Free tool
Vehicle import cost calculator
Everything it costs to bring a car from abroad and put Spanish plates on it, in a single breakdown: CO₂-based taxes, VAT or customs duty where they apply, truck transport or the collection trip with flight, hotel and export plates, plus the paperwork in Spain. The 2026 estimates pre-fill by country and every figure can be edited.
- 2026 taxes: CO₂-based registration tax, intra-EU VAT and customs
- 8 countries of origin, including the UK and Ukraine
- Compare truck transport with collecting it yourself (flight, hotel, fuel)
- Cost and validity of each country's export plates
Calculate the full import cost
Import costs (excluding the car's price)
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Trip, transport and paperwork figures are 2026 estimates and all editable; taxes are computed with the current rates. The IEDMT can be settled on the purchase price or, better, on the official BOE value with its depreciation — the same figure the registration tax calculator uses.
What this calculation includes
The real cost of importing a car has four blocks: what you pay for the vehicle, the taxes (CO₂-based IEDMT plus, depending on the case, VAT or customs duty), getting it to Spain, and the registration paperwork. Calculators that only add transport and registration leave out exactly the items that vary the most: the collection trip and the origin country's temporary plates.
Here you pick the country and the way you'll bring the car, and the form pre-fills with 2026 estimates for that country: truck transport, a one-way flight, three hotel nights, fuel and tolls based on the real distance, and the export plates with their insurance. Every figure is editable: if you already have your flight price or a transport quote, type it in and the total updates.
Where there is doubt, the calculation errs on the safe side: without a chosen BOE value the IEDMT is applied to the full purchase price without depreciation, and unaccredited CO₂ falls into the top bracket, exactly as the tax office will do. Better for the real total to come in below the estimate than above it.
The taxes, case by case
Used car bought in the EU (over 6 months and over 6,000 km): if a dealer sells it under the margin scheme, VAT is already inside the price and nothing more is paid in Spain. If a private person sells it, there is no VAT either. The one state tax that almost always applies is the registration tax (IEDMT).
Vehicle that is new for VAT purposes (under 6 months or under 6,000 km): VAT is always paid at destination. You settle the 21 % Spanish VAT with form 309 before registering, and if the seller withheld their country's VAT, they refund it once the Spanish registration is proved. Purchases from private sellers abroad are generally not subject to the ITP transfer tax: the sale happens outside Spain.
Third countries (United Kingdom and Ukraine): the car clears customs with a DUA, pays a 10 % duty on its value and 21 % import VAT on value plus duty plus transport. The British exception: if the car was manufactured in the UK and preferential origin under the EU-UK agreement is proved, the duty drops to 0 % — VAT is still due. A BMW or a Toyota bought in England but built outside the UK pays the full 10 %.
The IEDMT depends on CO₂: 0 % up to 120 g/km, 4.75 % up to 160, 9.75 % up to 200 and 14.75 % from 200 up (mainland rates; the Canaries are lower and Ceuta and Melilla pay 0 %). It is charged on the vehicle's market value, not on what you paid: the tax office settles on the average prices published in the BOE with their depreciation tables. The calculator can use that official value — pick make and version — or your purchase price as an approximation.
Temporary plates: what nobody tells you
The key question of every self-driven import: what plates does the car come home on? The short answer is — not Spanish ones. The DGT's green plates (temporary permit for private individuals) let you drive within Spain while you finish registering, but they are no good for crossing Germany or France. For the trip you need the temporary or export plates of the country where you buy, which are the ones transit countries recognise.
Each country has its own system, with very different costs and validity — and in several, the mandatory insurance already comes inside the package:
Germany — Ausfuhrkennzeichen
The red-stripe export plates cost €120–200 all-in with insurance included in the package and are valid from 15 days to 12 months. A valid HU/TÜV is required. Many dealers arrange them for you. The yellow 5-day Kurzzeitkennzeichen are only valid inside Germany: they will not get you to Spain.
