Evidence to request from the seller, transport and French formalities for a purchase in Spain.
Before any deposit in Spain, request a recent DGT informe completo, the permiso de circulación, tarjeta ITV, latest test report and draft sale agreement. Compare the seller and VIN, then examine administrative restrictions that could prevent export.
The decisive question is whether you can obtain baja and the necessary originals before collection. The selected carrier does not resolve a reservation of title or precinto. The standard case described here excludes the special fiscal regimes of the Canary Islands, Ceuta and Melilla: have those purchases assessed separately.
This guide concerns a private buyer already resident in metropolitan France and an M1 car registered abroad. A special fiscal territory, previous French registration or unusual specification requires separate assessment.
Contents: documents · return transport · France · budget · checklist · FAQ.
Local evidence to obtain from the seller
DGT full vehicle report
Request a recent full DGT report using the plate: most reports are accessible to anyone. It brings together administrative position, holder, ITV, recorded mileage and charges. The free reduced report mainly flags issues. Have inconsistencies explained; a favourable indicator proves neither complete history nor freedom from defects. Local source.
Permiso de circulación and tarjeta ITV
Agree handover of the originals with the seller. On baja for foreign registration, the rules provide for return of the cancelled registration permit and technical card. These documents support the French file without extending the right to drive. Check them with the sale evidence, baja confirmation and ITV report before collection. Local source.
Electronic maintenance register
Consult Libro electrónico de mantenimiento entries in the detailed report, then request invoices and the service book from the seller. Workshops submit their work voluntarily. An empty register therefore does not mean no maintenance; a populated register does not replace independent examination of accessible components. Local source.
Reservation of title and precinto restrictions
A finance-related reserva de dominio and certain restrictions on disposal must be resolved; a precinto order must be lifted. Request supporting evidence and an update to the competent register. A statement that the loan is repaid does not prove removal of the entry or automatically make export possible. Local source.
Permanent deregistration for transfer abroad
DGT accepts the registered holder, an owner proving acquisition or an authorised representative. In this route, the registered seller or representative handles baja; wait for confirmation. The car must leave within 90 days after baja. Neither this deadline nor a pending online application permits driving. Local source.
Keep three checks separate. History checking compares the available records and their limits; HistoVec relies on the French SIV and does not reconstruct the entire foreign past. A statutory roadworthiness test examines a defined scope on a particular date. A pre-purchase inspection describes observed condition, unchecked items and repairs to price. None of these layers replaces the other two. HistoVec, inspection scope.
Arrange export and return transport
Agree who will handle baja por traslado a otro país and the ownership evidence required. A domestic transfer must not be imposed on the French buyer as a universal rule: the procedure also accepts an owner with compliant evidence. Have obstacles removed, submit the required file and wait for actual processing.
Collect the cancelled permit, tarjeta ITV, baja evidence, sale document and available report. Arrange departure within 90 days, loading, a condition record and the carrier’s liability. Green plates belong to another branch: no Spain–France drive is presented here as already authorised. DGT baja, Spanish rules.
| Option | Condition and action |
|---|---|
| Foreign or export plates | Driving is not the selected plan: formalities, dates, holder, insurance and transit need confirmation. |
| French CPI WW | Four months under the standard regime; does not authorise driving along this unconfirmed foreign route. |
| Professional vehicle transport | Transport does not replace the tax file or registration documents. Obtain a quote, a jointly recorded loading condition and insurance terms. |
| Validity or safety unconfirmed | A pending application is not permission to drive. Resolve the issue before driving, or arrange suitable transport. |
Prepare French tax clearance and registration
For an ordinary used EU vehicle, check both more than six months and more than 6,000 km at the relevant point of purchase: additional French VAT does not apply automatically in this branch. A two-year-old car with 4,000 km falls outside this definition. At exactly 6,000 km, have the DGFiP classify the case before payment. If the vehicle is new for VAT purposes, examine the French 20% branch separately; an advance payment of foreign tax does not by itself settle this obligation. EU VAT guidance.
Request the quitus after delivery: it confirms the VAT position, including when no additional VAT is payable. Your home address determines the channel. In departments 57, 59, 62 or 67, use the combined France Titres/ANTS tax clearance and registration application; elsewhere, email form 1993-PART-D-SD to the competent tax office. Prepare identity, address, invoice or contract and the foreign registration document. DGFiP instructions.
Have conformity examined before a non-refundable deposit. A complete, acceptable harmonised document may suffice; buying an additional COC is not always necessary. For an unusual specification or missing data, have the competent service establish whether manufacturer documents, a certificate, AVDT or RTI are required. Documentary rules.
For an M1 car over four years old, the acceptable roadworthiness report must be less than six months old when filing; also respect any retest requirement. A test from the EU country of previous registration may be acceptable, but periodic validity alone is insufficient. In France, a critical defect limits validity to the test day: two months to repair does not always mean two months to drive. Registration file, French roadworthiness testing.
Apply within one month of purchase through the official “Immatriculer pour la première fois un véhicule en France” service. Include, in particular, acquisition evidence, foreign registration, recent address evidence, conformity and the required tax and roadworthiness documents. This is an application deadline, with no guaranteed delivery of the certificate or permission to drive. France Titres entry point.
| Situation | Decision before commitment |
|---|---|
| Ordinary used EU vehicle | No automatic additional French VAT; tax clearance required unless an exemption is justified. Check both thresholds and the invoice before paying. |
| New for VAT purposes | The wording of the advert does not decide the tax treatment. Confirm French VAT and treatment of any foreign tax advance. |
| Complete harmonised document and compliant vehicle | Buying an additional COC is not automatically necessary. Have identity, approval and mandatory data examined. |
| Incomplete data or unusual specification | COC, certificate, AVDT and RTI are not interchangeable. Ask the manufacturer and competent service to establish the route before a deposit. |
| Special fiscal territory or earlier French registration | The ordinary outline does not determine the taxes. Identify territory and registration history; obtain a separate assessment. |
Build a budget without adding alternative plans together
An unpriced amount means an input is missing, never that it is free. Include the transport actually selected; export plates and a complete drive home are not mandatory costs of full delivery. Convert currencies only with a rate, date and fees. CarAudit references are not accepted quotations.
