Exporting a car from Germany to Spain

Hi everyone,

I red in one of the posts that it's much cheeper to buy a car in germany and export it to spain than to buy similar car in spain. i'm planning do the same thing and i'd appreciate if you could advise me on few issues. for your information, i'm polish but i have my NIE number (spanish residency) and i'm working for a spanish company. i'm planning to buy a used car, 7-8 years old.
I know more less what to do untill i arrive on the german border with my red number plates and temporary insurance. now, do i have to get here a special document to claim the VAT back?
you've wrote that spanish VAT + duty is under 20%. if i can claim the german VAT which is 19% does it mean that i will pay it back to spanish authorities so the total money spent on the car will be at the end of the day more less the same as the german price i payed?
also, if anyone knows- what is the procedure to register the car here in spain (barcelona)? where do i get the plates and arrange the insurance? how long does it take is there any way to calculate how much the insurance will be (based on the car, year, milage)?
do i have to send the german plates back once i get the spanish ones?

Any comments on any of these questions it will be very much appreciated as well.

thanks in advance.

mat

I've heard the exact opposite - stories of people on holiday in neighbouring countries blown away by low sticker prices for new cars they'd just bought in Germany for thousands more. Dunno about Spain precisely, though.

They were probably talking about export pricing (sans VAT), though. In countries with high taxes on cars (Netherlands, Denmark etc.) the pre-tax prices for new cars are usually a good bit lower than in Germany. Used cars are fairly cheap in Germany, though.

As far as I know used cars are in Spain more expensive then in Germany. Maybe this link is helpful
http://www.spainexpat.com/spain/informatio...r_car_to_spain/
also search there in the forum I think there must be an answer ´somewhere for your question

To register a foreign car in Spain you will need a lot of paperwork and it is not cheap, but as you mentioned, it can save you some money if the car you are planning to bring is a few years old and a luxury brand. If you speak spanish try going to the Department of Transportation website (www.dgt.es), it is all very well explained there. If you don't speak spanish, it is too long for me to detail every paper you need, but it basically boils down to:

A contract or bill showing the price of the vehicle and if VAT was paid
Car title and registration in your name
Certificate of ITV (vehicle inspection by the authorities)
Certificate of the car maker demonstrating it complies with EU safety standards
Proof of insurance
Spanish drivers license if you have been residing in Spain for over a year

Make sure the paperwork is translated to Spanish

You will need to pay approx about 10% of the car value (after depreciation) in taxes and fees

Cheers,

Daniel