| Vehicles
and Car Insurance |
The cost of operating a car in Spain is considerably
less than in most other European countries. Petrol is about
one third or more cheaper than it is in the UK and the cost
of servicing is about 50 per cent of what you will have been
used to.
Not surprisingly, new cars cost less but what
is surprising is the fact that second hand vehicles hold their
prices way past 10 years, and often longer. In Spain,
rust is not a problem.
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| Spares
seem relatively easy to obtain but rather pleasing, is the fact
that Spanish mechanics seem to repair items rather than replace
them if at all possible. Exhaust systems seem to go on for ever,
such is their skill at repairing things. The
Spanish-Property ABC |
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| More
expensive than in the UK but repaired until
replacement is necessary! |
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| Cheaper
than in the UK by far - if you look around! |
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Tyres may be slightly cheaper
but there is nowhere near the amount of competition that would
be found in the average northern European country. If you
purchase tyres from a garage, expect to pay a little more
than if purchased from a car supermarket centre or similar.
Car tax is based on the
age of the car and is on average about half that which is
current in the UK. Older cars will be taxed even less. There
are no tax disks on cars and the tax need not be paid yearly.
It will continue to accrue and must be paid when the car is
sold or disposed of. For this reason it is better to pay it
yearly. Exercise caution when buying a used car. You will
owe the tax if it has not been paid!
When it comes to insurance,
Direct Line and other similar UK companies are all in Spain
and keen to do business with you. Insurance rates may be considered
similar to those in the UK. If you have a "no claims bonus",
you will require to prove this, either by presenting your
last policy or having your Spanish broker contact your
previous broker, or insurance company in the UK. It's far
quicker to have your previous policy handy.
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| All
in all, the motorist in Spain has a far better deal than in
most European countries. With an impressive road building programme,
motoring in Spain is no longer something which many try to avoid.
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If you have read either the Costa Blanca News
or the Costa del Sol Times, you will be aware that the subject
of cars, particularly importation, is quite topical. This is
no doubt in part because of the speed in which the rules and
regulations dealing with with the subject are changing. |
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Importing a car into Spain involves the usual
struggle with indifference, lethargy, indolence and bureauracy
as well as dealing with mountains of paper although the latter
has been considerably reduced in recent years. It has been claimed
that in the past a definite policy of discouragement was operated
by the authorities in an attempt to prevent the importation
of personal vehicles. They did this by erecting an almost impenetrable
barrier of tasks, taxes and tricks which had to be dealt with
prior to any vehicle being imported. |
| Threats from the EU did force
the Spanish authorities to simplify the process which now only
takes months to complete and involvles a fee of only 12 per
cent of the vehicles valuation. The actual fees and much more
information about this topic can be found on the following websites.
Just click on the graphics to get specific information. The
Spanish-Property ABC |
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| Car
Insurance in Spain: Under Spanish law, all vehicles
using the roads must be fully insured for third party damage.
However, there are hundreds of thousands of cars on Spanish
roads which do not carry any insurance at all. The penalties
for doing this can be severe, particularly where an accident
is involved and injury has occurred when fines of over 1500
Euros, imprisonment or both may be expected.
If you find yourself new to Spain and looking
for car insurance, bear in mind that in recent years a considerable
number of Spanish companies have folded, leaving their policy
holders without cover. However, today most Spanish companies
are comparable with those found in the UK.
There are numerous insurance companies offering
their products in Spain, many of them British. Direct Line,
known in Spain as Linea Directa is most competitive and their
service is excellent. If you intend to become a resident, you
could also try either the Expat Club or ExtranDirect, both of
which are underwritten by Royal Insurance. |
| If you click on this
graphic you come to the website of the Insurance Company Mapfre.
One of the biggest Insurance Companies in Spain. The
Spanish-Property ABC |
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