registering a UK built MH onto Spanish plates.
Following retirement in 2015 we decided that we wanted to travel more and for longer periods abroad so started a search for a suitable van
to meet our personal needs. We already had a lovely 2008 Autocruise but it had a transverse bed and I always drew the short straw to make the tea as I slept on the outside!
Eventually, in June 2019, we found exactly what we wanted, without spending £100,000 ... Another Autocruise but a rare island bed version, the Oakmont a 2009 model with a huge bundle of extras fitted by the previous owner. We couldn't believe our luck and snapped it up without a second thought.
I had for several years been, like others, looking at the possibility of changing to Spanish plates but had always come up against the problems that others were finding, habitation door on the wrong side, no EU homologation and RHD.
In later 2019, we had decided that Spain was for us and we had been trying to sell our house in the UK which happened in November of that year. So, I contacted a Gestor here in Spain, sent him all the details of the vehicle and photos and to my surprise he returned a quote saying there were no problems
and to contact him when we arrived.
So, here we have a 2009 Autocruise with a left hab door, RHD, no EU homologation number and more than 10 years old, what are the odds going by previous posts on here ? ......... not great. But against those odds we have succeeded. The process was not cheap or without a couple of sleepless nights but the vehicle successfully passed it's ITV and as you can see now has a new Spanish reg plate.
You could ask why go through it, well because this vehicle has every conceivable extra you could wish for, satellite system, bluetooth controlled twin solar, state of the art alarm, rear air adjustable suspension, twin Gaslow system, power inverter, Aldi wet heating and Hydraulic self levellers, all on the vehicle when purchased, so to sell this and buy a similarly equipped Spanish vehicle would have cost a small fortune, set against the hurdles of trying to obtain an ITV pass, we had to try!
Basically, it can be done. The tow bar had to be removed, as the Spanish hate tow bars, safety certificates had to be obtained for Gas and Electrics and a certificate called a "Ficha Reducida" was also required, basically this document is a short cut through a full homologation. The latter is a document that can only be issued by a chartered engineer who is recognised by the ITV system. New headlights of course and the ITV inspection, all of that came to around 1300€. The Oficina de Trafico took another 700€ for plates, registration and local taxes, so all in all around 2000€.
One important point needs to be made here to do with "import tax", the ITV and re-reg were done within 30 days of receiving residency cards, which avoids a huge import duty bill and a homologation charge both of which together would have been around 5000-6000€ (partly based on value, so variable)!! So, if you are considering such a move, time it exactly right to avoid being stung!! The reason for this time slot deems that you are importing the vehicle for your own personal use thereby avoiding the tax/homologation fees. 30 days after residency or carrying out the process without residency, which is permitted, would incur these hefty charges as they regard the import as non personal use. It is 30 days and NOT 60 as I have seen suggested elsewhere.
I had spent many hours researching this and read many posts on this forum and elsewhere where people said it absolutely could not be done and until last year I was of that mind. The thought of having to sell this vehicle filled us both with dread as we had finally found our perfect van but we had resigned ourselves that if it was indeed to be the case, so be it.
Now we can celebrate! We are understandably over the moon and it has to be said that without the enormous efforts of an amazing guy, who appears to speak every language known to man and who has really done most of the work, we probably would not have succeeded. Basically DO NOT try this yourself on a vehicle of this type it is just way too complex.
Feel free to ask any questions and I will do my best to answer them or point you in the right direction. I have attached a couple of images FYI.
1) The vehicle, as Parked on Area Los Alcazares, a fantastic Camper park, 5 Mins walk from the Mar Menor (google it) -
https://area-los-alcazares.business.site
2) The ITV preparation and certification account showing New HLights, Removal of Tow bar, Gas & Electric Cert, Ficha Reducido and ITV Inspection.
* It should be noted that the cost of the ITV Inspection is always much higher than normal for a first Inspection.
* It will be an annual inspection from now as the vehicle is more than 10 years old, under 10 years is every 2 years.
3) The ITV Cert
4) The plates!
One last point ............ I still get landed with making the tea!
Thanks for reading.
) We just took it home ,clamped a straight edge to the rail & stamped it ourselves using the previous stamp in its indent to align the next one. = no cost
Now looking at AXA, looking to be just a bit cheaper!! 