Q What does it cost to export a UK-registered motorhome to Spain?

Further to the reader query (June 2021), Julie Downs has updated us on the saga of reregistering her UK motorhome in Spain, now she is taking up Spanish residency. Despite her Spanish gestor (a professional agent who specialises in dealing with Spanish administrative bureaucracy on behalf of a client) saying you can no longer reregister RHD motorhomes, Julie has now found a company spanishnumber-plates.com that is undertaking the process.

Julie’s motorhome has had its headlights changed over and now has to pass the ITV (Spain’s MoT equivalent) for the importation process to be completed. However, Julie points out the import tax, VAT and other fees have racked up a bill of about €21,000 (£18,600).

It’s also worth mentioning the Spanish Number Plates website does say right-hand drive commercial vehicles, which show classification N1 on the registration document, cannot be reregistered. This fact could exclude UK panel van conversions built on preregistered vehicles that still show N1 on the V5C.

Julie has provided a breakdown of the costs below.

Barry Norris

A

The figure of approximately €21,000 is indeed correct. The exact figure will depend on the Spanish authorities accepting the valuation of the vehicle that our adviser puts forward to them. It is made up of the following:

Registration tax: This is based on the CO2 emissions of the vehicle. Despite being a Euro VI engine, the Fiat Ducato chassis is in the highest bracket and charged a rate of 16% of the vehicle’s value. There is a reduction of 30% for a vehicle that is not ‘new’ (having done more than 6,000km). Due to Covid restrictions, our mileage was below that figure, so we spent three days driving up and down the A7 motorway in the Comunidad Valenciana to get the mileage up before submitting the vehicle for the ITV inspection. This charge applies for any vehicle being registered in Spain. Fortunately, our Škoda Fabia with low CO2 emissions was zero rated so had no charge.

Customs duty: This is applied at a rate of 10% of the value of the vehicle. Prior to Brexit, it would have been possible to avoid this tax.

IVA (VAT): This is charged at a rate of 21% on the value of the vehicle, even though it was paid in the UK. This would not have applied prior to Brexit. We cannot reclaim the VAT paid in the UK as we did not notify the UK tax authorities that we would be exporting the vehicle to Spain at the time of purchase. At the time we did not know how Brexit and Covid restrictions would affect our plans.

ITV inspection: To confirm that the vehicle complies with regulations and is roadworthy. The fee is €103 (£91.33).

Annual road tax: This will be a proportion of the €120 (£106.41) annual fee dependent on the date of registration.

It is compulsory to register your vehicle in Spain if it is in the country for more than six months. We could take the vehicle back to the UK, sell it and then purchase a similar new vehicle here in Spain. Based on the amount we have been told we might obtain for our vehicle in the UK, the cost to do so would be similar to what we have to pay for importation of our existing vehicle and it is unlikely we would obtain a new replacement campervan of the same specification until early 2022 due to delays.

We have to consider this as part of the costs of starting a new life away from Brexit Britain!

Julie Downs