Car import cost calculator Tenerife

Import duty, IGIC, Spanish registration tax and the DGT fee in a minute. Enter your car’s details for an indicative estimate using current Canary Islands rates, then send us your case on WhatsApp if you like.

What the calculator works out

Bringing a car to Tenerife can involve up to four official charges. The calculator shows each one separately:

Import duty: only for cars from outside the EU, such as the UK. The standard rate for passenger cars is 10%.
IGIC: the Canary Islands’ equivalent of VAT. It is also due on cars from Germany or mainland Spain, because the Canaries are outside the EU VAT area.
Registration tax (IEDMT): due when a foreign-plated car is registered in Spain. Canary rates are lower than on the mainland.
DGT fee: €99.77 for registration (fee 1.1).

A car already registered in Spain that comes over from the mainland pays no duty and needs no new registration, only IGIC. See our guide to bringing a car from mainland Spain.

IGIC rates for vehicles in the Canary Islands

IGIC rates for vehicles are set in Article 39 of the consolidated IGIC and AIEM law (Decreto Legislativo 1/2025). For an ordinary passenger car:

0%: fully electric cars (except sports or leisure vehicles) and electric hybrids emitting no more than 110 g/km CO₂ (WLTP).
9.5%: cars up to 11 Spanish fiscal horsepower (CV fiscales).
15%: cars over 11 fiscal horsepower. Caravans and, as a rule, motorhomes are also taxed at 15%.

IGIC is charged on the car’s customs value plus any duty. Shipping to the Canaries forms part of that value, which is why you can add it in the calculator.

How to work out Spanish fiscal horsepower

Fiscal horsepower is not the engine’s real power. It comes from the formula in Spain’s General Vehicle Regulations (Annex V). For a four-stroke petrol or diesel engine:

CV fiscales = 0.08 × (engine size ÷ cylinders)^0.6 × cylinders

The result is rounded down to two decimals. Examples: 1,395 cc with 4 cylinders gives 10.73 (IGIC 9.5%); 1,498 cc with 4 cylinders gives 11.20, which already means 15%. A few cubic centimetres can make a big difference.

Registration tax in the Canary Islands

Spain’s registration tax (impuesto especial sobre determinados medios de transporte, IEDMT) depends on official CO₂ emissions. Canary rates:

Up to 120 g/km: 0% (electric cars too)
Over 120 and under 160 g/km: 3.75%
160 to under 200 g/km: 8.75%
200 g/km or more, or emissions not proven: 13.75%

For a used car the tax is based on market value, not on what you paid. In practice the Spanish Treasury’s annual average-price tables are used, reduced by a percentage for the car’s age, so the calculator’s figure is an approximation.

A worked example

A petrol car, 1,498 cc and 4 cylinders, 130 g/km CO₂, worth €20,000, arriving from the UK without preferential origin or relief:

Duty: 10% of €20,000 = €2,000.
IGIC: 11.20 fiscal horsepower → 15% of €22,000 (value plus duty) = €3,300.
Registration tax: 130 g/km → 3.75% of €20,000 = €750.
DGT fee: €99.77.

Total roughly €6,150, plus shipping (which also adds to the duty and IGIC base), the ITV inspection, number plates and clearance fees. The same car from Germany would pay no duty, so roughly €3,850.

What the estimate does not include

Shipping (unless you enter it): it depends on the route, the type of shipment and the season.
The Spanish ITV inspection, number plates and your town hall’s annual road tax.
Clearance fees: depend on the job – we confirm them in your quote.
Special cases such as motorhomes, motorbikes, commercial vehicles or classic cars – ask us.

Common mistakes when budgeting

Forgetting IGIC: even with no duty, IGIC is still due.
Confusing horsepower with fiscal horsepower: only the fiscal figure sets the IGIC rate.
Assuming UK-registered means UK origin: a car built in the EU or Japan does not normally have British preferential origin.
Selling too soon: if you use transfer-of-residence relief, you cannot sell or lend the car for 12 months.

More detail in our guides to importing a car from the UK and from Germany.

Calculator FAQs

Is the result a quote?

No. It is an indicative estimate using current rates. The final amount depends on the car’s paperwork, the value accepted by the authorities and any relief that applies. For a firm figure, send us your case on WhatsApp.

What value should I enter for a used car?

For IGIC, the starting point is the price you paid (the transaction value on the invoice). If you have owned the car for a while, other valuation methods apply, such as official tables. Registration tax uses market value from the Spanish Treasury’s average-price tables. Enter your best estimate and we will refine it.

Where do I find the CO₂ figure?

On the European Certificate of Conformity (CoC) or, for EU-registered cars, usually in field V.7 of the registration certificate. For UK cars, check the V5C or the manufacturer’s documents. Use the WLTP figure where available.

Do I pay tax if I move to Tenerife with my car?

If you move your main residence to the Canaries and meet the conditions (among others, prior use of the car at your old home, import within 12 months of moving and no sale in the following 12 months), you can be exempt from duty, IGIC and registration tax. Tick the box in the calculator and we will check your case.

Why is a car from the UK more expensive?

Since 1 January 2021 the UK has been a third country. A passenger car normally pays 10% duty unless British preferential origin can be proven or transfer-of-residence relief applies. The duty also increases the IGIC base.

How much does it cost to import a car to Tenerife? Calculator