The malus depends, among other things, on first registration, the applicable schedule and depreciation, not simply the year of French filing. For weight, use G, not F.2; check the combined cap with CO2. An age-related regional reduction does not mean exemption from the malus. Certificate costs, official simulator, CO2, weight.
| Item | Amount | Required input |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle price | Not priced | Contract price, currency and tax treatment. |
| Currency exchange and payment | Not priced | Rate, date and payment fees. |
| Local history and documents | Not priced | Local access and scope to confirm. |
| CarAudit inspection | Not priced | Availability and price must be confirmed for this location and vehicle. |
| Optional battery diagnostic | Not priced | Availability and price must be confirmed for this location and vehicle. |
| Export formalities | Not priced | Applicable non-resident procedure and fee. |
| Export plates | Not priced | Not selected for full vehicle transport. |
| Journey and subsequent French insurance | Not priced | Vehicle, countries, dates and cover period. |
| Driving the vehicle back | Not priced | Not selected; do not add to complete delivery. |
| Lorry or trailer transport | Not priced | Loading, delivery, insurance and exclusions. |
| French VAT: fiscally new vehicle | Not priced | 20% only if new for VAT purposes. |
| Tax clearance certificate (quitus fiscal) | Not priced | No verified issue fee; separate private fees. |
| COC or certificate if needed | Not priced | Confirm need before ordering. |
| Any AVDT, RTI and testing | Not priced | Price only the necessary procedure and tests. |
| Roadworthiness test and any retest | Not priced | Check foreign report and filing dates first. |
| Certified translation if requested | Not priced | Only documents actually requested. |
| Regional registration tax | Not priced | Region, fiscal horsepower, age and applicable rules. |
| Possible CO2 malus | Not priced | First registration, CO2, depreciation and exemptions. |
| Possible weight malus | Not priced | Mass G, applicable year, reductions and combined cap. |
| Final registration fixed tax | 11 EUR | Ordinary issue; other taxes separate. |
| Delivery of final registration certificate | 2.76 EUR | Ordinary delivery; other items separate. |
| Final number plates | Not priced | Plate supplier’s quotation. |
| Optional authorised professional | Not priced | Separate professional fees from taxes passed on. |
| CPI WW if needed | Not priced | Procedure and plates; no guaranteed foreign transit. |
| Identified repairs | Not priced | Quote actual findings after inspection. |
Check the decisive points
This static checklist remains readable without JavaScript. Every row starts as “to check”. A conflict takes priority over items seen; every open point still needs resolving. Marking all documents as seen does not guarantee freedom from defects or registration.
| Evidence or decision | Action before commitment | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Full report | Compare position, VIN and charges. | To check |
| Permiso / tarjeta ITV | Arrange originals returned after baja. | To check |
| Maintenance register | Cross-check voluntary records and invoices. | To check |
| Reserva / precinto | Obtain releases and updates. | To check |
| Baja and departure deadline | Wait for confirmation; plan the 90-day window. | To check |
| Inspection availability | Confirm feasibility and terms before booking. | To check |
| France: tax, conformity, testing | Also assess any special territory. | To check |
| Transport | Agree quote, condition record and liability. | To check |
Points remain to be checked; documents seen do not replace missing evidence.
Have the car examined before payment
Before paying or booking travel, ask CarAudit whether an inspection can be arranged for this vehicle and location. The French public list consulted does not confirm this availability. Wait for confirmation of scope and conditions before treating the service as available. This enquiry is neither a booking nor an arrangement for transport or registration.
Contact CarAudit about this project in Spain
Frequently asked questions
Is the reduced DGT report enough before purchase?
It mainly flags issues. To examine the holder, ITV, mileage and charges, request a recent full report and compare the seller’s documents; even this report is not a mechanical guarantee.
Must a French buyer first register the car in Spain?
This is not a universal condition of the described baja. DGT also accepts an owner proving acquisition; have that person’s file confirmed or use the registered seller before collection.
Can you drive during the 90 days after baja?
The deadline concerns the vehicle actually leaving the country. It neither extends the old registration nor authorises driving. Book the carrier accordingly; a temporary option would need separate confirmations.
Does tarjeta ITV replace a recent report for France?
Retain the card and also request the available dated report. For the relevant M1 car, separately check French acceptability and freshness at filing; Spanish originals do not remove that check.
Does a car from the Canary Islands automatically use the same regime?
No: this guide’s standard tax case does not cover Spain’s special territories. Have the purchase location and tax treatment assessed before payment instead of automatically applying the ordinary EU branch.
When should you suspend purchase despite the seller’s promise?
If a reserva de dominio or precinto has not been lifted with the required evidence, wait. A verbal statement that a loan was repaid is insufficient; have the update checked before payment and baja.
Sources and limits of the guide
The shared French sources were checked on 8 September 2026; local additions were verified on 10 September 2026. The links above retain that scope: no individual vehicle, quotation or administrative application has been verified here.
