The three procedures
Registering a foreign car
Import, type approval, ITV, registration tax and Spanish plates for vehicles brought from the EU or outside it.
Vehicle transfers
Change of ownership between private individuals or with a company, with the transfer tax settled and debts checked before signing.
Driving licence exchange
Licences from the EU and from third countries with an agreement, using the DGT's digital exchange that avoids the appointment.
The order of the steps, which is where time is lost
With vehicles almost every delay comes from doing things in the wrong order, not from the slowness of the office:
- In a transfer, the transfer tax is settled before the DGT records the change. An expired ITV prevents driving, but does not by itself block the change of ownership. Filing without the tax receipt does send the file back.
- In the registration of an imported vehicle, the circuit is customs (only from outside the EU), type approval, ITV, registration tax and finally the DGT. The Tax Agency does not accept the tax without the Spanish technical sheet, which comes from the ITV.
- In a licence exchange, the medical fitness report is sent to the DGT by the medical centre itself, so you take it before opening the file, not after.
And one check that takes minutes and avoids buying a problem: request the DGT report on the vehicle before paying anything, to see charges, seizures, retention of title and whether it is recorded as deregistered.
Why it pays to delegate
Registered gestorías administrativas are connected to the DGT system and file vehicle procedures online, without going through the appointment system that is the real bottleneck at Traffic. That turns weeks of waiting into days, and it is the only weighty reason not to do it yourself.
The second reason is the order of the steps. In a transfer, the tax is settled before the DGT records the change; in the registration of an imported vehicle, type approval and ITV come before the tax, and the tax before the plates. Changing that order is not a delay, it is starting from zero.
If you are going to drive here, the licence exchange comes first, and for any in-person procedure at Traffic there is the guide to booking a DGT appointment.
Shall we handle it for you?
Registered gestora administrativa, ICGA Valencia. Fixed quote before we start and a free first consultation.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to go to the DGT myself?
Generally not. A registered gestoría files vehicle procedures online. A licence exchange does have an in-person moment: handing in the original licence and collecting the provisional authorisation.
How long does a transfer take?
Filed online by a gestoría it is usually resolved in days, compared with the weeks imposed by the appointment system. The real time depends on the documents and the tax being correct.
Do you work with vehicles from outside the Valencian Community?
Yes, DGT procedures are national and we file them for the whole of Spain.
Legal basis
- Royal Decree 818/2009, General Drivers Regulation, art. 18 on exchanging foreign licences
- Law 39/2015 on Common Administrative Procedure, art. 14 on electronic dealings with the administration
- Royal Decree 203/2021, Regulation on public sector action by electronic means
Official sources
- DGT electronic office: vehicle procedures
- DGT electronic office: change of ownership
- DGT electronic office: registration
- DGT electronic office
Written by Irina Klein. Reviewed by Elena Alonso Volostnova, registered gestora administrativa (ICGA Valencia). Updated on 5 October 2026. This page is general information and does not replace personalised advice on your case.