On Tue, 07 Jul 2009 07:01:56 GMT, Bob Martin wrote:
in 211986 20090706 200127 asalcedo wrote:

2. Can I keep the van in Spain registered in the UK for an indefinite
time? I believe that I may be required to register it in Spain after
some time. The problem is that I don't know how long I will stay in
Spain or need the van in Spain.

You can drive with UK number plates for 12 months, after which the vehicle
must conform to all local regulations.

In some parts of Spain the local police will clamp down. In other parts,
they won't, it's very hit and miss. Sometimes you will get "pulled" if
they recognise your vehicle and it's been in the country for a long period.
Some parts of the country will let you keep the vehicvle there for 12 months
but in other places it could be 3 months - if you don't have proof that you're
getting the vehicle transferred to spanish registration.
Obviously, if the cops don't stop you none of this applies.

The expat forums are full of this kind of question, check out www.andalucia.com
for long, detailed discussions and tales of woe.

3. Can I use the Spanish MOT (called ITV in Spain) to obtain the yearly
road license?

You could also have trouble getting an ITV for a van in Spain, for two reasons.
First of all, the vehicle isn't registered on Spanish plates
Second, the spanish regs. are very tough on RHD commercial vehicles. If it's
a large van they will often fail it due to poor / lack of rear visibility.
(It's also a protectionist ploy, but that's one for the conspiracy people)

You don't need a UK tax disc while in Spain.

Your vehicle _must_ be legal in Spain - or in any country you drive in. Specifically
it must comply with the law whereever it's registered. It must also have insurance
cover that's valid for wherever you are. If your vehicle is registered in the UK,
it must have a tax disc and MOT if necessary. If it's been out of the country and
still registered in the UK and the tax/MOT has expired, it cannot be legal, so you
can't get it insured.
Yes, you can buy an insurance policy, but the company will very likely refuse to
pay out if you make a claim, on the basis that your vehicle isn't legal.
You'll still get a big fine for having an illegal vehicle if the spanish police
don't like your (out of date) documents.

The spanish police are quite hot on the ins and outs of british veicles in
Spain. They regard them all with suspicion. You can't argue with these guys
so make sure you carry all your paperwork (passport, driving licence, insurance,
log book, MOT, return tickets) all the time - and smile sweetly.

(I went through all this when I worked in Germany for a year - I was represented
by my local MEP who was also a lawyer.)