One of the most frustrating things about living in Spain is the bureaucracy. Administrative systems here are about 50 years behind the rest of the world, and computers in “linked” departments don’t seem to be able to talk to each other. There are 2 main issues about this, the admin systems and the people who operate them.
As an example, in the UK when you want to change the ownership details of a car you’ve just bought into your name you just fill in the relevant form, send it off, and the log book is returned to you, all free of charge.
In Spain, there is a fairly hefty fee involved, and it’s based on a percentage of what the car is worth, around 4% of the purchase price. Actually, it’s based on a percentage of what the government DECIDES the car is worth. So even if you can prove you paid €10,000 for your second hand car, and you expect to pay around €400 to register the car in your name, the government might have decided that a car of that age, mileage etc would be worth €12,000, therefore you will pay more. Who do you pay it to? Guess!
To change the name you need to make an appointment at the Trafico office in the city, and turn up with all your paperwork relating to the car, plus your residencia card, your passport, and probably your first born child, Then you take a ticket like at the supermarket meat counter and wait till your number comes up. (Bringing a book and a picnic might be useful for what can be a long wait.)Then you present your information to the woman behind the counter who sniffs, grunts, and asks you for some other bit of irrelevant paper. No problem, you’ve brought everything including your birth certificate and 50 year old Primary School reports!
Most staff seem to be so surly – I see it as a challenge and smile at them like an idiot, chatting about the weather or anything else that comes to mind. Another ticket, another wait, another queue. The next ticket is for the desk beside the previous one – well if the humans can’t talk to each other why should the computers?! And you go through the whole rigmarole again and if you’re lucky you get dismissed, if not you have to wait and start again. If you’re really lucky you will get your car registration details through in the post.
There is, however, an easier way to beat this system, even if it seems to have been created to provide more jobs for people. This is the Gestoria or Asesor, who will do all the donkey work for you, for a fee, of course. When I lost all my paperwork for my car I went to our local Gestoria where the staff are quite brilliant, always friendly and helpful. In about 20 minutes all the relevant forms were completed, and they then made the appointment at Trafico, and, most importantly, THEY went there and got all my new car documents for me! For a fee of around €50 I reckon it’s so much more than worth it! I just love those people, they’re worth every cent! They’re updating my medical card and driving licence next, and I’m very happy to stay at home relaxing on the terrace and and admiring a view I never tire of.
My life in Spain 