The annual vehicle inspection in Spain is called the ITV, which is the equivalent of an MOT in the UK. It is compulsory for all vehicles and must be carried out at an authorised ITV garage. At these authorised stations (there is no ITV garage in Marbella only in San Pedro), a technical inspection of your vehicle is performed, to certify the basic safety elements such as lighting and driving are all in perfect condition, and also to ensure that vehicle emissions are within guidelines.
If you have recently bought a brand new car, the service must be done four years after purchase, and then every two years, but once it reaches ten years, the vehicle needs yearly inspections.
An important note: ITV inspections can only be performed if the car is properly insured.
To know when your vehicle needs to have its ITV inspection simply use this link, clicking on the image of your car: www.veiasa.es/itv/cuando_pasar_la_itv
In San Pedro Alcántara, the ITV centre is based in the industrial estate, or Polígono Industrial de San Pedro, and to schedule an appointment, you can either do it online using the following link: www.itvcita.com, by email: ITV-marbella@veiasa.es, or calling the following number: 959 99 99 99 – 951 21 69 91 (we can’t confirm if they’ll speak English, so perhaps ask someone to help if you struggle with the language). If you don’t pass the test, you will be given a document with a list of things you need to fix before returning within two months. After your car has successfully passed the I.T.V., a sticker proving road-worthiness will be handed over which must by law be displayed on the window-screen.
It is highly recommended to have your ITV certificate up to date otherwise your insurance will not cover any costs related to accidents, and you can also receive a fine of up to €200 if you are driving without a current ITV certificate.
Remember – ignorance of the law is no excuse when it comes to committing an offence!