The short answer: you ask the DGT (Spain's traffic authority) for a duplicate and the original is cancelled. You can do it online through the DGT's e-office (it arrives by post in about two weeks), by phone on 060, or with an appointment at the Provincial Traffic Office in Valencia, where it is issued on the spot. The fee is DGT fee 4.4, which the DGT currently sets at €20.81. In the meantime, if your car shows up in the miDGT app, you can keep driving with the certificate on your phone.
In this article
Do I have to carry it? What happens if I am stopped without it
Yes. The Spanish Traffic Act requires drivers to carry their licence, the registration certificate (permiso de circulación) and the ITV card (tarjeta de inspección técnica), and to show them to an officer on request (article 59.2 of Royal Legislative Decree 6/2015). The General Vehicle Regulations say the same and add that they must be originals or duly certified copies (article 26 of Royal Decree 2822/1998).
What has changed is the format. Since March 2022 the law accepts physical or digital proof (article 59.1, as worded by Law 18/2021). That means the miDGT app: according to the DGT, the certificate shown there is as valid as the paper one for driving in Spain. It still recommends carrying the paper in case your phone dies, and its validity is limited to Spain.
And if you are stopped with nothing? Not carrying it is not listed among the serious or very serious offences, so it is treated as minor (article 75 c): a fine of up to €100 (article 80.1). Driving a car with no valid registration is another matter: very serious (article 77 l) and the car can be impounded (article 66.3). Losing the paper does not put you there. Your car is still registered in the Vehicle Register. You have lost the proof, not the registration.
Registration certificate and ITV card: two different documents
They live in the same wallet, but each one is replaced in a different place.
- The registration certificate is issued by the DGT. It shows who the registered keeper is and authorises the car to be on the road. A duplicate always comes from the DGT.
- The ITV card (ficha técnica) sets out the technical details of the vehicle. If it was registered after May 2016, or already has an electronic ITV card (eITV), the DGT issues the duplicate too, with fee 4.1, currently €8.67. If it is the old card on green paper, the duplicate can only be obtained at an ITV testing station.
If you lost both, that means two procedures and two fees. When your next inspection is due is explained in how often you need to pass the ITV.
How to get a duplicate registration certificate
First of all, check the vehicle report on the DGT e-office: the DGT asks you to make sure the car has no restriction on being driven. If it shows issues, such as a seal order or a deregistration, you need to contact the traffic office. We explain what each entry means in the DGT report on a used car.
The Regulations allow it to be done through the e-office or at any Provincial or Local Traffic Office (article 30.3).
1. Online, on the DGT e-office
You need Cl@ve (Spain's online ID system), a digital certificate or an electronic ID card. You fill in your contact details, choose the document and pay the fee in the same process. The new certificate arrives by post in about two weeks, with no appointment.
2. By phone, on 060
Only for loss, theft or damage. You are asked questions to confirm you are the keeper, and you pay by card or with a fee already bought. The keeper has to make the call; a representative cannot. It arrives by post in about two weeks.
3. With an appointment at the Provincial Traffic Office in Valencia
If you need the paper now, this is the route: the office issues it on the spot. An appointment is required and is booked on the DGT website or on 060. Bring the official application form (form 01), your ID and the paid fee, or a card to pay there: offices take cards only, never cash. Note that offices only serve private individuals. If the car belongs to a company, the procedure is online.
4. Through a licensed agency
A gestor administrativo (licensed administrative agent) applies for you with your authorisation. You need no digital certificate or appointment, and any issue is sorted out with the DGT by the agent.
Documents and fee
- Keeper's ID: Spanish ID card, Spanish driving licence, residence card, or passport together with your NIE.
- Fee 4.4: at the time of writing, the DGT e-office lists €20.81. It is updated every year, so check before you pay. If you pay at a post office (Correos), handling charges are added.
- Representation: if someone acts for you, an authorisation recorded in the DGT's Register of Powers of Representation or, in person, form 24.
Joint keepers, keepers who are minors or under guardianship, and agricultural or historic vehicles use the e-office special cases form: the DGT contacts you to collect it at an office, with no guaranteed timeframe.
If it was stolen
If your wallet was stolen with the car papers, the DGT advises reporting it at a police station to prevent fraudulent use. The duplicate is requested the same way, for the same fee, and the report gives you a dated record of what was taken.
If the car itself was stolen, you must report it and you can apply for temporary deregistration due to theft by showing the police report (article 36.1 b of the General Vehicle Regulations). We explain it in how to deregister a vehicle.
Timeframes
- There is no deadline to apply. But until you have it, on paper or in miDGT, every time you drive you risk a fine.
- Online or by phone: about two weeks until it arrives by post.
- At the traffic office: on the spot, on the day of your appointment.
- If your details have changed (name, company name, a modification to the car), you need a renewal, not a duplicate. You have 15 days to tell the DGT about any change to the data in the Vehicle Register, and if it affects what appears on the certificate, a new one is issued (article 30.2).
Common mistakes
- Applying without checking the vehicle report first. If there is an issue, the application gets stuck and you lose weeks.
- Confusing the registration certificate with the ITV card and paying the wrong fee.
- Turning up at the traffic office without an appointment or with cash. Without an appointment you will not be seen, and cash is not accepted.
- Still using the original if it turns up later. Once the duplicate is issued, the original is cancelled and must be destroyed (article 30.1 of the General Vehicle Regulations).
When to hand it to an agency
If you have Cl@ve and the vehicle report is clean, you can do it yourself from home. It is worth handing over if you have no Cl@ve or certificate, if the report shows issues, if the car belongs to a company or a minor, if you also lost the ITV card or if you are in the middle of selling and need the papers in order for the private car transfer. To talk it through in person, book an appointment with us in Valencia.
Frequently asked questions
Can I drive while I wait for the duplicate?
Yes, if you carry the certificate in the miDGT app, which in Spain is as valid as the paper. If your car is not in the app, book an appointment at the traffic office: it is issued on the spot.
How much does a duplicate registration certificate cost?
DGT fee 4.4, which the e-office currently lists at €20.81. Check before you pay, because fees are updated at the start of each year.
How long does it take to arrive?
Online or via 060, about two weeks by post. At the traffic office, with an appointment, it is issued on the spot.
What is the fine for not carrying the registration certificate?
Not carrying it is treated as a minor offence, which the Spanish Traffic Act punishes with a fine of up to €100. If you have it in miDGT, you comply.
Where do I get a duplicate ITV card?
If the car was registered after May 2016 or has an eITV, from the DGT, with fee 4.1. If it is the old paper card, at an ITV testing station.