Selling your car in the Canary Islands: a guide

Set a realistic price

Price is what decides how quickly your car sells. The Canary market is small and each island behaves almost like its own market: a car that sells quickly on the mainland may attract fewer buyers on Lanzarote or La Palma, and vice versa.

Get a starting figure from the market prices page and from similar cars (make, model, year, mileage and condition) listed on your island.
Compare with similar cars for sale on your island and check price trends on the Canary used-car market page.
Adjust for the real condition: tyres, dents, service history and when the next ITV is due.
Leave a little room to negotiate, but avoid pricing well above the market: the ad gets fewer views and you usually end up dropping the price anyway.

Prepare the car and the paperwork

Buyers trust a clean car with its papers in order. Before you advertise, gather:

Permiso de circulación: the registration certificate, in your name.
Ficha técnica (also called the tarjeta ITV): the technical card where inspections are recorded.
A valid ITV, Spain's equivalent of the MOT. If it is about to expire, passing it before you sell builds trust and avoids disputes. See our ITV guide.
Service history: service book, garage invoices, cambelt or tyre changes.
Proof of payment of this year's road tax (IVTM), which is paid to the town hall where you live.
Both keys, if you have them, and the owner's manual.

It is also worth downloading the vehicle report (informe de vehículo) from the DGT online portal. It shows the number of previous owners, ITV history, recorded mileage and any charges or embargoes. If a charge appears, clear it before selling, as it can block the transfer.

Step by step: selling your car

Set a price by comparing similar cars and the market prices on your island.
Gather the permiso de circulación, ficha técnica, valid ITV and service history, and download the DGT vehicle report.
Clean the car and take photos in good light: the outside from several angles, the interior, the odometer, the boot and the tyres.
Post your ad with an honest description that includes any known faults.
Reply to buyers, meet in a public place and go with the buyer on the test drive.
Agree the price and receive payment by a method you can verify before handing over keys and documents.
Sign two copies of the sale contract and keep a copy of the buyer's ID.
Hand over the permiso de circulación, the ficha técnica and the keys.
If the buyer is not processing the transfer straight away, notify the DGT of the sale yourself within 10 days.
Cancel or transfer your insurance once the car has been handed over.

The ad, buyers and test drives

A good ad includes price, mileage, year, fuel, gearbox, island and town, when the next ITV is due and a summary of the service history. Mentioning faults up front saves wasted viewings and protects you if there is a complaint later. Our page on how to sell on MotorCanarias has tips on photos and wording; private sellers can list for free.

Viewings and test drives

Meet in daylight, in a public or busy place on your island.
Before the test drive, check the buyer's driving licence and take a photo of it.
Always go along on the drive and never leave the buyer alone with the keys or the documents.
If they want a garage of their choice to check the car, go with them; it is a reasonable request.

Be wary of anyone who says they are off the island and wants to buy without seeing the car, offers more than the asking price, or suggests that a "shipping agent" will collect it.

Safe payment and the sale contract

Do not hand over the car until the money is confirmed. A bank transfer only counts when you can see the funds in your own account, not when the buyer shows you a receipt. If you are offered a banker's draft (cheque bancario), check it with the issuing bank. Avoid payment methods you cannot verify and never release the car against a part payment.

The contrato de compraventa (sale contract) should include:

Names and ID numbers of seller and buyer (DNI, NIE or passport).
Registration number, chassis number (VIN), make and model.
Price, payment method, and the exact date and time of handover.
Mileage at the time of sale and the declared condition of the car.
Who will pay this year's road tax, if you want to agree that.

The date and time mark where your responsibility ends: fines or incidents after handover belong to the new owner. For the full procedure, see our change of ownership guide.

Notifying the DGT and sorting the insurance

As long as the car is still registered to you at the DGT, you may receive fines, road tax bills or be held responsible for the vehicle. So if the buyer does not process the transfer at the time of sale, file a notificación de venta (notice of sale) yourself within 10 days. You can do it on the DGT online portal with a digital certificate or Cl@ve, by appointment at the Jefatura Provincial de Tráfico (in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria or Santa Cruz de Tenerife, depending on your province) or the local Traffic Office on Lanzarote, Fuerteventura or La Palma, or through a gestoría, a local agency that handles paperwork. You will need the contract and the buyer's details.

Third-party insurance is compulsory in Spain. Once the car has been handed over, tell your insurer about the sale so the policy can be cancelled or transferred, depending on your policy terms. The buyer must have their own insurance before driving away.

Leaving the islands, and dealer vs private sale

Selling before you leave Tenerife or the Canaries

If you are moving away, the simplest option is to sell the car before you go, allowing several weeks. Selling from abroad makes viewings, payment and signing much harder. Do not leave the car with a friend or buyer "to sort out later" without a signed contract. If the buyer does not complete the transfer, file the notice of sale so there is a record that you are no longer the owner. Remember to cancel your insurance and to settle the road tax with your town hall.

Private buyer or dealer

Selling privately usually gets you a better price, but takes time, viewings and handling the payment and paperwork yourself. Selling or part-exchanging with a dealer is quicker and the dealer generally handles the transfer, in exchange for a lower price. You can ask several verified dealers for an offer and compare it with your valuation.

Costs: who pays what

General information. Taxes, fees and amounts change and depend on each case. Always check the current figures with the official sources linked here or ask a gestoría (licensed paperwork agent).

Item	Who pays	Where it is paid or handled	Official source
Transfer tax (Impuesto sobre Transmisiones Patrimoniales, ITP) on a private sale	Usually the buyer	Agencia Tributaria Canaria (self-assessment on its online portal)	ATC
DGT fee for the change of ownership (current amount on the DGT website)	Usually the buyer, unless agreed otherwise	DGT online portal or Jefatura Provincial	DGT
Notice of sale	Seller	DGT online portal or Jefatura Provincial	DGT
ITV before selling (each station's own rate)	Seller, if they choose to	ITV station authorised by the Gobierno de Canarias	Gobierno de Canarias
Road tax (IVTM) for the year	Generally whoever is the owner at the start of the year; can be agreed in the contract	Town hall where the owner lives	Town hall
Gestoría fees (optional)	Whoever hires it	Gestoría	-

When you sell to a dealer, a dealer buying for resale can be exempt from ITP if it meets the conditions of the exemption (including reselling the car within a year), and it generally handles the transfer. Always check current amounts with the official sources.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to pass the ITV before selling my car?

It is not always required of the seller, but a valid ITV reassures buyers and avoids problems with the transfer. If it is about to expire, it is worth passing it before you advertise.

What happens if the buyer never transfers the car?

You would still appear as the owner at the DGT and could receive fines or tax bills. To avoid this, file a notice of sale with the DGT using the contract and the buyer's details.

What is the safest way to get paid?

A bank transfer you can already see in your own account, or a banker's draft checked with the issuing bank. Do not hand over the car or papers until payment is confirmed.

I am leaving Tenerife in a few weeks. What should I do with my car?

Advertise it as soon as possible at a competitive price, or ask a dealer for an offer if time is short. If the transfer cannot be completed before you leave, file the notice of sale and cancel your insurance.

Can I sell my car as a foreign resident in the Canaries?

Yes, the process is the same as long as the car is registered to you at the DGT. Identify yourself in the contract with your NIE or the document under which you are recorded as owner.

Official sources

This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice. We review it regularly; if you spot something out of date, let us know through the contact form.