ITV prices across Spain: What you pay depends on where you live
There is a massive price difference between inspection stations across Spain
If you own a car, van or motorcycle in Spain, you'll be all too familiar with the often dreaded ITV appointment. The Inspección Técnica de Vehículos is that mandatory check your vehicle has to pass every so often, depending on its age, to prove it meets minimum safety and emissions standards, quite similar to the MOT in the UK.
It's one of those necessary evils of motoring life, but what you might not realise is just how much the cost varies depending on where in Spain you happen to live.
The ownership structure of ITV stations differs wildly across autonomous communities, which explains the price disparity. Some areas operate a mixed system with concessions held by both public entities and private companies. Castilla y León, for example, has gone entirely private, Madrid and Murcia have completely liberalised their markets while Andalucia, Asturias, the Valencian Community and Extremadura keep everything in public hands.
It's a right old mishmash and the result is price differences of up to €29 per vehicle depending on where you get your inspection done.
A comparative study of prices and waiting times at 200 vehicle inspection stations, carried out at the end of October by Spain’s consumer group the OCU, revealed some eye opening disparities.
The most expensive regions for ITV tests are Ceuta, the Basque Country and Cantabria.
"Their price exceeds €53, at least €15 higher than in the cheapest regions, which are Andalucia, Extremadura and Madrid."
What you drive also affects what you pay. Electric vehicles get off lightest with an average cost of €40, while petrol cars, hybrids and LPG vehicles come in at around €44. Diesel drivers get stung the most at €51. For motorcycles, the fees "exceed €36 in the most expensive autonomous communities, in this case Galicia and Madrid, compared to just over €21 in Catalonia, Castilla y León and Castilla-La Mancha."
That's quite a difference for essentially the same service.
The OCU points out that savvy drivers can save a few extra euros by taking advantage of "potential discounts during off-peak hours."
Even more interestingly, there's actually no legal requirement to have your ITV done in the same autonomous community where your car is registered. So if you live near a regional border or happen to be travelling through a cheaper area, you can potentially save yourself a decent chunk of money by booking an appointment there instead.
Waiting times for appointments vary considerably as well. Generally speaking, you're looking at a wait of between one and two days, though in Madrid and the Balearic Islands you can often get an appointment the same day. The outlier is Galicia, where the average wait stretches to six days.
Even though the thoughts of the ITV test can often be daunting, the consumer organisation strongly advises against putting off your inspection appointment.
"It's not advisable to delay the appointment, firstly because an expired ITV not only implies a €200 fine, but above all because in case of an accident the insurance company could deny coverage." That last bit is crucial. A €200 fine is annoying, but having your insurance refuse to pay out after an accident because your ITV had lapsed could be financially catastrophic.
On a more positive note, "some insurance companies include a free service to take the car to the ITV," according to the OCU.
It's worth checking your policy to see if this perk is included, as it takes at least some of the hassle out of the whole process. Anything that makes ITV day slightly less painful has got to be worth investigating.
Find all the latest motoring and travel news here or join our Driving in Spain Facebook group for regular updates
Image: Freepik
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