Your car in Girona

You can bring your UK car to Spain. You have six months to re-register it before it becomes illegal to drive. Re-registration costs more than most people expect and takes longer than the six months allows for.

Post-Brexit, a UK car is treated as a non-EU import. That means customs clearance, ITV inspection, tax filings, and a DGT appointment — all in sequence, all with hard deadlines, and all conducted primarily in Spanish or Catalan. In Girona, the relevant DGT office is the Jefatura Provincial de Trànsit de Girona on Carrer dels Abeuradors. It handles all vehicle registration for the province, and appointment availability has been patchy — book your cita previa the moment you arrive, not the month before your deadline. This guide is for UK nationals who own a car, are relocating to Girona permanently, and need to understand whether to bring it, register it, or leave it behind. Every figure and step here is specific to Girona.

What this actually involves in Girona

Why Girona's administrative setup makes this harder than it looks

The re-registration process is national in structure but local in execution, and Girona has some specific characteristics worth knowing before you start. The Jefatura Provincial de Trànsit de Girona, located at Carrer dels Abeuradors 8, is a mid-sized provincial office that serves the entire Girona province — including the Costa Brava and the Pyrenean interior. Appointment slots fill up quickly, particularly in spring and early autumn when seasonal residents trigger a surge in vehicle-related queries. Walk-ins are not accepted. Book online via the DGT's sede electrónica as soon as you have your NIE and padrón certificate in hand.

The padrón registration itself happens at the Ajuntament de Girona on Plaça del Vi. You will need proof of address — a rental contract or utility bill in your name — and your passport. The padrón certificate is the document that starts your 60-day clock for the Mudanza (transfer of residence) tax exemption, so the date it is issued matters enormously (bookelaar.com). Do not treat it as an administrative formality to get round to eventually.

What the ITV process looks like for a UK car in Girona

The ITV inspection for a UK car is not the same as a standard roadworthiness check. You are booking an inspección para matriculación — a registration inspection — which applies stricter criteria and requires your Certificate of Conformity (CoC), your original V5C logbook, and a sworn translation of the V5C into Spanish. ITV stations in Girona include the IDIADA-operated centre on the outskirts of the city and the APPLUS+ station on Avinguda de França. Both handle import inspections, but call ahead to confirm availability for non-EU vehicles.

UK cars are right-hand drive, which immediately flags two issues at ITV: headlights must be physically swapped or replaced for left-hand traffic — adhesive beam deflectors are not accepted for registration purposes — and the speedometer must display km/h (expatandalucia.com). If your car has any non-factory additions — a towbar, roof bars, aftermarket exhausts — you will need homologation certificates for each. Budget time for this. A UK car that sails through a UK MOT can still spend two or three weeks in a Girona workshop before it is ITV-ready.

Once the ITV is passed, you receive a ficha técnica — the Spanish technical passport for the vehicle — which you then take to the AEAT (Agencia Tributaria) to file your tax forms before the DGT appointment. The AEAT office in Girona is at Carrer de la Creu, 2. If you qualify for the Mudanza exemption, you file Modelo 06 here. If you do not qualify, you are looking at Modelo 576 and a significantly larger bill.

What it costs

Cost comparison: importing a UK car with and without the Mudanza exemption

(Source: expatandalucia.com, RelocateIQ research)

The table assumes a mid-range vehicle valued at approximately €15,000. In Girona's context — where the cost of living runs 40% below London (Source: Numbeo, early 2026) — the base fees are manageable. The exemption, however, is what determines whether this exercise makes financial sense at all. A car worth less than €8,000 with high modification costs and no exemption eligibility is almost certainly not worth importing. A well-maintained, low-emission car you have owned for over six months, imported cleanly under Mudanza, is a different calculation entirely.

Step by step — how to do it in Girona

Step 1: Confirm your Mudanza eligibility before anything else

Before you ship the car, before you book the ITV, before you do anything else — confirm that you meet the three core conditions for the transfer of residence exemption: you have owned and used the car for at least six months prior to your move; you have not been a Spanish resident in the previous 12 months; and you can evidence your life in the UK with tax records, employment contracts, or social security documents (lifestylegroup.es). If you cannot prove all three cleanly, the exemption is at risk and the cost calculation changes entirely.

