Driving a UK-registered car in Gibraltar: registration, the Gibraltar MOT, the Spain rules and what to do instead

How long can I keep it on UK plates?

Every motor vehicle imported into Gibraltar must be registered there. For a private import the government says this must be done as soon as possible. Gibraltar's traffic regulations exempt a visitor's car licensed in another country only while it has spent less than 180 days in Gibraltar in the previous 365, stays with the same owner and is insured. Any car on foreign plates used on Gibraltar's roads must have a valid roadworthiness certificate from its country of registration, so a UK car needs a current UK MOT; using it without one is an offence. If you live in Spain, Spanish rules apply instead: a resident of Spain may not drive a car on foreign plates and has 30 days to apply to register it in Spain. In 2021 Gibraltar's government warned that Spain was impounding Gibraltar-registered vehicles owned by people it considered resident in Spain, and said that anyone officially resident in Spain cannot own a Gibraltar-registered vehicle.

Can a right-hand-drive car be registered?

Gibraltar drives on the right. We have not found a rule in Gibraltar's published guidance that bars right-hand-drive cars, but before a used import is registered the Licensing Authority must confirm that it meets Gibraltar's construction and equipment regulations. Ask the Ministry of Transport what your car needs, for example whether the headlamps must be converted, before you pay for anything. On Gibraltar's small market a right-hand-drive car sells for less.

What registering it involves

1. A check by the Licensing Authority that the used import meets Gibraltar's construction and equipment regulations, and a Gibraltar MOT.
2. Gibraltar motor insurance.
3. Registration and licensing: a Gibraltar Certificate of Registration and Gibraltar plates.
4. Tell the DVLA the car has been permanently exported from the UK.

What it costs

• The registration fee, the Gibraltar MOT and insurance. The government publishes its fees in a fees table.
• Any work the Licensing Authority requires to meet Gibraltar's construction and equipment regulations. Ask the Ministry of Transport before you start.

The alternative: sell it back to the UK

The usual alternative is to drive the car back to the UK and sell it there. Gibraltar to Calais is about 2,200 km through Spain and France, or about 1,100 km to the ferry at Santander or Bilbao and then a crossing of a day or more, plus fuel, tolls, the journey back and the job of selling the car when you arrive. It only works while the MOT, UK tax and insurance are valid. We collect it free from your address in Gibraltar or across the border, handle the export paperwork and pay you in pounds sterling (£) by bank transfer on collection day.

Common questions

Rules, rates and thresholds change. This guide is a general summary as of October 2026, not legal or tax advice — check the current position with the registration authority before relying on it.

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