Is importing a car from Germany worth it?

The Premium Cars team16 September 20264 min read

1. Choice: this is the main reason

In 2025 around 2.9 million new cars were registered in Germany, against 1,148,650 in Spain. And according to the KBA, the German federal motor transport authority, 66.1 % of the German ones were registered to companies. That is the engine of the premium used market: fleet and leasing cars that come back after two, three or four years, serviced in the official network.

In Spain it works the other way round: 57.3 % of used cars sold in 2025 were more than 10 years old, with an average age of 11. Looking for a nearly new premium car with a specific specification here means competing for a small pool. We go into it in why Germany has the cars you want.

2. What you pay: it is not just the car

This is the part people underestimate, so here it is plainly. On top of the price of the car you have:

Registration tax, which goes by homologated CO₂. In the Balearics: 0 % up to 120 g/km, 4.75 % from 120 to 160, 9.75 % from 160 to 200 and 16 % above 200. An electric car pays nothing; a V8 pays the top rate. Work yours out with the registration tax calculator.
Transport to the islands.
Registration paperwork: traffic authority fees, the import roadworthiness test and the agent who files it.

The detail of each one is in how importing works and in registering an imported car. And one warning we repeat constantly: be wary of anyone quoting you an "all-in final price" before they have seen your car's CO₂ figure. Registration tax depends on that number and on the region, and it can be zero or sixteen per cent.

3. VAT: the part almost nobody explains properly

A used car bought from a professional seller in Germany is normally sold with German VAT included, and you do not pay VAT again in Spain. That is the usual case. But there are different situations depending on the VAT scheme of the sale and on whether the car counts as new for tax purposes. We explain it with the references in VAT on a used car imported from Germany.

4. Time

Our usual timeframe is around ten days from payment to delivery, though that is an estimate of how it tends to go and not a commitment: it depends on transport, on the car being available and on the paperwork. The case we know best is one of our own: a 2019 Mercedes C-Class Cabriolet that left Frankfurt and was in Palma five days later, with the registration handled without a hitch.

5. The warranty: the argument that sometimes beats all the others

A car from an official German programme comes with a manufacturer warranty in writing — a minimum of 24 months on BMW Premium Selection and MINI NEXT, a minimum of 12 on Porsche Approved — plus the German statutory warranty, which in a sale to a consumer cannot be excluded and runs for two years. Compare that with buying privately in Spain: six months of liability for hidden defects, and even that can be contracted away.

It is all set out in approved used car or ordinary dealer and in the programmes one by one.

6. When it is NOT worth it

We would rather tell you ourselves than have you find out afterwards:

If you are after a cheap or low-value car. Transport and paperwork are close to fixed costs: the cheaper the car, the more they weigh. Below a certain point it makes no sense.
If you need the car this week. There is a transport and paperwork timeline that cannot be skipped.
If that particular model is well supplied here. It happens with models that sold heavily in Spain. If that is your case, we will say so.
If you will not be able to evidence the homologated CO₂. Without that figure the tax office applies the top band. With a car from an official dealer and its full documentation this does not happen, but with a car of doubtful origin it does.

7. And the worries, one by one

What if the mileage has been tampered with? In Germany the roadworthiness test records the odometer reading by law at every inspection, so there is a written trail. We explain it in how to spot odometer fraud.
What about the environmental sticker? You get it the same way as for any other car; what matters is the CO₂ figure and the Euro standard. See the DGT sticker on an imported car.
What if something is wrong with it? That is what the official recall campaigns are for, and they are checked by chassis number before buying: what to check on a BMW, Mercedes or Porsche.
What about diesel in the Balearics? The 2025 ban was repealed. What does exist is the Palma low emission zone, which filters by sticker: diesel, petrol or electric to live here.

In short

It is worth it when you want a nearly new premium car with a specific specification, you want an official warranty and you are not in a hurry measured in days. It is not worth it for low-value cars, in a rush, or when the model is plentiful here. And the sums have to be done with the registration tax inside, not afterwards.

If you like, tell us what you are looking for and we will run the numbers for your case: what is available right now.

Frequently asked questions

Is importing a car from Germany worth it?

It is worth it when you want a nearly new premium car with a specific specification and an official manufacturer warranty. It is not worth it for low-value cars, if you need the car within days, or if that particular model is well supplied in Spain.

What do you pay on top of the car?

Registration tax (0 %, 4.75 %, 9.75 % or 16 % in the Balearics depending on CO₂), transport to the islands and the registration paperwork, which includes traffic authority fees, the import roadworthiness test and the filing agent.

Do you pay VAT again in Spain?

Normally not: a used car bought from a German professional is sold with German VAT included. There are different situations depending on the VAT scheme of the sale and on whether the car counts as new for tax purposes.

How long does it take?

Our usual timeframe is around ten days from payment, though it is an estimate and depends on transport and paperwork. One 2019 Mercedes C-Class Cabriolet we brought over left Frankfurt and was in Palma five days later.

What warranty does an imported car from an official dealer have?

The manufacturer programme warranty — a minimum of 24 months on BMW Premium Selection and MINI NEXT, a minimum of 12 on Porsche Approved — plus the German statutory warranty of two years, which cannot be excluded in a sale to a consumer.

Can you still bring a diesel to the Balearics?

Yes. The ban planned for 2025 under the Balearic climate law was repealed by the regional parliament in 2024. What you do need to check is the environmental sticker, because of the Palma low emission zone.