Legal Requirements & Documentation

Selling your car in Spain: privately, to a dealer or online

How to sell a car in Spain: documents, DGT transfer and sale notification, ITP tax, insurance, foreign plates and sell-and-keep-driving services explained.

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October 2026

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Practical · Updated 2026

Selling your car in Spain: privately, to a dealer or to an online service

Moving on, upgrading or leaving Spain altogether? Selling a car here is straightforward once you know which papers matter and which steps protect you as the seller. This guide walks you through the documents, the DGT paperwork, taxes, insurance and the main ways to sell, plus what to know about “sell and keep driving” services before you sign anything.

Last checked: October 2026

Three ways to sell

Each route trades price against speed and effort.

Private sale

Usually the best price. You advertise, show the car, negotiate and handle the contract and DGT notification yourself. Takes the most time and needs care with payment and strangers.

Dealer or part-exchange

Fast and simple. A compraventa (used-car dealer) normally handles most of the paperwork. Expect a lower offer than a private sale, as the dealer needs a margin.

Online buyers and services

Get a valuation online, then an inspection and an offer. Some platforms buy outright; others, such as rentback services, buy the car while letting you keep using it. Read the model carefully.

Documents you need

Gather these before you advertise. It speeds things up and builds trust with buyers.

Permiso de circulación

The registration certificate in your name. The buyer needs it, and the DGT issues a new one in their name after the transfer.

Ficha técnica and ITV

The technical data card and a valid ITV inspection. According to the DGT, the new registration is only valid if the ITV is in date, so an expired ITV complicates the sale.

Contrato de compraventa

A written sales contract signed on every page by both parties. The DGT offers a free template. Note the date and exact time of handover.

Taxes and ID

Your NIE or ID, proof that the local road tax (IVTM) is paid, and a copy of the buyer’s DNI, NIE or passport.

Check the DGT vehicle report first

The DGT “informe de vehículo” shows whether the car has charges (cargas), such as finance with a retention of title (reserva de dominio), embargoes or other limits that block a transfer. A reduced report is free; the detailed report costs a small DGT fee (tasa 4.1). Unpaid fines or road tax can also hold up the process, so clear them before you sell. If there is still finance on the car, ask your lender how to cancel the retention of title first.

Step by step: a private sale

1. Prepare the car and the paperwork

Clean the car, collect service records, and check that the ITV, IVTM and any fines are in order. Download a DGT report so you can show buyers the car is free of charges.

2. Agree the price and payment method

Prefer a bank transfer that has arrived in your account, or a bank-issued cheque you can verify with the bank, before you hand over keys. Avoid handing over the car against a promise to pay later.

3. Sign the contrato de compraventa

Include both parties’ names and ID numbers, make, model, plate number, price, and the date and exact time of handover. Both sign every page. Agree in writing who pays which costs.

4. File the notificación de venta

As the seller, notify the DGT of the sale as soon as possible, online (with a digital certificate, DNIe or Cl@ve) or by appointment at a Tráfico office. It carries a DGT fee (tasa 4.1). From the date of notification, fines on the car are the new owner’s responsibility.

5. The buyer completes the cambio de titularidad

The buyer must apply to the DGT for the change of ownership within 30 days of signing the contract and pays the transfer fee (tasa 1.5). Before that, they must show proof of payment, or exemption, of the regional transfer tax (ITP).

6. Sort out insurance and road tax

Tell your insurer in writing that you have sold the car and ask about a refund of the unused premium. Cancel any direct debit for the IVTM so you are not charged for a car you no longer own.

Who pays what

ITP (modelo 620 or 621)

In a private sale, the transfer tax is normally paid by the buyer to the regional tax office of their autonomous community, using modelo 620 or 621 depending on the region. Rates and valuation tables vary by region. Parties can agree a different split in the contract. When you sell to a business that issues an invoice, an invoice replaces this step on the buyer’s side.

DGT fees and road tax

The buyer usually pays the DGT transfer fee; the seller pays for the sale notification. The IVTM is charged to whoever owns the car on 1 January, so the seller normally pays the current year.

