The ITV for an imported car: what it is, what it costs, and when it applies
This is not the periodic ITV you already know. When a car arrives in Spain on foreign plates, it goes through an inspection before it can be registered. Here is what the station checks, what it charges, and where we fit in.
Prefer email? Write to info@itv-costablanca.es
If you live in Spain, you cannot legally drive a car on foreign plates. You have 30 days from the moment you start using the car here to register it, and temporary DGT plates keep you on the road while the paperwork runs. The import inspection is one step inside that process.
How it differs from the periodic ITV
| Periodic ITV | Import ITV | |
|---|---|---|
| When | every 1, 2 or 4 years depending on the car’s age | once, inside the registration file |
| What for | renewing a car that is already registered here | checking the car against Spanish rules before it gets plates |
| What it checks | Technical condition | Technical condition and the match with the ficha técnica / COC |
An inspection certificate from another country does not replace this step.
What the station charges
The station charges its own fee, set by the Generalitat for the whole Comunitat Valenciana — Alicante and Valencia pay the same, SITVAL runs both. 2026 tariffs:
| Car | Station fee |
|---|---|
| Petrol with catalytic converter | 41,47 € |
| Diesel | 56,15 € |
| Petrol without catalytic converter and electric | 34,49 € |
What sets the price is the fuel type and, for petrol cars, the catalytic converter.
What we do — and what we do not
ITV Costa Blanca stands for Import Trade Vehicles Costa Blanca. We are not an ITV station and not an official body. The inspection is done by the station.
Our part is the physical work and the coordination: we collect the car wherever it is, take it to the station, wait through the inspection, coordinate homologation when the car needs it, and bring the car back. 125 € (VAT included), from Gandía to Benidorm.
ITV and registration: which comes first
The inspection comes before the application to the DGT, and not by preference: the technical card the station issues is part of the application package, and a document that does not exist yet cannot be attached. The station itself never registers a car — it inspects it and issues a result.
What you cannot do is book the inspection first and expect that to move things: the appointment is issued once the case is open and the car is entered for it. The whole order is set out here: your car is on foreign plates: what happens now →
If you live in Spain, you have 30 days from the moment you start using the car here to register it. While the file is being processed, you can apply to the DGT for temporary green plates and keep driving.
What you need from us depends on where you are in that list:
| Your case | Our service |
|---|---|
| Someone is already handling the file and all that is left is getting the car to the station | 125 € (VAT included), from Gandía to Benidorm |
| You want the whole thing handled for you, steps 1 to 5 | 900 € + VAT (1.089,00 € VAT included) |
The official taxes and fees are separate, and any figure given in advance is an estimate. They are paid to the authorities, not to us: DGT fee 99,77 €, IEDMT (it depends on CO₂ emissions and the car’s value in the official tables) and the municipal IVTM. The exact IEDMT figure is only fixed once the file is submitted.
→ Registering an imported car: how it works and what the service covers
Questions people actually ask
At an official station in the Comunitat Valenciana. We take the car; you do not need to be there.
Do I need an appointment?Yes, the station works by appointment. We book it.
Is this the car’s first ITV?In Spain, yes: it is the inspection that brings the car into the system, even if its inspections were up to date in its home country.
What if the ficha técnica does not match the car?Then homologation or a reduced ficha is needed. We check that before moving the car, not after.
Can the car be registered without the import ITV?No. The file goes to the DGT with the result of the inspection; without that result there are no plates.
What we do — and what we do not
Our part is the physical work and the coordination: we collect the car wherever it is, take it to the station, wait through the inspection, coordinate homologation when the car needs it, and bring the car back. 125 € (VAT included), from Gandía to Benidorm.
Prefer email? Write to info@itv-costablanca.es