Registration · Portugal
Register a Portuguese car in Spain, without travelling
We check your Portuguese documents, work out the taxes and handle the whole registration. Green temporary plates in 3 days at most and permanent plates in 3–5 days.
Documents you need
- Certificado de Matrícula, the Portuguese card that combines the registration and the ownership of the vehicle in a single document. On older cars it may be the DUA (Documento Único Automóvel).
- Purchase invoice or contract.
- Certificate of conformity (COC), if you have it; if not, we can help you get it.
- Your Spanish ID (DNI or NIE) and your address in Spain.
Send us photos of what you have and we will tell you what is missing.
Important: photos are enough for the quote, but to register the vehicle we need all its documents in original. Copies and photocopies are not accepted.
Deregistering the car in Portugal
To register the car in Spain we do not need it to be deregistered in Portugal: the original Certificado de Matrícula is enough.
Even so, it is in the seller’s interest to request the cancelamento da matrícula with the IMT, the Portuguese vehicle authority, because it does not happen automatically with the sale: otherwise they may keep paying the IUC, the Portuguese road tax.
If you drive the car to Spain, your insurance must cover the journey. Before you set off, ask us how to bring it.
Which taxes apply
Registration tax based on CO₂ emissions, VAT or transfer tax depending on the case, DGT fee and the town hall’s local road tax. Everything is itemised in your quote.
How we do it
A fixed quote within 24 working hours, payment by bank transfer or Bizum, courier collection and delivery of all documents, translation of the purchase contract or invoice if you do not have it in Spanish, green temporary and permanent plates (metal or acrylic) and full handling of the paperwork. If the vehicle needs homologation, we put you in touch with our partner engineer.
Timeframes, green plates and delivery
- Green temporary plates: in 3 days at most. They only allow you to drive in Spain while registration is completed, and always with short-term (per-day) insurance, which we can also arrange for you.
- They are not always needed. It depends on the documents, the plates the vehicle arrives with and the type of sale. When you send us the documents, we tell you whether you need them.
- Permanent registration: 3–5 working days from when we receive the original documents at our office. The DGT usually issues the temporary authorisation quickly, but takes longer to issue the permanent registration certificate.
- Delivery: we send you the plates and the permanent registration certificate together, in a single courier delivery. If you need the plates sooner, ask us and we can arrange an earlier delivery with the temporary authorisation.
Issues that can come up during registration
They are not common, but it is worth knowing about them before you start:
- Tax Agency check. The Spanish Tax Agency (AEAT) may review the import before authorising registration. Checks are random, but more likely with high-value vehicles. They usually ask for the invoice and the bank transfer receipt for the payment to the seller, and for proof of how the vehicle was brought to Spain: the CMR if a transport company moved it, or tickets, fuel receipts and tolls if you drove it yourself. If it happens, we guide you through the whole process and prepare and submit the documentation for you.
- Vehicles without a COC. If you do not have one, we obtain it through our partner engineer, without you having to travel. Some vehicles, especially older ones, cannot obtain it and therefore cannot be registered in Spain. That is why we confirm feasibility from your documents before starting any procedure.
- Later modifications. The vehicle must not have any modification made after the date of its COC or documents: if it does, those documents are no longer valid.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Certificado de Matrícula?
It is the Portuguese card that combines the registration and owner details in a single document. It replaced the old DUA (Documento Único Automóvel), which many cars still carry.
Does the registration have to be cancelled in Portugal?
Not to register it in Spain: the Certificado de Matrícula is enough for us. It is still in the seller’s interest to request it with the IMT, so they stop paying the Portuguese road tax.
How long does registration take?
Green temporary plates in 3 days at most, and permanent plates in 3–5 working days from when we receive the original documents at our office, as long as there are no delays at the DGT.
Do you also register motorbikes, vans, motorhomes and commercial vehicles?
Yes. We register all types of vehicles: cars, motorbikes, vans, motorhomes and commercial vehicles. The documents are very similar and, if anything differs, we will tell you with the quote.
Does it take longer if the car is registered in the Basque Country?
Yes. The regional tax offices there usually ask for the original documents to settle the taxes, so it takes longer and the cost changes. We will show it in your quote.
Get your fixed quote
- Reply within 24 working hours.
- Chartered Gestores Administrativos.
- The whole process done remotely.
Prefer to chat? Message us on WhatsApp (messages only) at +34 661 81 17 33 or email us at gestoria@asesoriagimeno.es. We reply in English, and you are also welcome to visit our office in Silla.