Cars, ITV, Driving Licence & Public Authorities
*The “different-from-home" package for everyday life: cars, the Spanish “MOT" (ITV), driving licence, and the appointment system (cita previa).*
Buying & Re-registering a Car#
- Used car (
compraventa/cambio de titularidad): re-registration at the DGT
(Jefatura de Tráfico) or via a gestoría. DGT fee: €55.70 (car). Deadline: 30 days. Documents: purchase contract, permiso de circulación, ficha técnica/tarjeta ITV (valid ITV!), IVTM receipt, ID/NIE, ITP proof.
- ITP for used cars in the Balearics ✅: 4% (car < 15
caballos fiscales) / 8% (≥ 15 CVf);
Modelo 620, deadline 30 working days; assessed on the valor venal (ATIB tables).
- New car: IVA 21% + IEDMT (registration tax based on CO₂: 0% / 4.75% / 9.75% / 14.75%)
+ DGT fee ~€100.
Vehicle Import#
- EU vehicle: re-registration within ~30 days of taking up residency; straightforward with a CoC
(homologación por equivalencia); NIE + Empadronamiento. Cost ~€300 to > €1,000.
- IEDMT exemption on change of residence ✅: ≥ 12 months of prior residence abroad, vehicle owned ≥ 6
months, registration within 60 days, 1-year ban on resale.
- Non-EU: additional customs duty (DUA) + IVA 21%.
Ongoing: IVTM & Insurance#
- IVTM (municipal vehicle tax, RDLeg 2/2004): annually, based on
caballos fiscales. 🔴 Exact rates
for Palma/Calvià → the municipal Ordenanza.
- Compulsory insurance (third-party liability): mandatory even for a parked, registered vehicle.
Driving without insurance €601–3,005 (Ley 5/2025, BOE-A-2025-15424).
ITV (Inspección Técnica de Vehículos) = the Spanish “MOT"#
Legal basis RD 920/2017. Intervals for cars: first at 4 years, then every 2 years (4–10 yrs), annually from 10 years. 🟡 The Balearics are the cheapest in Spain (~€21 petrol, ~€35 diesel). 8 ITV stations in Mallorca (Palma, Can Pastilla, Inca, Manacor, Calvià …); cita: 871 57 55 44 / itv.mallorca.es. Penalty for an expired ITV: €200 (grave, no licence points; 50% early-payment discount) — a standalone infraction under RD 920/2017 that a valid emissions sticker does not cure. ZBE Palma (low-emission zone, Ley 7/2021 + municipal Ordenanza): active since 1 July 2025, 19 number-plate cameras, fine €200 for entering without authorisation. 🟡 The cameras primarily penalise the missing emissions sticker; a direct ITV camera sanction is not (yet) clearly documented officially.
Driving Licence#
- EU/EEA licence: valid; exchange is voluntary. However: licences with a validity
of 15 years (or unlimited) must be brought into line with the Spanish deadlines within 2 years of establishing residence
(relevant for old German paper licences).
- UK after Brexit: exchange agreement in force since 16 Mar 2023 ✅ — exchange without a test, deadline
6 months from residency. (Not if the UK licence was obtained while already a resident.)
- Without an agreement (USA, Canada, China): no direct exchange → theory + practical test;
the foreign licence is valid for only 6 months from residency.
- Points system: start with 12 points (new drivers 8), bonus up to 15.
Authority Appointments & Everyday Life#
Cita previa(online appointment) is mandatory for almost everything (NIE/TIE/Extranjería, DGT, INSS,
Hacienda, Padrón). Portals: sede.administracionespublicas.gob.es, sede.dgt.gob.es, the AEAT Sede, Palma citaprevia.palma.cat. Problem: chronic shortage of appointments, “reventa de citas" → use only official .gob.es sites.
Certificado digital(FNMT) /Cl@ve: the most important tool for handling administrative matters online
(initial registration generally requires in-person verification in Spain).
- Everyday life: document- and appointment-heavy,
siesta/morning-only counters, many localfestivos;
SIM cards must be registered (no anonymous SIMs); the NIE is needed for almost all contracts.
Sources (selection)#
- DGT (Sede) · AEAT/ATIB (IEDMT/ITP for vehicles, Modelo 620) · RD 920/2017 (ITV) · Ley 5/2025 (insurance)
- Ministerio del Interior (UK agreement 16 Mar 2023) · Consell de Mallorca (ITV)