German cars on Mallorca - My German car on Mallorca

Would you like to bring your car to Mallorca? Or maybe it's been here for a while? Then you should know the following:

As soon as you are officially a resident on Mallorca, you must re-register your vehicle.

If you are not a resident, your car may only be on the island for a maximum of 6 months! You must be able to prove these 6 months with a ferry ticket. If the Spanish authorities "catch" you, your vehicle may be confiscated.

It is usually worth re-registering your car, as Spanish vehicle tax is cheaper than German tax. Find out more!

You will also achieve better prices with a Spanish "Matricula" (license plate) when reselling on the local used car market.

For those who don't have the time or inclination to take care of the re-registration, there is either a "Gestoria" that will take care of the official procedures for a fee of around 200 euros, or you can become a member of the Spanish automobile club RACE. They will then help or take care of the re-registration for you.

 

You will need a lot of documents for the re-registration: First (!) a certificate of approval (homologación) from a technical engineer. You can get this either at a garage or from the dealer of your vehicle brand. Then (!) you will receive the necessary technical registration certificate (Ficha Técnica Española) from the TÜV. Make sure you take this with you: Vehicle registration document, Homologación/Certificado de Caracteristicas, your N.I.E. (Número de Identidad de Extranjeros), Certificado de empadronamiento (proof of residence) & EC Certificate of Conformity.

You must then pay the registration fee at the Hacienda (tax office).

At the town hall the vehicle tax.

At the Trafico (vehicle registration office) you will then be allocated the new license plates on presentation of all these documents and proof of payment.

Costs for this process: Around 400 euros for administrative fees etc. plus the taxes due for your vehicle.

Then deregister the vehicle in Germany. You can also do this at the German Consulate General. Present your German license plates, the vehicle registration certificate and the vehicle registration document, or the registration certificates Part I and II. The costs amount to approx. 50 euros.

German TÜV in Spain

German drivers also have to take their vehicle to the TÜV (here ITV) every 2 years and collect the sticker if they pass the test. This is issued in different colors every year.

Drivers who fail to have their vehicles serviced must expect to pay a fine, often amounting to 300 euros.  In the case of obvious defects, the Guardia Civil also has the power to immobilize the vehicle immediately.

Driving a German car in Spain

When you get home, open a bottle of champagne and celebrate your successful re-registration. This process can take a few weeks and a lot of nerves. Once it's done, however, it gives you unexpected feelings of happiness.

The fact is, many Germans prefer to bring their car to the mainland regularly or risk continuing to drive around with their German license plates without permission. Ultimately, it's up to you to decide!

German cars on Mallorca - My German car on Mallorca