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The procedure for moving vehicles is laid down in the General Vehicle
Regulations.
If the vehicle is from another EU country it must be deregistered
in the country of origin and registered in Spain, and details must be provided
of the identity of the owner, the address in Spain and the vehicle's original
documentation; this will be used to establish the corresponding registration fee
and the vehicle will have to pass the ITV (Inspección Técnica de Vehículos
(MOT)). If everything is in order, new documentation and a new registration
plate will be provided for the vehicle.
If the vehicle was bought from another owner in an EU country, the invoice
with the corresponding VAT in the case of a business, or the contract of sale if
it was purchased from a private individual, must be provided in order to pay the
VAT in the relevant Autonomous Community. All the documents must be translated
into Spanish by an authorised department. The formalities for driving a foreign
vehicle in Spain on a permanent basis must be dealt with as soon as possible.
Tourism, however, is another matter - you can drive without major formalities.
Your vehicle registration document ('grey card'), issued in an EU Member
State, allows you to use your vehicle in any other EU country. It is therefore
sufficient for the vehicle to be registered in the country of residence and for
you to hold a vehicle registration document to be able to travel to another
Member State by car or motorcycle.
If you drive to another EU country in a vehicle registered in the name of
someone who is not travelling with you, you must prove that you are entitled to
be in possession of the vehicle (by means of a document signed by the holder of
the vehicle registration document explaining that it has been entrusted to you,
for example). When driving abroad you must obey the highway code of the country
you are driving in.
In all EU countries, it is compulsory to wear seatbelts in both the front and
back of the car.
As far as obligatory vehicle equipment or accessories in Member States are
concerned, you can only be obliged to fulfil the requirements of the Member
State in which the vehicle is registered. Member States may require vehicles to
carry a warning triangle, however, even if this is not obligatory in the country
of registration of the vehicle. In Spain you must carry two triangles.
Most rules of the road are common to all EU countries. This is the case with
the obligatory use of helmets by both drivers and passengers of motorcycles,
seat belts and child restraint equipment when the vehicle is equipped with them.
Meanwhile traffic signs provide information on specific provisions, such as
speed limits.
Not all specific rules are signalled, however, such as the limits for alcohol
in the blood, which vary between Member States from 0.2 to 0.8 g/l. In Spain,
the limit is 0.3 g/l, while for lorry and bus drivers it is 0.0 g/l. If you
exceed these limits you are liable to the same penalties as nationals of the
Member State concerned.
Speed limits
- Motorways: 120 km/h
- A roads: 100 km/h
- B roads: 90 km/h
Insurance
The vehicle number plate is evidence that obligatory third-party liability
insurance has been taken out in the Member State of origin.
If you are
responsible for a car accident in another country, however, the insurance policy
is proof that you have taken out insurance that will cover victims.
On the other
hand, in the case of a traffic accident in another Member State for which you
are not responsible, you will be indemnified according to the rules in force in
your country of residence in the event that the level of compensation there is
greater. These rules differ between Member States, but they all provide for a
minimum coverage of up to €350,000 for bodily injuries and €100,000 for
material damage. The total amount of guarantees may be limited in some Member
States when there are several victims of a single accident. If the accident is
caused by an uninsured vehicle or a vehicle that cannot be identified, you are
entitled to compensation from the Consorcio de Compensación de Seguros
(Insurance Compensation Pool).
Text last edited on: 06/2006
Source: European Union
© European Communities, 1995-2005
Reproduction is authorised.
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