FAQs (FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS !) =================================== Number 5. ======== Please could you tell me what documents I need and the procedure for registering a Spanish car. I am a non-resident. The first thing you will need is a contract in Spanish which is signed by both the seller and the purchaser. Within this contract the Euro price of the transaction must be noted. Trafico have document examples if required. A Transmission form must also be signed, which provides the new owner's details, and a 620 form completed in order to pay the 4% transfer tax. The Permiso de Circulacion and Ficha Technica documents are required - these are the log book and MOT record equivalent for the vehicle. The Permiso de Circulacion should be completed and signed on the back by the seller, and if the car is over 4 years' old, it must have a current ITV (MOT), the details of which should be stamped on the back of the Ficha Technica. The Road Tax must be up to date, so the latest Impuestos Vehiculos Certificate should be included with the paperwork. Trafico will require a photocopy of the seller's Residencia, or a photocopy of the passport and original NIE form if they do not hold a Residencia card. The buyer must provide their original Residencia, or their original passport and NIE form if they are not Residencia holders. Non resident purchasers must also prove their address, and the preferred method is to include a Certificate de Empadronamiento with the other documents. This can be obtained from your local Ayuntamiento (Town Hall). Alternatively, you can use your Escritura to show your address, but it has to be the original registered version; a copia simple will not be accepted. All the above documents must be presented to the Trafico Office at Alicante, as soon as possible after the purchase has taken place. As you can see, this is quite a complicated procedure, and if you value your sanity I would advise you enlist the assistance of someone who is conversant with these matters. I recently had my handbag stolen, and someone has mentioned to me that there is a lost property office in the area. Do you have more details? If your bag or purse has been stolen, it is surprising how often the thief removes what he/she is after (usually money, passports and mobile phones) and throws the rest away. Should such an item be found and handed into the Police, they will pass it to the "Objetos Perdidos" department in the Police Station at Plaza de Canalalejas 1, Benidorm. You can check if something has been handed in by ringing 96 585 9611, giving a very basic description of the item (i.e. black handbag: brown leather wallet) and your name. The Duty Officer will then check a list which is continually updated. Of course, it is unlikely your item can be matched unless something within it contained your personal details, but assuming a store or credit card, old bill, cheque book, etc has been left behind that shows your name, you may be pleasantly surprised. After several months, and again assuming there is something identifiable within the lost/stolen item, anything unclaimed is passed to the relevant Consulate for onward transmission by them to the rightful owner. I am a self employed resident here, and have been working for the last 15 years. I will be 65 next year (2004). Please advise what the position is regarding pensions. In respect of contributory pensions, the individual must have been in Spain for the last 16 years prior to retiring, with 10 of those years as a resident (i.e. holding a residencia card), and two of these years also being immediately prior to retirement. The proportion of pension will depend upon the amount of years worked in other European countries. The minimum amount of time the individual can have contributed is 15 years, and for this they will have the right to 50% of the regulated base pension amount. Retirement is not automatic in Spain, and you must register your intention to retire with the Hacienda (Tax Office). The whole question of pension entitlement for non Spanish nationals is quite a complicated subject and I have only a broad knowledge of the criteria. If you need further clarification or information, it is best to speak direct with an accountant or tax adviser who is fully versed in these matters, to ensure you fully comply with the regulations and receive the pension quota to which you are entitled. I have just received my Residencia, and want to apply for UK Tax Relief. I have received a form from the Inland Revenue and it says this should be stamped by the relevant Spanish authority - what do I do now? The regulations have recently been changed in respect of these tax relief forms. You now have to make at least one Renta (Tax Declaration in) Spain before you can present this form for stamping. It is not possible to make a Renta unless you have actually received your Residencia card. In addition to your Residencia and a copy of the Tax Declaration, you also need to attach documentary evidence of any pensions received for which you are claiming tax relief. This can be in the form of a P60 or HMS Paymaster letter from the Inland Revenue. The form and supplementary items as above is then presented to the Hacienda in Denia, who no longer stamp the UK tax relief form, but issue a Certificate confirming your resident status in Spain. I have a feeling the Spanish Tax Office will at some future stage be asked to relax these new regulations (indeed, when the new guidelines were first issued, the Hacienda were insisting on certified translations of each pension detail, which no longer appears necessary) but at present they must be complied with in full. On a final note, I have been asked to post a general request with regard to the DLA, or Disability Living Allowance. I would be grateful if anyone can advise me whether a group exists here in Spain who are challenging the current ruling that stops all DLAs granted after June 1992 being transferred to Spain. Equally, if anyone is interested in starting up a group please contact me and I will pass your details on.