Buying a used car in Spain and bringing it back to France
By Rédaction Quelle Occasion · updated on 28 October 2026
To drive back to France with a car bought in Spain, the car must first be permanently deregistered for export with the DGT (the "baja"), then driven with temporary green plates (placas verdes) valid for 60 days. Before buying, the DGT lets you obtain a report on the vehicle. This guide only covers what is specific to Spain; the French procedure is detailed in importing a used car from Europe and the documents needed to import a car.
Check the vehicle before buying
The DGT offers an informe (report) on any vehicle registered in Spain, open to anyone, whether or not they are the holder. It advises requesting the informe completo before buying, to check for seizures (embargos), seals, insolvency proceedings or any other administrative or judicial charge. It includes the ITV history, the mileage, the number of holders, the charges and pending recalls. The informe reducido is free: date of first registration in Spain and incidents preventing transfer or circulation. The informe completo costs 8.67 euros (fee 4.1); online access requires an electronic certificate, an electronic DNI or Cl@ve (DGT – Informe de un vehículo). To cross-check the mileage: mileage of a used car.
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The Spanish papers to collect
The DGT asks you to keep the Spanish vehicle documentation, because it will be requested to register the vehicle in the new country (DGT – Baja por traslado a otro país). For the baja, if you are the owner without being the registered holder, you must prove ownership: a digitised sales contract signed by both parties on every page (private seller) or an invoice (professional seller). The Spanish administrative portal confirms that the baja must be done before taking the vehicle to the new country of residence (administracion.gob.es, updated 01-04-2026).
Deregistration (baja) before leaving
The DGT states that, to move a vehicle to another country, within or outside the EU, you must first request the baja definitiva in Spain, before taking it to the new country of residence.
- Who: the holder, a third party who proves ownership of the vehicle, or an authorised person;
- Conditions: no administrative or judicial seal; if a financial charge is registered, it must be lifted or the financing body's express consent provided (ask for the "carta de cancelación de reserva de dominio");
- How: online (certificate, electronic DNI or Cl@ve) via the form for moves within the EU, or by appointment at a Jefatura de Tráfico (reserved for individuals);
- Cost: fee 4.1 of 8.67 euros, free if the vehicle has been registered in Spain for 15 years or more;
- Timing: the DGT does not guarantee a deadline for an application submitted through the electronic register.
Once the baja is done, you can no longer drive the vehicle, except with green plates or by having it transported.
Plates for the trip home: placas verdes
This temporary circulation permit is valid for 60 days for moving the vehicle to the EU or abroad where it will be re-registered (DGT – Placas verdes). Conditions: vehicle already deregistered for export, ITV in force, application by the holder or an authorised person. If the period is not enough, an extension is possible. Fee 1.4 of 20.61 euros according to the administracion.gob.es portal (to be checked, fees change); the plates are then bought from a specialised shop. If you are not the holder, the portal says to first transfer the vehicle into your name.
The Spanish ITV
The ITV is the Spanish roadworthiness test. The DGT requires it to be in force to obtain the export placas verdes. For the baja, it is only required if the destination country is outside the EU and the vehicle is more than four years old; since France is in the EU, that condition does not apply to the baja. On the French side, service-public.gouv.fr specifies that proof of the roadworthiness test must be less than 6 months old for a car more than 4 years old, and that it may have been carried out in the EU country where the vehicle was registered. See reading a roadworthiness test report.
The documented pitfalls
- Charges or seals: they block the baja; the informe completo lets you spot them before buying;
- Baja done too late: it must be done before crossing into France;
- Driving after the baja without green plates: not allowed, except by transporting the vehicle;
- Expired ITV: it prevents you from obtaining the placas verdes.
For other pitfalls: recognising a scam.
Then, in France
You have one month to apply for the registration certificate (service-public.gouv.fr). A tax certificate (quitus fiscal) is required for a vehicle bought in another EU country (impots.gouv.fr). Next: registering an imported car and the malus on an imported car.
Sources
- Baja definitiva por traslado del vehículo a otro país — Sede electrónica DGT
- Matriculación temporal para particulares (Placas verdes) — Sede electrónica DGT
- Informe de un vehículo — Sede electrónica DGT
- Compraventa de vehículos : paso a paso — administracion.gob.es
- Certificat d'immatriculation : immatriculer un véhicule d'occasion — Service-Public.fr
- Obtenir un quitus fiscal — impots.gouv.fr
Before you buy: check and equip
Check the history
Before paying, check the administrative status (lien, objection, declared claims) and the mileage recorded at the roadworthiness test.
Read fault codes
An OBD scanner plugged in under the steering wheel shows stored fault codes, even with warning lights off: useful during the test drive.
Parts and maintenance
Compare prices of car parts (timing, brakes, filters) to estimate the repairs to plan for.
Insure the car
Insurance prices vary widely from one model to another: get a quote before signing.