Why is an MOT necessary?

  1. In order to drive on public roads, vehicles registered in Spain or those which will be registered in Spain will need to have an MOT test at any MOT centre in line with the specific characteristics of each case, following the requirements, regularity and exceptions that are established in this Royal Decree.
  2. The owner or long-term renter of the vehicle must complete the necessary MOT tests according to Article 5.
  3. The MOT centres will be set up by the corresponding department of the regional administration where they are based, according to Article 21. Each autonomous community will designate the MOT centres that are authorized in their territory with an identification code, which will be used in the MOT reports that they issue, according to Article 10.

Documentation

In order to take an MOT test, you need to provide the following original documents::

  • The vehicle’s circulation license (equivalent to the V5C)
  • The vehicle’s technical report (I.T.V. card)
  • A valid insurance policy

These documents must be provided every time you want to go through the MOT test, either in the first attempt or the second, in case of a 2nd attempt.

Types of technical inspections

MOT tests are classified as:

  1. Regular technical tests of the vehicles, whose aim is to check if the vehicle is fit to travel.
  2. Technical tests made due to any changes in the vehicle.
  3. Technical tests prior to the vehicle registration, or made for the issuing of I.T.V. cards.
  4. Technical tests that are requested by any administration to the owner or long-term renter.
  5. Voluntary technical tests requested by the owners or long-term renters of the vehicle.
  6. Technical tests of vehicles which have suffered an accident.
  7. Technical tests as a result of roadside technical tests.
  8. Technical tests prior to the suitability test necessary for vehicles destined to minors and school transports.
  9. Technical tests as expected in the cataloguing of historical vehicles.
  10. Technical tests established by the applicable legislation to the vehicles of food products at a regulated temperature and to vehicles transporting dangerous goods by road.
  11. Any other technical inspections that are established in line with the regulation in force at the request of the corresponding autonomous community.

Periodicity of the ITV / MOT

Motor scooters    
Less than 3 years: exempt
More than 3 years: every 2 years

 

Individual motorcycles, quads

Less than 4 years: exempt

More than 4 years: every 2 years

 

Private cars

Less than 4 years: exempt

From 4 to 10 years: every 2 years

More than 4 years: every year

 

Light vehicles

Less than 2 years: exempt

From 2 to 6 years: every 2 years

From 6 to 10 years: every year

More than 10 years: every 6 months

 

Heavy vehicles

Less than 10 years: every year

More than 10 years: every 6 months

 

Buses

Less than 5 years: every year

More than 5 years: every 6 months

 

Ambulances and Public Service

Less than 5 years: every year

More than 5 years: every six months

 

Caravans

Less than 6 years: exempt

More than 6 years: every 2 years

Farming vehicles

Less than 8 years: exempt

From 8 to 16 years: every 2 years

More than 16 years: every year

 

Motor homes

Less than 4 years: exempt

From 4 to 10 years: every 2 years

More than 10 years: every year

 

Special vehicles

Less than 4 years: exempt

From 4 to 10 years: every 2 years

More than 10 years: every year

What does the colour of the MOT sticker mean?

The MOT stickers have the following colours:

  • Yellow sticker: 1999, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2011, 2014, 2017, 2020, 2023, 2026, 2029.
  • Red sticker: 2000, 2003, 2006, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2018, 2021, 2024, 2027, 2030.
  • Green sticker: 2001, 2004, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2022, 2025, 2028

Classification of the defects

  1. Minor faults (DL) do not cause an immediate safety risk.
  2. Major faults (DG) are more serious, and they pose a potential safety risk to drivers and others. It could also be a defect that has a damaging impact on the environment.
  3. Dangerous faults (DMG) pose an immediate risk to the safety of the driver and other road users or have a damaging impact on the environment.

When several faults are found in the same element of the vehicle, it may be classified in the highest degree of importance if it can be shown that the combined effect of the faults is a higher risk for road safety.

Possible results of the roadworthiness test

ITV / MOT Favorable

When the VTI is favourable, it means that the vehicle has passed the roadworthiness test and is therefore in good working order. There may be slight defects, which need to be repaired, but they are not so relevant as to prevent the car from moving smoothly.

ITV  / MOT Unfavourable

With an unfavorable result, we are facing bad news. The car has not passed the roadworthiness test due to a serious defect that needs to be repaired before being able to continue driving with it. In this case, only movement from the ITV station to the repair shop is permitted.

ITV / MOT negative

This is the worst possible outcome. If we are told that the result of the JTI is negative, it means that one or more serious or very serious defects have been found which endanger the safety of the driver, members of the vehicle or other drivers on the road. With a negative ITV, you will not be able to drive the car in any way, even to the workshop as in the previous case. A crane must be notified to take the car to the workshop and repair all defects or breakdowns that have led to suspension in the technical review. In the same way, the return from the workshop to the ITV must also be done by crane. Once there, the inspection will be carried out again to verify that the damage has been repaired.

Follow-up of the faults

  1.  Minor faults will be repaired within 2 months. A new test is not necessary, except if the first test resulted in an MOT failure.
  2. Major faults disqualify the vehicle from being driven on public roads except for its transfer to the garage or, in this case, for the regularisation of its situation and be back to the MOT centre for a new test within 2 months, starting date from the first failure result.
  3. Dangerous faults disqualify the vehicle from being driven on public roads. In this case, the transfer of the vehicle from the MOT centre to its destination it will be carried out through another vehicle. Once the faults have been rectified, another MOT test will take place within 2 months, starting date from the first failure result.
  4. If the vehicle undergoes the second test after the deadline, a new full test will be completed, without detriment to possible sanctions.
  5. Every disqualification to circulate on the roads, as a consequence of faults, will be registered electronically in the vehicle register.
  6. In the case of major or dangerous faults, vehicles must undergo an inspection of the faulted elements once they have been rectified. If other faults are found during the inspection, these will determine the result of the inspection according to their classification, according to the MOT centre manual.
  7. In every case, faults will be written down in the MOT report.
  8. From 20th May 2018, owners can choose the MOT centre freely for both the first inspection and any extra tests. Until this date, extra tests must be conducted in the same centre as for the first inspection.