Importing a car from the UK to Tenerife after Brexit

What changed after Brexit

Since the end of the transition period on 1 January 2021, goods moving between the UK and Spain are no longer intra-EU trade. A UK car arriving in Tenerife needs a full import declaration (the Spanish DUA) and may pay customs duty. The standard rate for passenger cars is 10%.

The EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement allows 0% duty only for goods with British preferential origin, and that origin has to be proven, usually with a statement on origin. As a rule, a car built in the EU, Japan or elsewhere that was simply sold or driven in the UK does not have British origin, even if it has spent its whole life on UK plates.

On top of any duty comes IGIC, the Canary Islands’ version of VAT. IGIC on an import is charged on the customs value plus the duties paid on import – so the duty itself is taxed too. Finally the car must be registered in Spain, which means the ITV inspection, Spanish registration tax (IEDMT) and the DGT fee.

Moving to Tenerife from the UK with your car

If you are moving your main home from the UK to the Canaries, your car can usually come in free of duty and IGIC, and be exempt from registration tax, under transfer-of-residence relief. The main conditions are:

• You have lived outside the EU for at least 12 consecutive months before the move.
• You have owned and used the car for a minimum period before moving (the rules refer to 6 months; we confirm what applies to you).
• The car is imported within 12 months of you taking up residence in the Canaries.
• You do not sell, lend or hire it out for 12 months afterwards.
• For registration-tax relief, the car must also have been bought with normal taxes paid in the country of origin, and Spanish registration must be applied for on time (within 60 days of starting to use it in Spain).

Commercial vehicles are excluded. You will need to show your new residence in Tenerife (your empadronamiento certificate from the town hall) and evidence of where you lived before.

Step by step

1. Enquiry: send us the car’s details (make, model, year, engine size, CO₂) and your situation on WhatsApp.
2. Checks: we look at the car’s origin and whether relief applies, and tell you which documents to gather.
3. UK paperwork: fill in the “permanent export” section of the V5C, send it to the DVLA and keep the rest of the log book – you will need it in Spain.
4. Shipping: by road through France and Spain to a ferry port, or by sea from the UK, depending on your plans.
5. Import declaration: on arrival we file the DUA; duty and IGIC are paid or relief is claimed. You get the proof of customs clearance that the DGT asks for.
6. ITV: the car is inspected in Tenerife and receives its Spanish technical card. European type approval has to be proven, normally with a Certificate of Conformity.
7. Registration tax and DGT registration: IEDMT according to CO₂ (or relief), €99.77 DGT fee, Spanish plates and local road tax.

Documents you need

• V5C log book (without the permanent export section).
• Purchase invoice or contract.
• Certificate of Conformity (CoC) or other proof of type approval.
• Passport and NIE.
• Shipping documents showing the arrival date.
• For relief: proof of your UK residence (for example council tax or utility bills, a tenancy or employment documents) and your empadronamiento certificate in Tenerife.
• For 0% duty on origin grounds: the statement on origin.

Right-hand-drive cars and the ITV

A right-hand-drive car has to pass the same ITV inspection as any other import. In practice the headlights usually need adjusting or replacing for driving on the right, and the ITV station will check the type-approval paperwork. Cars built for the UK market after Brexit may need extra steps to prove European approval. Talk to us before you ship, so there are no surprises at the inspection.

Shipping a car from the UK to Tenerife

There are two common ways: drive (or have the car transported) through France and mainland Spain to Huelva or Cádiz for the ferry to Tenerife – the Huelva crossing takes around 32–38 hours – or ship it by sea from the UK, on its own or in a container with your household goods. The price depends on the route, the size of the car and the season, so we quote case by case rather than publishing a price list.

What determines the cost

• Duty: 10% of value plus shipping, unless preferential origin or relief applies.
• IGIC: 9.5% up to 11 Spanish fiscal horsepower, 15% above; 0% for fully electric cars and electric hybrids up to 110 g/km CO₂ (WLTP).
• Registration tax: 0% up to 120 g/km CO₂, then 3.75%, 8.75% or 13.75%.
• Shipping, ITV and any adaptations such as headlights.
• Our fees: depend on the job – we confirm them in your quote.

Get an instant estimate of the taxes with our car import cost calculator.

Timeframe

Shipping time depends on the route you choose, plus clearance and the ITV appointment. We give you a realistic schedule once we know your case. Bear in mind the deadlines: under relief, Spanish registration must be applied for within 60 days of starting to use the car in Spain.

Common mistakes

• Assuming UK plates mean UK origin and budgeting for 0% duty.
• Paying duty and IGIC unnecessarily when transfer-of-residence relief would have applied.
• Shipping before your residence is sorted: without proof of your new residence, relief cannot be claimed.
• Selling the car within 12 months of using relief.
• Forgetting the V5C export section or the type-approval documents.