Spain does not have a system to issue personalised licence plates. It does however have a system to identify and recognise Classic Cars. Cars that qualify can achieve the status of being certified as a ‘historical vehicle’. Classic Cars with this status can be registered with historical licence plates, so the owner can enjoy the kudos of having their beloved motor officially recognised and marked as a Classic Car.
Getting ‘historical vehicle’ status for a Classic Car, also brings with the added perks of cheaper insurance, longer gaps between ITV´s and road tax exemption.
The starting qualifying criteria is the age of the car, the qualifying age being 30 years. The age for a Classic Car in Spain used to be 25 years, however was changed to 30 years in May 2018. This change was not retrospective. Classic Cars that already had historical number plates kept them, so there are cars with these plates that are less then 30 years old.
Update – Spanish Residency for British UK Nationals During the Transition Period
The article below was written the UK left the EU under the withdrawal agreement in January 2020.
Under the withdrawal agreement, British Nationals who hold a residency certificate have their rights as an EU citizen secured. On July 6th 2020, the residency application procedure for British UK nationals, switched for the EU residency certificate to the withdrawal agreement TIE ‘tarjeta de indentidad de extranjeros’. Both the certificate and the new TIE give the holder equal status in terms of protected EU rights under the withdrawal agreement.
Read more about Spanish Residency for British UK Nationals and the Transition Period
Article written 13th April 2019
Earlier this year, the Spanish Government published its ‘No Deal Brexit’ Contingency Plan. The Contingency Plan was approved by Royal Decree 1st March, and affirms that the Spanish residency certificate will be needed to confirm legal residence in Spain. The plan makes provision for those residing in Spain who’ve not obtained their Spanish residency EU registration certificate before Brexit, to obtain residency documentation. However, it makes clear that British nationals in this situation will be treated differently to to those who have obtained their certificate BEFORE the UK leaves the EU.
NOTE FOR BRITISH NATIONALS
The UK is no longer part of the EU. British citizens / UK nationals can no longer apply for the Spanish residency certificate for citizens of EU countries. As of 1st January third country general immigration rules apply to British citizens. Nationals of third countries must first apply for a long stay visa before applying for Spanish residency, and then obtain a TIE, ‘tarjeta de indentidad de extranjeros’.
We provide more information in this article: Spanish residency requirements for British citizens / UK nationals
Spanish Residency Certificate for Citizens of EU countries
All EU and EEA (European Economic Area) citizens and their family members have the right to visit, live or work in Spain. A Spanish residency certificate confirms your status as a resident in Spain. For stays of up to 3 months there is no need to register or obtain any Spanish documentation unless you are going to be working, or for example buying a property, in which case you’ll need an NIE. After that period, or if you intend to stay more than 3 months, you are expected to register as a resident.
You are given a residency certificate, or ‘certificado de residencia‘, when you successfully register. The issue of certificates is controlled by the National Police, (Cuerpo Nacional de Policia).
