Documents to ask for when buying a used car

Bringing your own car from your home country to drive it in Spain has its fair share of complications and costs to consider. With that in mind, many people moving to Spain decide to make life easier and opt to buy a Spanish car once they are here.

You may decide to treat yourself to a new car, but the used car market in Spain is actually quite buoyant. As there are almost 2 million used cars which are available to be bought every year, you will be spoilt for choice! But, as with buying anything second hand, you need to be careful to make sure that you are getting what you pay for.

There are 3 key priorities to think about:

1. 1. Safety first – Obviously your main priority should be that the car is safe to drive and, of course, that it is in perfect mechanical conditions.

   2. Don’t get ripped off – Make sure that the price you pay is right. You can check the asking price against the benchmark value of the car by using a car value calculator at coches.com, entering the details such as make, model, type, engine size, age and mileage.

   3. Be savvy – You must ensure that you comply with all the legal aspects and that there are no hidden surprises in the paperwork department.

   So, here is my list of the things you should do and the documents to ask for when buying a used car.

First steps when buying a used car

There are various ways to buy a used car, from secondhand car dealerships and garages, online marketplaces and car fairs, to private sales. Whichever way you find your next set of wheels, you should always focus on knowing as much about the history of the car as possible, in terms of previous repairs and servicing and its previous ownership.

Obviously, you should ask the seller to give you a rundown of the car's history, but it is also wise to get the car's history checked out in 2 easy ways… 

1. Request a copy of the “complete” information report(informe extendido del vehículo (completo) from the DGT (Dirección General de Tráfico). This report will show you all the data regarding the technical inspections, repairs and revisions that have been registered and carried out on the car, and also any fines, or legal implications which may be associated with the car from previous owners. This is important as you may be liable for such charges if you take ownership of the car without checking them first.

2. Organise for a mechanic to do a full inspectionso that they can tell you if there are any general mechanical issues, or signs of previous accidental damage and associated repairs that you weren’t aware of.

About the documents you need to ask

Once you have verified that the car is in perfect working order, you can move to the purchasing step, and this is a list of the key documents to ask for when buying a used car:

1. 1. Logbook (Permiso de Circulación).

• You need to check the logbook to ensure that the current name under which the car is registered matches the seller’s identification.
  • If it’s a private sale, don´t forget to ask to see a copy of the seller's official ID (such as a passport or Spanish DNI (documento de identidad) and take a photograph of it.
  • If you are buying through a dealership or garage, they should be able to provide you with the details of the current owner, if they are acting as an agent, or give their own CIF/NIF of the company and registered company address if they are the registered owners of the vehicle.

2. 
   2. IVTM (Impuesto Sobre Vehículos de Tracción Mecánica)
   
   

• This refers to the road or car tax. In Spain, car owners pay this as an annual fee, for each financial year. This will show if the fee has been paid in full for the year. It is important to be aware that if the current owner has not paid this tax, you may be liable for the tax debt when you take on the car, so it’s vital that you check this is all in order in advance of sealing the deal.

3. 3. ITV (Inspección Técnica de Vehículos) Certification.

• This is the equivalent of an MOT safety test and it is legally required for any car that is more than four years old to check that the car is roadworthy. The current owner should be able to give you the ITV card or receipt which shows the last date when it was inspected and that the vehicle passed the test.

4. 4. Contract of sale (contrato decompraventa).

• I would recommend that you ask for, or create, a contract of sale between the seller and yourself to confirm the sale details. This should include details of the car itself and also include the obligations of both the buyer and the seller. Dealerships and brokers provide their own contracts, but make sure you read them carefully and make sure you are happy with the wording before signing anything.

5. 5. Transfer of ownership (transferencia)

• This document needs to be signed by the seller and the buyer, and both parties are responsible for filing all the paperwork with the provincial traffic authority. You should not pay the seller for the car until this official transfer step is completed.
• In addition to organising and paying for this official document, you are also liable to pay a transfer tax (Impuesto de Transmisiones Patrimoniales) to the Spanish Tax Authority (Agencia Tributaria). This tax is a percentage of the value of the car, not the sales price, and the percentage varies depending on the region.
  
  

About getting insurance cover

Speaking about the value of the car, you also need to investigate the cost of getting insurance cover for the car from a Spanish provider, as this may help make or break your decision about whether it is the right car for you. As with all tasks like this, when trying to deal with agents and suppliers in Spanish, it can be a nightmare getting the right kind of quote or speaking to representatives when don’t know the lingo. This is where Caser Expat insurance is invaluable, as all the information is in English, and you can speak to real people in your own language to query or solve any doubts you may have.

Another benefit which makes their policies stand out from other providers is the new service called Caser Autohelp, which gives countrywide accident assistance. This is included in the three levels of cover that you can choose between: Basic Third-Party cover, which gives the legal minimum insurance to safely drive your car, Extended Third-Party cover which also includes fire, windscreen, and theft cover, or Fully comprehensive, which has additional benefits of serious mechanical breakdown and other advanced options. If you want to check out what the price of your car insurance would be, you can visit the new quote calculator.

Last but not least, some points on where to start the quest for your next car:

• Ask around: Let your friends, family and colleagues know that you are looking for a car. Use your personal network to see if a friend of a friend is planning to sell his or her car, as this also gives you more security to buy from someone you know.
• Local community notice boards: often private sellers will put ads in community “hubs” and this has the advantage that the car will likely be nearby so you can go and take a look in person quite easily.
• Specialist Online platforms:there are numerous online platforms which have great search facilities to help you filter through thousands of cars to find the one to suit your needs and budget. Have a look at Clicars esAutocasíon.com and Ooyyo.
• Brokers and dealerships: use the knowledge of your network of friends and ask for advice and recommendations of any they have used in the past. Or you can always “google it” to get links for specialist brokers and second-hand car dealers in your area.
  
  

So, now that you know what documents to ask for when buying a used car, you have all you need to start your search and get on the road. Hopefully these tips and tricks will give you more peace of mind in your search for a new car, so that you will be behind the wheel, and on the road in no time!