Asking for a price to import a car is quick, but the answer is only as good as the question. “A German SUV that isn’t expensive” is the start of a conversation; “an Audi Q5 from 2021 or 2022, plug-in hybrid, under 60,000 km, delivered in Valencia and for about €38,000 registered” is enough for a quote. This is what is worth being clear about before you get in touch.
1. The car, as specifically as possible
- Make, model and, if you know them, version and engine. Within the same model, the version changes the price and the CO2 emissions, and with them the registration tax.
- The years and mileage you will accept. A range (“2020 to 2022, under 80,000 km”) works better than an exact figure.
- Gearbox, fuel and drive, if they matter to you.
- The must-haves and the don’t-minds. Three or four things you would not compromise on (sunroof, heated seats, tow bar, a colour…) and the rest flexible. The more conditions, the fewer cars there are to choose from.
2. If you already have a listing, the link
If you have seen a car on a European site, the link is the most useful thing you can send. With it we can check the seller, the VAT scheme and the documents, and work out the price of that particular car. If you are torn between two or three, send them all: sometimes the cheapest in the listing is not the cheapest once registered.
3. The total budget, delivered in Spain
Think about what you want to pay in total, with the car registered and at your door, not about the listing price. Between the two come transport, the registration tax, the ITV inspection (the Spanish equivalent of the MOT), DGT fees, plates and the paperwork. If you give us the total figure, we can tell you which cars really fit.
4. Where and by when
- The delivery postcode. Transport depends on the route, so the price changes from one city to another.
- When you need it by. If there is a date (the end of a lease, a trip, the end of a finance agreement), say so from the start.
5. Who the car is for
Buying as a private individual is not the same as buying as a company or a self-employed professional. A company with an intra-EU VAT number can buy cars with deductible VAT without the VAT of the country of origin and account for it in Spain, and that changes which listings are worth it. Mention it when you ask for a price and, if you are unsure how it affects you, ask your tax adviser.
What the quote you receive should include
- The car identified: model, version, year, mileage and, once it has been chosen, the chassis number.
- An itemised price: car, transport, registration tax, ITV and homologation, fees and plates, and the fee of whoever is handling it.
- Whether the price is fixed or estimated, and what could make it change.
- What happens if the inspection of the car at source finds a problem.
- Approximate timescales for the purchase, transport and registration.
Mistakes that make an import more expensive
- Comparing the listing price with a car in Spain without adding the registration tax.
- Calculating that tax with the CO2 figure from the listing instead of the one in the documents.
- Asking for an “almost new” car without knowing that, if it is under six months old or has done under 6,000 km, it is taxed as new and VAT is payable in Spain.
- Leaving a deposit to reserve a car before knowing what it will cost registered.
Got all that? Write to us from Contact or ask for a price directly under Import. We will reply within 24 working hours.
