The complete process in seven steps: which document each authority asks for, in what order it has to be done, and where almost everyone gets stuck. Useful whether you do it yourself or want to know what you are being charged for if you delegate it.
If the German seller does not give you these three papers, the rest of the process becomes far more complicated. Ask for them before paying anything:
| Document | What it is | What it is needed for |
|---|---|---|
| Fahrzeugbrief (Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil II) | The German title of ownership | Without it registration is impossible. It is the critical document. |
| Fahrzeugschein (Teil I) | The registration certificate (permiso de circulación) | Technical data and registered keeper |
| COC (Certificate of Conformity) | The manufacturer's European data sheet | It avoids individual homologación, which costs time and money. If the car does not have one, it is requested from the brand. |
The COC is the one that causes the most trouble. If the car does not come with it, it has to be requested from the manufacturer — between two and four weeks and between €50 and €250 depending on the brand — or you go through individual homologación in Spain, which is considerably more expensive. Asking about the COC before buying saves you the shock.
Checking the VIN, history, mileage and actual condition of the car, plus an on-site inspection before paying. In Germany the sale is formalised with a Kaufvertrag. Keep the invoice: if the seller is a professional, it must show the German VAT already included, and that is what stops you paying IVA again in Spain.
The car has to arrive in Spain legally. There are two routes: German export plates (Ausfuhrkennzeichen), with temporary insurance, if the car is driven; or the truck, which avoids that formality and is what we do. Driving it on the previous keeper's German plates is not an option: as soon as he deregisters the car, you are driving without valid insurance.
Between seven and ten days from Germany to the Costa Blanca by truck, insurance included. It is the point in the process that gives the fewest problems and the only one that does not depend on any authority.
It is settled with the tax office using modelo 576. The rate depends on the car's CO₂ emissions: 0 % below 120 g/km, 4,75 % up to 159, 9,75 % up to 199 and 14,75 % from 200 g/km. The base is not what you paid, but the valor venal — the value the tax office sets for that model and year, with its depreciation table. This is the step where most people get a surprise.
The technical inspection specific to imported vehicles, at an official station. It is checked that the car matches what its papers say and that it complies with Spanish regulations. With a European COC it is a formality; without a COC, this is where individual homologación appears.
With the COC and the result of the ITV, the Spanish ficha técnica (tarjeta ITV, the technical data sheet) is issued, which is the document with which the DGT recognises the vehicle.
Last step: the tasa DGT of €99.77, proof of payment of the IEDMT, the ficha técnica, the German documentation, the DNI or NIE of the owner and proof of the IVTM — the annual municipal tax, paid at the town hall where the owner is resident. Spanish plates are assigned and the car is legal.
| Step | Usual time |
|---|---|
| Verification and inspection before buying | 2 – 5 days |
| Transport Germany → Costa Blanca | 7 – 10 days |
| COC, if the car does not come with one | 2 – 4 weeks (in parallel) |
| IEDMT, ITV de importación and ficha técnica | 1 – 2 weeks |
| DGT registration | 2 – 5 days |
| Realistic total | 3 – 5 weeks |
The COC is what decides whether it is three weeks or five. That is why we ask for it on day one, before the car even moves.
● Buying without the Fahrzeugbrief in hand. Without the title of ownership there is no registration, and getting it out of a seller who has already been paid, from a distance, is an uphill battle.
● Discovering the COC issue at the ITV. By then the car is already in Spain, standing still, and you have to wait weeks or pay for individual homologación.
● Calculating the tax on the purchase price. The IEDMT is calculated on the tax office's valor venal. With a car bought below market, the tax comes out higher than you expected.
● Driving it over on the seller's plates. When he deregisters the car, the insurance stops covering. If there is an accident on the way, the problem is entirely yours.
● Forgetting the IVTM. It is municipal, it has to be up to date, and without it the DGT will not close the registration.
A used car bought from a German seller with German VAT already included does not pay IVA again in Spain. The exception is vehicles that count as new for tax purposes: less than six months since first registration or under 6,000 km. In that case Spanish IVA of 21 % does have to be settled, and that changes the arithmetic completely.
If you would rather not do any of this, that is exactly our job: verification, an on-site inspection before you pay, transport, taxes, ITV de importación and registration. Single price of €1,750 + IVA, with the independent inspection included, and you pay the car directly to the seller.
Ask on WhatsApp →What documents do I need to register a German car in Spain?
The Fahrzeugbrief (title of ownership), the Fahrzeugschein (registration certificate), the COC or certificate of conformity, the sale contract or invoice, proof of payment of the IEDMT, the Spanish ficha técnica issued after the ITV de importación, the owner's DNI or NIE and proof of the municipal IVTM.
Can you drive the car over from Germany?
Yes, but with German export plates and temporary insurance in your name. Driving on the previous keeper's plates stops being legal as soon as he deregisters the car, and the insurance does not cover it.
What happens if the car has no COC?
It is requested from the manufacturer, between two and four weeks and between €50 and €250 depending on the brand. If it cannot be obtained, individual homologación in Spain is the remaining route, slower and more expensive. It is worth asking about it before buying.
How long does the whole process take?
Three to five weeks from purchase to Spanish plates. The COC sets the pace: if the car already comes with it, you are at the short end.
Can I do it myself without a gestoría?
Legally, yes. In practice it means dealing with a seller in German, the tax office, an ITV station and the DGT, with the documentation translated where needed. It is more a question of time and of knowing the order than of technical difficulty.
→ What it costs: the four blocks of the final price
→ Is it worth it? The numbers by price bracket
→ Registering an imported car in Spain
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