Step 2: Register on the padrón at the Ajuntament de Girona immediately

Go to the Ajuntament de Girona on Plaça del Vi as soon as you have a rental contract or utility bill in your name. The padrón certificate you receive here starts your 60-day window for filing the Mudanza exemption (bookelaar.com). Treat that date as a hard deadline and work backwards from it. Book your DGT appointment the same week — slots at the Jefatura Provincial de Trànsit de Girona on Carrer dels Abeuradors fill up, and you cannot afford to lose three weeks waiting.

Step 3: Clear customs and obtain the DUA

Your UK car must clear EU customs on entry. Hire an agente de aduanas (customs broker) to process the DUA — the Single Administrative Document that proves legal importation. Without the DUA, the ITV station will not conduct a registration inspection and the DGT will not process your application (relocar.com). Customs brokers typically charge around €150 for this service (Source: RelocateIQ research). Do not attempt to navigate the DUA yourself unless your Spanish is genuinely fluent and you have done it before.

Step 4: Book the ITV registration inspection in Girona

Contact either the APPLUS+ station on Avinguda de França or the IDIADA facility outside the city and book an inspección para matriculación — specify that it is for a non-EU vehicle. Bring your CoC, V5C with sworn translation, and the DUA. If your headlights need replacing or your speedometer needs modification, arrange this before the appointment — not after a failed inspection. The ficha técnica issued on passing is what you take to the AEAT next.

Step 5: File your tax forms at the AEAT in Girona

The AEAT office in Girona is at Carrer de la Creu, 2. If you qualify for the Mudanza exemption, file Modelo 06 here — you will need a digital certificate to do this online, or attend in person. If you are paying registration tax, file Modelo 576 or Modelo 038 as applicable (thinkspain.com). Also pay your local road tax (IVTM) at the Ajuntament de Girona and keep the receipt — you will need it at the DGT.

Step 6: Attend your DGT appointment at the Jefatura Provincial de Trànsit de Girona

Bring everything: DUA, ficha técnica, tax receipts, passport, TIE or NIE, padrón certificate, and completed Modelo 01. If the official approves, you receive your new registration number and permiso de circulación. Number plate shops are typically located near the Trànsit office — budget €20–30 for plates (expatandalucia.com). Insure the car before you screw the plates on. Spanish insurance is required from the moment the Spanish plates are fitted.

What people get wrong

Missing the 60-day window because they underestimate Girona's appointment backlog

The single most common failure is treating the 60-day Mudanza deadline as comfortable when it is not. In Girona, DGT appointment availability at the Jefatura Provincial de Trànsit can run two to four weeks out during busy periods. Add the time needed for ITV modifications on a UK right-hand-drive car — headlight replacement alone can take a week if parts need ordering — and the ITV appointment itself, and you can burn through 45 of your 60 days before you have filed a single tax form. People who arrive in Girona, spend the first few weeks finding a flat and getting settled, and then start thinking about the car are the ones who miss the window and face the full import tax bill (Source: RelocateIQ research).

Assuming the ITV will pass a UK car without preparation

A UK car that passed its MOT last month is not ITV-ready. The registration inspection for a non-EU vehicle in Spain applies different criteria, and right-hand-drive UK cars have specific modification requirements that are non-negotiable: headlights must be replaced or rewired for left-hand traffic — not deflected with stickers — and the speedometer must show km/h (expatandalucia.com). Girona workshops that handle these modifications are not difficult to find, but they need lead time. Arriving at the ITV station with an unmodified UK car and hoping for the best is a reliable way to fail the inspection, lose your appointment slot, and compress your deadline further.

Underestimating the paperwork chain and its sequential logic

Each step in the re-registration process depends on the previous one being complete. You cannot book the DGT appointment without the ficha técnica. You cannot file the tax exemption without the padrón date. You cannot get the DUA without a customs broker. People who try to run steps in parallel, or who assume they can collect missing documents retrospectively, consistently hit delays (thinkspain.com). In Girona, where the administrative offices — Ajuntament, AEAT, Jefatura de Trànsit — are spread across the city and each requires its own appointment, the sequential nature of the process is not theoretical. Build a timeline before you start, not after the first problem appears.

