Car transport from Belgium to Spain: driver or trailer, and what it costs

You have bought a car in Belgium and it stands at the seller’s, several hundred kilometres from your home. There are two ways to bring it over, and they differ in more than price: the insurance works differently, so does the mileage, so does the timing. Below we compare both, give indicative prices for routes from Antwerp and describe what happens once the car arrives in Spain.

Two ways: on its own wheels or on a trailer

On its own wheels the car is driven by one driver on temporary plates — from collection at the seller to handover at your address. The car never changes hands on the way, and you receive a daily update on WhatsApp. It is the cheaper and faster option, but the car gains mileage: to Madrid that is about 1,750 km.

On a trailer the car does not drive itself. This is the option for cars that do not run, cars without comprehensive (casco) insurance, valuable cars, or simply when you do not want to add kilometres. A car heavier than 3.5 t travels on a trailer only. Trailer transport is quoted individually — tell us the route and the type of car and we reply with an amount.

What it costs: routes from Antwerp

Indicative all-in prices, incl. 21% VAT, for a passenger car driven by one driver. They cover collection from the seller, the drive, export documents and handling — there is no separate administrative fee. The binding amount depends on the car, the pick-up place and the delivery address.

Madrid is a route confirmed by a carrier’s quote; the others are indicative. The full route table and the calculator are on the transport page.

If your city is not in the table — Valencia, Seville, Málaga — type it into the calculator on the transport page and send the enquiry. We quote individually, usually within one business day.

Insurance: comprehensive cover is a condition

For driven transport the car travels under your own comprehensive (casco) insurance, taken out before collection — on the VIN, before the car gets Spanish plates. Without it the car travels on a trailer only, with an insured carrier. We do not drive cars without a policy, because in the event of damage on the road nobody would pay out.

The 50/50 deposit and timing

On confirmation of the quote you pay a 50 % deposit, the remaining 50 % on handover. The offer is valid for 7 days. A date sooner than 7 days from the order raises the price by 15 %. The exact delivery day is set after the car is collected and the deposit is confirmed.

How the transport works, step by step

• Collection and report — the driver collects the car from the seller, takes 360° photos and writes up a condition report. That report is your evidence of the car’s condition at departure.
• The drive — one driver from start to finish, a daily update on WhatsApp. The car does not sit in transfer yards and does not change drivers.
• Handover — on delivery you receive the report and the photos; you sign the handover. Compare the condition with the collection report before you sign.
• Settlement — VAT invoice and export documents included; the second half of the amount on handover.

The bundle: inspection before departure + delivery

Before the car leaves, we can check it on site: a full pre-purchase inspection costs €278.30 incl. VAT, and the transport in the bundle gets 10% off. If the report shows serious faults, you withdraw from the purchase before the car moves — one order, one contact. What exactly the inspection covers and what travel to the car costs is described in a separate guide.

After arrival in Spain

Registering a car from another EU country in Spain requires the ITV technical inspection, the registration-tax return (modelo 576) and registration with the DGT. A car younger than 6 months or with up to 6,000 kilometres counts as a “new means of transport”, and VAT is then due in Spain. An indicative amount of the registration tax, which depends on CO₂ emissions, can be worked out in the import cost calculator. When buying in Belgium, ask the seller for the Car-Pass — the mileage-history document a Belgian seller is legally required to hand over.

Those formalities stay on your side; our inspection report and the transport condition report are technical documentation you can show at the ITV station. If you would like us to buy the car on your behalf and prepare the paperwork for departure, see the car import page.

Ask for a transport quote

Buying in Belgium but heading to Poland? The transport rules are the same, and the registration steps are described in the guide importing a car from Belgium to Poland step by step.