By the Map Syndicat editorial team · About us
A practical guide to buying a used car in Spain: the DGT transfer (€55.70; moped €27.85), the vehicle report before you pay, the regional ITP and the seller's papers. General information, not legal or tax advice.
This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice. The order matters: check the car with the DGT before you pay, pay the ITP and do the transfer within the deadline. Confirm every fee with the DGT and your region's tax office before you sign anything.
The DGT fee for the change of ownership is €55.70 for a car (€27.85 for a moped). That is only the DGT fee: the regional ITP and any gestoría, if you use one, are separate.
The transfer is the change of ownership in the DGT vehicle register. The fee is paid when you do the procedure; fees are updated yearly, so confirm the current fee in the DGT fee schedule. The DGT will not process the change without the ITP receipt.
€27.85. That is the DGT fee for the change of ownership of a moped, half the car fee (€55.70). The regional ITP is separate.
Confirm the current fee in the DGT fee schedule, as fees are updated yearly. The rest of the procedure is the same: contract, ITP and change of ownership at the DGT.
Ask for the DGT vehicle report by number plate before you pay. There is a free reduced report (plate only) and a paid full report, with the ITV history, charges and embargoes. Do not pay in full without seeing it.
The full report shows the ITV history with the mileage at each inspection, charges and embargoes, and blocks for fines. Request it on the DGT website (sede electrónica) or the miDGT app (the full report needs Cl@ve, a digital certificate or DNIe), or by appointment. Also check that the chassis number matches the papers.
It is the DGT's official report on a vehicle, by its number plate. The reduced report is free; the full or detailed report is paid — this guide does not publish its price: check the DGT's current fee schedule.
The full report includes the ITV history with the mileage at each inspection, charges and embargoes, and blocks for fines. The reduced report only shows, from the plate, whether the vehicle is registered and roadworthy. Always request the full one before paying for a used car.
Sign the sales contract → pay the ITP at your region's tax office → do the change of ownership at the DGT within 30 days of signing. The DGT will not process the change without the ITP receipt.
The contract must carry the full details of buyer and seller (DNI/NIE/CIF), the plate, chassis number, make and model, price, date and time of the transfer, mileage, ITV status and a statement of charges and debts, signed by both sides. Keep a copy of the contract and of the other party's ID. The change is done at the Provincial Traffic Office (with an appointment) or online on the DGT website.
30 days from signing the contract: the contract, the ITP and the change of ownership all fall inside those 30 days. Check your region's deadline, because the ITP is paid at the regional tax office.
If you do not send proof of the transfer, the seller can file a sale notification with the DGT, which moves liability for fines and insurance to the buyer from that moment. Send the seller a copy of the new permiso de circulación in your name as soon as you can.
It is the transfer tax the buyer pays to their autonomous community's tax office, before the change of ownership at the DGT. The rate is regional and varies by community: this guide publishes no rates. It is calculated on the official valuation tables by make, model and age.
The ITP is filed with form 620 on paper or form 621 online (where the community allows it), within the regional deadline. The base is not just the price paid: the tax office uses the official tables and taxes the higher of the price and the table value. Keep the receipt: without it, the DGT will not process the change. If you buy from a dealer, IVA normally applies instead of ITP — check on the invoice which one applies.
From the seller: the original permiso de circulación, the ITV card (ficha técnica), the IVTM receipt for the previous year, and the signed contract with the change-of-ownership form. From you: DNI or NIE with passport, the ITP receipt and insurance.
The seller must also give you a copy of their DNI or NIE and the sales contract signed by both sides, with the signed change-of-ownership form. Check that the car's chassis number matches the papers and that the mileage matches the ITV history before you pay.
To transfer ownership into your name you need an NIE (or DNI). Without it the transfer at the DGT cannot be completed — get the NIE before you buy, and bring your passport and proof of address.
The buyer needs a DNI or NIE with passport, proof of address (empadronamiento where asked), the signed contract, the ITP receipt and the insurance policy. Confirm your case with the DGT or a gestor before you sign.
Charges and embargoes travel with the car: check the full DGT report before you pay. If the report shows debts, embargoes or blocks for fines, do not pay in full — talk to a gestor or a lawyer before you sign.
The DGT report shows charges, embargoes and blocks for fines, and the ITV history with the mileage. A car with debts can cost you far more than its price — checking before you pay is what protects you.
Insure the car before you drive it: at minimum the compulsory third-party liability insurance. The car is insured, not just the driver, and the policy must be in the registered owner's name. Do not drive uninsured, not even to the ITV station.
The contract must set the date and time the ownership passes: from that moment, fines and insurance are the buyer's responsibility. If you are unsure about cover, ask your insurer or a gestor what cover you need before you drive.
No: you can do it yourself at the Provincial Traffic Office (with an appointment) or online on the DGT website with a digital certificate, DNIe or Cl@ve. A gestor is optional; if you buy from a dealer, their gestoría normally does the transfer.
If you do it yourself, follow the process until the new permiso de circulación arrives in your name and check that the name, address, plate and chassis number are correct. If you buy from a dealer, confirm their gestoría has done the change and ask for a copy of the new permiso.
Report, papers, ITP and insurance: the four points below, before you pay in full.