Who can help

A gestoría is the most practical solution for most people. These are Spanish administrative agencies that handle bureaucratic processes on your behalf — they know the local offices, the current form requirements, and the appointment systems. For a vehicle import, a gestoría typically charges €300–500 for the full process (Source: RelocateIQ research), which is money well spent given the tax savings at stake if the Mudanza exemption is secured correctly.

In Girona, Girona Relocation offers broader relocation support including administrative navigation, and can connect you with local gestorías experienced in vehicle registration. For the customs clearance specifically, you need a separate agente de aduanas — your gestoría can usually recommend one or handle the coordination.

For the ITV modifications on a UK right-hand-drive car, ask in the Girona expat community — there are workshops in and around the city that have handled UK imports before and know exactly what the APPLUS+ and IDIADA inspectors look for. Going to a general mechanic who has never seen a right-hand-drive car is a gamble you do not need to take.

If you want specialist legal advice on the tax exemption eligibility — particularly if your ownership timeline is borderline or your documentation from the UK is incomplete — Bufete Plana Abogados in Girona handles immigration and administrative law and can advise on the Mudanza conditions before you commit to the process.

Frequently asked questions

Can I drive my UK car in Girona permanently?

No. Once you become a resident in Spain — which happens when you register on the padrón, obtain a TIE, or spend more than 183 days in the country — you are legally required to re-register your vehicle on Spanish plates (thinkspain.com). Driving a UK-registered car on Spanish roads as a resident is not a grey area; it is illegal, and the Mossos d'Esquadra and Guardia Civil do check.

In Girona specifically, the city's proximity to the French border means cross-border traffic is common and foreign plates are not unusual — but that does not mean enforcement is lax. If you are stopped and found to be a resident driving an unregistered foreign vehicle, you face fines and potential impoundment.

The practical answer is: bring the car if it makes financial sense, but treat re-registration as a task to complete within your first two months, not something to defer until you feel settled.

How long can I drive a UK-registered car in Spain?

Genuine tourists — people who do not live in Spain and are visiting — can drive a foreign-registered car in Spain for up to six months per year without re-registering it (thinkspain.com). The moment you establish residency, that allowance no longer applies to you regardless of how many days you have physically been in the country.

For UK nationals relocating to Girona permanently, the six-month tourist allowance is not a buffer period — it is a deadline that starts from the date you become resident, not the date you arrived. The re-registration process, done properly, takes six to ten weeks if you start immediately and encounter no delays. That leaves very little margin.

The 60-day Mudanza window for the tax exemption is separate from and shorter than the six-month driving allowance — and it is the one that costs you money if you miss it (bookelaar.com).

How much does it cost to re-register a UK car in Spain?

With the Mudanza transfer of residence exemption, total costs for a mid-range vehicle run approximately €640–€1,920, covering customs clearance, ITV inspection and modifications, the DGT registration fee of €99.77, number plates, and local road tax (Source: expatandalucia.com, RelocateIQ research). Without the exemption, the same vehicle attracts 10% import duty, 21% VAT, and up to 14.75% registration tax — pushing total costs to €6,750–€7,930 on a €15,000 car.

In Girona's cost context — where living costs run 40% below London (Source: Numbeo, early 2026) — the base fees are not prohibitive. The exemption is what determines whether importing makes sense at all. A car worth less than €6,000–8,000 with significant modification requirements and no exemption eligibility is almost certainly not worth the effort.

Add €300–500 for a gestoría if you use one, which most people in Girona should (Source: RelocateIQ research). The saving from getting the exemption right dwarfs the professional fee.

What is the ITV test and does my UK car need one?

The ITV (Inspección Técnica de Vehículos) is Spain's vehicle roadworthiness inspection, equivalent to the UK MOT. For a UK car being imported and re-registered, you need a specific type of ITV called an inspección para matriculación — a registration inspection — which applies stricter criteria than a standard annual check (thinkspain.com).

