European Type Approval

Has anyone come across this before?

We have spent the last 18 moths looking into importing a Uk reg motorhome into spain and re-registering it, as we have been residents here for 5 years. For various reasons, the costs of buying in UK and re-registering meant that we could get a better van for the money we had to spend, than if we bought in Spain. We would be classed an importing due to our residential status.

Things appear to have fallen at the last hurdle, as we have now been told that in order to import a vehicle (any vehicle?) to Spain, it needs to have "European Type Approval" which is evidenced by a series of numbers on one of the id plates on the vehicle. As this legislation was only conceived in 2007 (and enforced in Spain since?? Must be recent as its the first we have been told of this! ) this basically means anything older than 2007 is not allowed in. The van we want to bring in is 9 years old, 2001 registered, so we cannot proceed. Unless we try some back door method using a third party who is not resident here, as apparently there are exceptions i.e. if you move here with a vehicle you have owned for over 6 months, you can then re-register it! No matter what the age or lack of "approval". Madness!!

As I say, we have tried to do this by the book, and do our homework, and this information has come up at literally the last minute. The source is respected, and by telling us this the person concerned has now lost a fee for dealing with the paperwork for us, so I think we can rely on the information. But I would like to know whether anyone else has come across this new legislation, and if there are any ways around it - legal ones that is!

Thanks

You can not register a UK motorhome in Spain even if it has EU approval if it is RHD its the same with a Transit type van something to do with lack of vision

...and the fact that  the domestic access door of a UK built motorhome is on the wrong side for Europe...Same problem exists with UK built caravans.

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it's another example of stupidty really judging by the number of UK vans on the road.

So they might as well allow the registration and get in the money???

Is there no other EU countries selling cheaper motor homes that could be legally imported or could you buy a LHD van in UK?

Purchases in France, Germany and Holland with local VAT paid will almost certainly comply with the regulations in Spain. There are enormous numbers of European purchased Motorhomes along the CDS and many can be seen on the arterial routes within Spain.

I will try to find a few German agencies on the net; I tried this once before about five years ago and have lost all the net addresses. so hold fire and I'll see what I can come up with.

Do not be tempted to buy an American Motorhome of the classic Winnebago size or anything with American engines petrol or diesel, there is virtually no support anywhwere in Spain for these vehicles.

If you do want to go this route however you could do a lot worse than try these people ; what they don't know about RV's isnt worth knowing and this comment refers to both American and European motorhomes.

Watch this space!

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post deleted duplication; 

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OK,  here's one German company...long established website, this is one company we were going to be in contact with before I forgot my own rules about buying a Yank Tank and worse still went ahead and bought one on English plates...

Bear in mind that you are limited to a max gross weight of 7.5 tons on a pre 1997 UK car licence; post 1997 the limit is 3,5 tons.

Somewhere in the depths of this forum is a post called 'How not to move to Spain' which recounts the trials and tribulations of Yank Tank ownership...

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Hello

I have just read your comments regarding the problems importing a motorhome into Spain. I wish to buy a LHD Hymer 1997/1999 model in the UK  but have come up against a brick wall.  The main door is on the passenger side which is correct. The transfer guy is being very honest about it whereas a couple of others haven't been. Its not worth bending the rules as it may backfire and I am stuck with a UK registered motorhome that I cannot use.  Did you manage to import your motorhome in the end? 

Tony