Insurance does not simply pass to the buyer

Do not assume your policy follows the car. The buyer needs their own insurance from the moment they drive away. Consumer guides advise telling your insurer in writing within about 15 days of the sale. Whether you get money back for the unused period depends on your policy terms, so check your conditions or ask your insurer directly.

Selling to a dealer

Selling to a compraventa is the least stressful route. The dealer usually prepares the contract and handles the DGT paperwork. The DGT has a specific procedure for handing a car to a dealer: after notification, the car is placed in temporary deregistration (baja temporal) until it is sold on, so it cannot be driven in the meantime. Always get a signed document with the handover date and time, and ask for proof that the DGT has been notified.

“Sell and keep driving”: Carback and Cash4Car

These are not classic “we buy your car” services. They are sale-and-buy-back models for people who need cash quickly.

Carback

Carback runs a rentback (sale-and-leaseback) model. You sell your car to Carback and receive the money quickly. You keep driving it in return for a monthly fee, with the option to buy it back later. The company stresses that this is not a loan: Carback owns the car from signing, and if you stop paying you can lose it. See how Carback works (ad)

Cash4Car

Cash4Car buys your car under a sale contract with a repurchase option, signed before a notary after an online application and a physical inspection. You can leave the car in their storage or keep using it while paying a monthly rental, and buy it back within the agreed period. Requirements include residence in Spain with an NIE or DNI and a car in your name, free of charges. Get a Cash4Car valuation (ad)

Read the numbers before signing

With both models, you typically receive only part of the car’s market value, and monthly fees, buy-back price, notary and transfer costs can add up to a high total. They are not regulated as consumer credit, so the protections of a bank loan do not apply. Ask for every cost in writing, compare it with a normal sale or a personal loan, and only sign if you are confident you can pay or are happy to let the car go.

Private sale vs fast-cash services

Private sale: pros and cons

Pros: highest price, full control. Cons: time spent on viewings, haggling, payment risk and doing the DGT notification yourself.

Dealer or rentback: pros and cons

Pros: speed, less paperwork, and with rentback you keep a car to drive. Cons: lower payout, and rentback adds ongoing costs and the risk of losing the car.

Foreign plates and leaving Spain

Foreign-plated cars

A car on foreign plates is harder to sell in Spain, because a Spanish-resident buyer would need to register it here, with an ITV technical card and registration tax. Residents are generally expected to register their car in Spain and can be fined for driving on foreign plates long-term. Often the easiest option is selling in the country where it is registered, or registering it in Spain first.

Leaving Spain

If you sell before you go, file the sale notification before departure and keep copies of the contract and DGT receipt. If you take the car with you, the DGT requires a “baja definitiva por traslado a otro país” before it can be registered abroad; temporary export plates can be used for the journey. Check the destination country’s rules first.

Selling your car in Spain – FAQ

Who pays the transfer tax when I sell my car privately?

Normally the buyer pays the ITP to their regional tax office (modelo 620 or 621) and the DGT transfer fee. You can agree a different split, but write it in the contract.

Do I really need to notify the DGT if the buyer does the transfer?

Yes, it is strongly recommended. The buyer has 30 days to transfer the car, and until the DGT knows about the sale, fines may still be sent to you. The notification protects you from the date it is filed.

Can I sell a car that still has finance on it?

Check the DGT report for a reserva de dominio. If there is one, the finance must be settled and the retention of title cancelled before the buyer can register the car in their name. Ask your lender how to do this.

Are Carback and Cash4Car the same as selling to a dealer?

No. Both buy your car with the option to buy it back, and you can keep using it for a monthly fee. They suit short-term cash needs, not getting the best price for a car you want to get rid of for good.

Disclaimer: general information, not legal or tax advice. Fees, tax rates and procedures change and vary by autonomous community. Check the DGT, your regional tax office or a gestoría before you sell. Links marked (ad) are affiliate links; we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.