Yes, your UK car needs one. In Girona, the APPLUS+ station on Avinguda de França and the IDIADA facility outside the city both conduct these inspections. Call ahead to confirm availability for non-EU vehicles and bring your Certificate of Conformity, V5C with sworn Spanish translation, and DUA.

UK right-hand-drive cars routinely require headlight replacement or rewiring and speedometer modification before they will pass (expatandalucia.com). Budget €300–€1,500 for modifications depending on your vehicle, and arrange workshop time before your ITV appointment rather than after a failed inspection.

Should I bring my UK car to Girona or buy locally?

Bring it if: you have owned it for more than six months, it is in good condition, it qualifies for the Mudanza exemption, and you plan to keep it long-term. The used car market in Spain is generally more expensive and lower quality than the UK equivalent — older vehicles, higher mileage, and less transparent service history are common (lifestylegroup.es). In Girona specifically, where the cost of living is 40% below London (Source: Numbeo, early 2026), the money saved on daily expenses makes a well-managed import cost look reasonable.

Leave it if: the car is worth less than €8,000, you bought it recently and cannot qualify for the exemption, or it has high CO₂ emissions that would attract significant registration tax. Right-hand drive is legal in Spain but inconvenient at toll booths and in multi-storey car parks — and resale value in Girona's local market will be lower than for a left-hand-drive equivalent.

One practical note: Girona's historic centre is highly walkable and the city is compact enough that many residents manage without a car at all. If your work and daily life will be centred in the old town, factor in whether you actually need a car in Girona before committing to the import process.

What Spanish car insurance do I need for a UK-registered car?

While your car is still on UK plates and you are in the process of re-registering it, most Spanish insurers will not issue a policy. A small number of specialist insurers cover UK-registered vehicles during the transition period — ask in Girona's expat community for current recommendations, as the market for this is narrow and changes (lifestylegroup.es).

Once the car is on Spanish plates, you need at minimum third-party liability insurance (Responsabilidad Civil de Terceros), which is the legal minimum in Spain (thinkspain.com). Most people opt for comprehensive cover. Línea Directa is frequently recommended by expats in Spain for its English-language support and straightforward app-based policy management (Source: RelocateIQ research).

Do not drive the car on Spanish plates without insurance in place. Your gestoría or the plate shop near the Jefatura de Trànsit in Girona will typically flag this, but the responsibility is yours.

How do I transfer my UK no-claims bonus to a Spanish insurer?

Request a formal no-claims bonus letter from your UK insurer before you leave — ask for it in writing, on headed paper, with the number of years clearly stated. Most Spanish insurers will accept this as evidence of claims history, though the exact discount applied varies by provider and is at their discretion (Source: RelocateIQ research).

In Girona, when approaching local brokers or direct insurers, present the UK letter alongside a Spanish translation if the insurer requests one. Some insurers will accept a scan; others want the original. Línea Directa and Mapfre both have processes for handling foreign no-claims evidence, and their English-language customer service teams can walk you through what format they require.

The honest caveat: Spanish insurers are not obliged to honour UK no-claims discounts at the same rate your UK insurer applied them. You may find your premium is higher in the first year than you expect, even with a clean UK record. Shop around rather than accepting the first quote.

What happens if I drive a UK car in Spain after the six-month limit?

If you are a resident in Spain and continue driving on UK plates beyond the legal deadline, you risk having the vehicle impounded by the Guardia Civil, fines of up to €6,000, and your insurance voided in the event of an accident (relocar.com). The insurance point is the one that causes the most serious financial damage — an uninsured accident in Spain carries personal liability that can follow you for years.

In Girona, the Mossos d'Esquadra are the primary police force for day-to-day enforcement. The city's proximity to the French border means foreign-plated vehicles are common and do not attract automatic suspicion — but that is not a reliable defence if you are stopped and found to be a registered resident.

The practical answer is not to let it get to this point. If you have started the re-registration process and are within the legal timeline, you can drive on UK plates while the process completes. If you have missed the deadline, stop driving the car and get professional advice immediately — a gestoría in Girona can advise on regularisation options before the situation escalates.