Hey folks, can't find the info I'm looking for on this thread, but I hope I'm not flogging a dead horse.

I'm living in Barcelona, but I work abroad, and get paid in UK Sterling. Looking at buying a new bike in January, Triumph Explorer, and there is a huge difference as of right now with exchange rates between buying in the UK and Spain.
The price is fluctuating, and no telling where it will be in January, but as of right now it is in Euros E2,000 cheaper to buy the bike in the UK than in Barcelona.

I can't find a definitive price for the changing of foreign registration to a Spanish plate, but one bike dealer told me before it costs around E700. Compounding the about E400 fees to get up to UK and back with bike (flights, ferry back, petrol costs), let's say there's about +/- E1,000 in the difference.

I don't know any expats in Spain that have actually transferred a foreign plate, but I have heard that it is a general ball-ache. My gringo Spanish wouldn't help either...

So my query is, with a E1,000 difference, is it worth all the hassle buying abroad and taking to Spain, and then re-registering?
Is there anything I've missed that I should be aware of before going down this route?

Thanks for any help folks, much appreciated! Pints owed and all that...

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Spain is a lot like France re importing bikes, and you will end up paying the same if not slightly more than if you bought it locally, especially for a new bike. Normally you would buy the bike ex VAT in the U.K. ( export forms to fill in) and then you have to pay the IVA rate in Spain to the customs on import Currently 21%, so 1% more than the U.K. and also I believe there is an import duty of about 6-8% for motorcycles. ( though this may not be true for a bike imported from another EU country- so I stand to be corrected on that point.)

If you are adept at the process and can handle all the paperwork yourself without using a ''gestor'', you might end up ''even'' money.

I always suggest to people who ask me about importing bikes to France, that it is generally much easier , less hassle and usually cheaper to buy local. You'll certainly be on the road a lot quicker, as it can take sometime to sort out all the customs paperwork and registration.

Good luck whatever you decide to do.

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I'm living in Granada province. I have a Spanish-registered bike and 4x4, but many people here have brought in vehicles from the UK. One friend recently re-registered his 4x4, another is bringing in a UK-reg LHD motorhome.

You will need an empadronamiento.

Firstly change over the headlight, then book inspection with iTV. They are picky with modifications so don't change the exhaust, etc. Then the work to transfer the registration using a gestor. At some stage you will then get a vehicle tax demand payable to the local ayuntamiento.

It might make sense to insure the bike with a Spanish insurer but on the British plate, then get them to change over the insurance.

There's a lot of info on ex-pats sites if you google for importing a car, the procedure for bikes should be much the same.

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Hey Pongo, Tim, cheers for the advice, good to get it. I may get it local after all, for the sake of it may be the best route to go.

Tim, do you have any recommendations for motorbike insurance here in Spain? My Spanish ain't up to much for googling such things.

Thanks for the help folks, s owed!

Mick

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Mini-on-Tour

By localy is my advice too - not likely to be worth tha hassle and cost for paperwork and the import tax etc.
I did it from Sweden to Spain some years back and had to pay import tax even though I had own the bike for a while but kept it in Sweden. I failed to bring it in imidiately as part of my personal posessions while relocating.

I later relocated back to Sweden with my next bike.... Paperwork again. I wrote a step by step blog post about both imports.

As for insurance, check [URL="http://rastreator.com"]Rastreator.com[/URLIt is a search engine for insurance, you can compare prices etc.

Now I'm back in Spain with my Swedish registered bike... havn't decided what to do yet, I 'll have 6 month to decide wether I import it or bring it back to Sweden and sell it.

Good luck with whatever you do!
I'm in Barcelona too

Hi +1 about the hassle/savings re importing, especially if you aren0t actually resident here yet with all of your paperwork sorted.

Insurance-wise; obviously shop around but look at RACC - Royal Automobile Club of Catalonia - they may not be the cheapest bit if you sign up as a member you get shed loads of benefits, including off-road recovery ...

I live in between Tarragona and up in the Pyrenees near Tremp, where i keep my bikes. Meet maybe'

Regs

Simon

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Hey Forza, cheers for the great recommendation, just at a glance I see some great prices on that Rastreator website!

Just wondering, out of the list of insurers shown below, can anyone recommend any of them to me here in Spain?

Forza, if you want to go for a spin in the next few weeks (once I've broken my new girl in) drop me a line man. Same to you SpanishBiker/Simon!

Pints owed for any help on the insurance folks, cheers!

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Mini-on-Tour