Registering or deregistering a vehicle with the DGT in Spain

Registering a new vehicle is the procedure by which the DGT assigns a number plate and issues the permiso de circulación (the vehicle registration certificate) in the owner's name. It must be applied for by you as the buyer and registered owner, or by a person authorised to act on your behalf, so Managora can file it for you without you having to attend a Jefatura de Tráfico (a provincial traffic office).

The basic paperwork includes: the ITV card, that is, the vehicle's technical data card under the Spanish roadworthiness system, either in electronic form (NIVE) or on paper with the record of sale endorsed on it (or, failing that, the purchase invoice or the award certificate); proof of payment of or exemption from the Impuesto sobre Vehículos de Tracción Mecánica (the municipal vehicle tax) from the town hall of your address; and proof of payment of the corresponding traffic tasa (official fee).

The DGT does not publish a specific time limit for registration. As with any administrative procedure, the general time limit for the authorities to decide applies (up to 3 months, under Ley 39/2015, the Spanish Administrative Procedure Act), although in practice it is usually resolved much sooner. The vehicle cannot be driven until it is registered. The traffic tasa is paid when the application is filed: you can see the current amount and the price of the service on the procedure page for matriculacion_vehiculo_nuevo_dgt.

Once the vehicle is registered, the permiso de circulación is sent by post and you have to go to a manufacturer or authorised outlet to have the number plates fitted. Managora prepares and files all the paperwork and tells you the only step you have to take in person: collecting or fitting the plates.

A vehicle brought in from abroad (bought in another country or imported) must be registered in Spain before it can be driven here permanently. The procedure has 3 layers: technical type approval (ITV), the registration tax before the Agencia Tributaria (the Spanish tax authority) and registration with the DGT. Managora coordinates all 3 for you.

On the technical side, the vehicle must pass the ITV in Spain in order to obtain the Spanish technical data sheet. If you do not have the European Certificate of Conformity (CoC), a reduced technical data sheet (ficha técnica reducida) is drawn up instead, which is the equivalent document allowing the vehicle to be type approved. For vehicles from outside the European Union, customs clearance (import certificate H1) and proof of import IVA (Spanish VAT) are also required.

The Impuesto Especial sobre Determinados Medios de Transporte (the Spanish special tax on certain means of transport, known as the registration tax) is settled with the Agencia Tributaria using modelo 576 as a general rule, or modelo 06 where the case is exempt or falls outside the scope of the tax. The amount depends on the vehicle's CO2 emissions: those with lower emissions may be exempt. Without proof of this tax, the DGT will not register the vehicle.

You can see the amount of the traffic tasa, the suplidos (third party costs paid out on your behalf) and the price of the service on the procedure page for matriculacion_vehiculo_importado_dgt. Managora prepares the documentation from the country of origin, handles the type approval and the registration tax, and files the application with the DGT.

Permanent deregistration (baja definitiva) is the procedure by which a vehicle stops being listed as active with the DGT because it will permanently stop being driven. The general rule is that the vehicle is handed over at a Centro Autorizado de Tratamiento (CAT), that is, an authorised scrapyard, which takes care of decontaminating it and processes the deregistration at the same time as it is handed over.

When you hand the vehicle over you must provide the permiso de circulación and the ITV card. The centre gives you a certificate of destruction and proof of the permanent deregistration, documents worth keeping: they serve to prove to any public body that the vehicle has been deregistered with Tráfico and to stop paying the municipal tax and the insurance. Permanent deregistration with the DGT is free of charge.

There are cases in which the vehicle no longer physically exists (for example, destruction by fire, a total write-off or disappearance) and cannot be taken to a scrapyard. In those situations deregistration is applied for directly at the Jefatura de Tráfico by providing supporting documentation, and that is where Managora adds most value, handling the administrative deregistration for you.

You can check the details and the price of the handling service on the procedure page for baja_definitiva_vehiculo_dgt. Managora prepares the paperwork and handles the formal deregistration with the DGT; physically handing the vehicle over at the CAT, where that applies, is done by you or by whoever you appoint.

The permiso de circulación is the document that proves who the registered owner of the vehicle is and sets out its details for Tráfico. If you have lost it, it has been stolen or it has been damaged, you must apply for a duplicate, which shows the same details as the original.

The duplicate can be applied for online and is sent by post to the address given, so it requires no travel. Before applying it is worth checking that the vehicle has no charges or issues that would prevent the procedure (seizures, immobilisation orders or other entries); Managora carries out that prior check.

The procedure carries a traffic tasa and delivery usually takes about 2 weeks from the moment the DGT receives the application. You can see the amount of the tasa and the price of the service on the procedure page for duplicado_permiso_circulacion_dgt. Managora files the application for you and keeps you informed until you receive the document.

In all 4 procedures (registering a new vehicle, registering an imported vehicle, permanent deregistration and a duplicate of the permiso de circulación) the process with Managora is the same: you complete a form with the vehicle's details, upload the scanned documents, pay and sign the authorisation, and Managora files the procedure with the DGT in your name.

We act as your representative before Tráfico, so you do not have to book an appointment or attend a Jefatura for the administrative side. The official tasas, the taxes and the suplidos are itemised separately on each procedure page so that you know exactly what you are paying, and you will receive the resulting documents (permiso de circulación, proof of deregistration or duplicate) through the channels indicated for each procedure.

If your case has particular features (an inherited vehicle, importing from outside the European Union, a historic or classic vehicle, or a deceased owner), Managora adapts the paperwork and the filing route. Each procedure page tells you which documents you need to provide and the current amount before you buy.