Is it worth buying a car in Germany?
Short answer: it is worth it when the same car — same version, similar mileage, same equipment — costs a good deal less in Germany than in Spain. With our service, what was added to the price of the car came to €3,126.14 in a real case with no registration tax: service €1,694, transport €1,300, traffic fee €99.77 and the first year of road tax. If the car does pay registration tax, that is added too. If the gap with Spain is smaller, buy here.
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When yes and when no
There is no “always worth it”. There is a sum: price gap against fixed costs plus tax.
| Usually worth it | |
| The version you want is rare in Spain or comes less well equipped here | yes |
| The car emits 120 g/km of CO₂ or less: no registration tax | yes |
| An older car: the tax is worked out on a taxable value that falls with age | often |
| Usually not worth it | |
| The gap with the same car in Spain is under about €3,100 | no |
| A recent car with high CO₂: the tax can run to several thousand | careful |
| A car with changes that are not factory-fitted | careful |
Numbers, not promises
All three come from real files and searches. Figures marked as estimated stay estimates until we see the car's documents.
| Toyota RAV4 hybrid, 2018 · 118 g/km | |
| Advertised price in Germany | €13,490 |
| Registration tax (0% up to 120 g/km) | €0 |
| Estimated total, with the car in Spain | €16,616.14 |
| Mercedes ML 350, 2013 · 194 g/km | |
| Advertised price in Germany | €16,900 |
| Registration tax (estimated) | €411.63 |
| Estimated total, with the car in Spain | €20,445.73 |
| Volkswagen T-Roc R, one to two years old · 199 g/km | |
| Registration tax paid in a real file | €2,956.54 |
How to read them. The RAV4 pays off if the same version costs more than €16,616 in Spain. The ML 350 shows that high CO₂ is not always expensive: with age, the taxable value falls so far that the tax stays in the hundreds. The T-Roc R is the opposite case: recent and one gram below the 16% band, which at 200 g/km would have raised the tax by thousands.
If you decide to bring it over
€1,400 + VAT: we find the car, check the advert, negotiate with the seller and bring it over, green plates included. You pay the seller for the car; transport and taxes are separate, at cost. If the car is already in Spain: €900 + VAT.
What people ask before deciding
Is it worth buying a car in Germany and bringing it to Spain?
It is worth it when the same car costs a good deal less there than here. In a real case with no registration tax, what was added to the price of the car came to €3,126.14; if the car pays that tax, it is added too. If the gap with Spain is smaller, buy here.
Which cars pay off most?
Those emitting 120 g/km of CO₂ or less, because they pay no registration tax; versions that are rare or better equipped than in Spain; and older cars, because the tax is worked out on a taxable value that falls with age.
When does it not pay off?
When the gap with the same car in Spain is small, and with recent cars with high CO₂: from 200 g/km the rate in the Valencian Community is 16%.
How much does your service cost?
€1,400 + VAT to find, check, negotiate and bring the car, green plates included. Reference transport €1,300 and taxes at cost, on top.
Is the advertised price what I pay?
It is the starting point. It is often negotiated, and what you should compare with Spain is the total with the car already here, not the advertised price.
Send us the advert and we will do the sum with you
With the link to the advert we tell you what the car would cost in Spain and whether, at that figure, it pays off.
Sources (checked on 17.10.2026): average prices and age percentages, Orden HAC/1501/2025 (BOE); registration tax rates, Ley 38/1992 (BOE) and, for the Valencian Community, Ley 13/1997 (BOE); CO₂ by model, IDAE guide.
Guidance only, reviewed on 17.10.2026. Not tax advice: the final amount of each tax depends on the specific car's documents.
Three ways to reach us
We answer during business hours, Monday to Friday, 9:00–18:00.
ITV Costa Blanca · Import Trade Vehicles Costa Blanca · sole trader · C/ Sant Josep, 16, 03700 Dénia (Alicante) · Service terms