Netherlands — exportkenteken
White RDW export plates: 14 days' validity and around €120–160 with liability insurance included. The car is deregistered in the Netherlands the moment it is exported.
France — WW certificate
The provisional certificat WW is valid for 4 months and the fees are minimal (€11 plus plates), but temporary insurance is bought separately (€40–100/month).
United Kingdom — on its own plates
There are no export plates for private buyers: the car travels on its British registration with a valid MOT and road tax plus temporary UK insurance with European cover. The seller notifies the DVLA of the export with the V5C. Budget the ferry or Eurotunnel on top (€100–250).
Belgium — transit plate
The transit plate (X series) is valid for 30 days, or 4 months for VAT-exempt exports; with temporary insurance the package runs €200–300.
Ukraine — transit plates
Issued when the vehicle is deregistered for export: about €20 and 30 days. Ukrainian insurance does not cover the EU, so you need a Green Card from the border (€50–110/month). In Spain the car clears customs as a third-country import.
Romania — numere provizorii
The provisional red plates are valid 30 days (up to 90 with RCA covering the period) and cost €50–80 in total. Outside Romania, carry the insurer's international certificate: not every transit country recognises them without it.
Italy — targa provvisoria
The car must be deregistered at the PRA (radiazione per esportazione, ~€60) and you request the targa provvisoria with a foglio di via for the itinerary (€26–42). A valid revisione is required and temporary insurance is separate (€100–200).
Once in Spain, if the car arrives by truck without valid plates you can request the DGT's green plates: a €20.61 fee, 60 days' validity (extendable) and mandatory temporary insurance. They let you legally drive it to the ITV and use it while you finish the paperwork — but remember: only inside Spain.
The collection trip: flight, hotel and the road
Collecting the car in person pays off above all because you see it before paying. Budget a one-way flight (€80–160 depending on the country, booking ahead) and about three hotel nights: one to view and test the car and close the deal, the rest for the export-plate paperwork and the start of the drive. In Germany, if the dealer prepares the plates in advance, one night is sometimes enough.
For the drive back, base the fuel on the real distance (the calculator pre-fills it by country) plus tolls in France and Italy and the ferry or Eurotunnel if you start in England. From Germany or the Netherlands it is a 1,600–1,900 km trip: doable in two days with one stop. Always compare with door-to-door transport: from Germany it runs €700–1,300, and the real difference against going yourself is often small — the truck saves you two days and the wear, going yourself lets you check the car.
Registering the car in Spain, step by step
With the car in Spain, registration follows a fixed order. Budget about €260 in unavoidable minimums (ITV, DGT fee and plates) plus the reduced technical sheet if there is no CoC and the agency if you'd rather not do it yourself:
1. Technical documentation
If the vehicle has a European Certificate of Conformity (CoC), that is enough. If it doesn't or it can't be found, you need a reduced technical sheet signed by an engineer to pass the ITV.
2. Import ITV inspection
The pre-registration identification inspection: it checks the vehicle against its documents and issues the Spanish technical card. Between €90 and 150 depending on the region. Right-hand-drive British cars can be registered, but check the headlight adjustment.
3. Taxes
IEDMT with tax form 576 (or form 06 if exempt), VAT with form 309 if the vehicle is new for VAT purposes, and the DUA already cleared if it comes from a third country. Keep every receipt: the DGT asks for them.
4. Registration at the DGT
Fee 1.1 of €99.77, the registration certificate and the physical plates (€20–60). From that moment the car drives on definitive Spanish plates.
5. Road tax registration
The municipal road tax (IVTM) accrues from registration. You can estimate your municipality's bill with our road tax calculator.
The whole file can be done on your own in one to two weeks. If the vehicle has no CoC, the reduced technical sheet is where files usually get stuck: at CarQu we issue it in 24–48 working hours, signed by a chartered engineer.
Frequently asked questions
This tool is indicative only. The amount the authorities ultimately demand depends on the municipal bylaw or on the legislation in force on the accrual date. If you need a figure that will stand up before the ITV or the DGT, get in touch.