Can I import a car to Spain via Ireland?
Looking to take a UK-plated Defender 110 HS Dynamic to Spain for matriculation. I am a resident in Spain with British citizenship. I have been told this is not possible, but I have also been told I could get the vehicle registered in Ireland then over to Spain. What do you think?
Jeff Williams (Spain)Mar 2026 Filed under: importing
Expert answer
Hi Jeff,
In principle, a UK-plated vehicle can be registered in Spain, so I would not accept a blanket answer that it is “not possible” without knowing exactly why. The issue is likely to be one or more of the following: Spanish ITV/type-approval requirements, whether the Defender has the correct Certificate of Conformity or homologation paperwork, whether it is classified as passenger or commercial and the post-Brexit customs/VAT position.
I would be very cautious about the suggestion of registering it in Ireland first. That is not a simple paper exercise. To get Irish plates, the vehicle would itself have to be imported and registered in Ireland, with the appropriate VRT process and potentially customs/VAT depending on the vehicle's history.
You would also need to satisfy the Irish registration requirements. Simply putting Irish plates on it would not necessarily remove the Spanish customs, tax or homologation questions, especially if the vehicle's origin and import history remain UK/GB.
The first things I would check are:
• Is the vehicle currently GB-registered or Northern Ireland-registered?
• Is it already customs-cleared into the EU?
• Do you have the V5C, purchase invoice and Certificate of Conformity?
• Is the Defender registered as an M1 passenger vehicle or an N1 commercial?
• Will a Spanish ITV station accept the vehicle as-is, including lighting, speedometer and type-approval documentation?
• Are you claiming any transfer-of-residence relief, or are you already resident in Spain?
My advice would be to speak to a Spanish <i>gestoría</i>/matriculation specialist and, ideally, a customs agent before moving the vehicle. I would not spend money routing it through Ireland unless you have written confirmation from both the Irish and Spanish sides that it solves a specific problem.
Shane O' Donoghue - Complete Car Advisor