In this article
- What is the ITV in Spain?
- How often is the ITV due for each type of vehicle?
- How do you find out when your ITV is due?
- Can you take the ITV early? The 30-day rule
- Is there a grace period if you miss the date?
- What are the fines for an expired, unfavourable or failed ITV?
- What happens if the ITV result is unfavourable or failed?
- Do cars over 10 years old need the ITV every 6 months?
- What if the car is parked with an expired ITV?
- How to never forget the ITV again
- Frequently asked questions
The ITV in Spain is due 4 years after a private car is first registered, then every 2 years until the car is 10, and every year after that. Motorbikes also have their first ITV at 4 years but then stay on every 2 years, while vans and taxis have shorter intervals. You can take it up to 30 days before it expires without losing a single day of validity.
- Private car: exempt for 4 years, then every 2 years, and yearly from 10 years old.
- Motorbike and moped: every 2 years after the first one (at 4 and 3 years respectively).
- If you pass it in the 30 days before expiry, the new date counts from the expiry date, not from the day you go.
- There is no grace period: one day after the date, it has expired, even if you have a booking.
- The "ITV every 6 months for cars over 10 years old" story is a hoax: it is still yearly.
What is the ITV in Spain?
The ITV (Inspección Técnica de Vehículos) is Spain's compulsory roadworthiness test, the equivalent of the MOT in the UK. Approved stations check your brakes, lights, tyres, emissions and the rest of the safety items, then give you a result and a sticker for the windscreen. If you live in Spain and your car has Spanish plates, it follows the Spanish ITV calendar, not the one you knew back home.
How often is the ITV due for each type of vehicle?
The intervals are set by Royal Decree 920/2017 on vehicle inspection (Real Decreto 920/2017) and have not changed in 2026. They depend on two things: the type of vehicle and its age, counted from the date of first registration.
| Vehicle | First ITV | After that |
|---|---|---|
| Private car | At 4 years | Every 2 years from 4 to 10; yearly from 10 |
| Motorbike and quad (category L) | At 4 years | Every 2 years |
| Two-wheel moped | At 3 years | Every 2 years |
| Van up to 3,500 kg | At 2 years | Every 2 years until 6; yearly from 6 to 10; every 6 months from 10 |
| Taxi, VTC (private hire), ambulance and driving school | From the first year | Yearly until 5 years; every 6 months after that |
Look closely at the van: it is the vehicle people get wrong most often. Its first inspection comes at 2 years, much earlier than a car, and from 10 years old it is due twice a year. If you use a van for work, missing the ITV can mean having it off the road exactly when you need it most.
How do you find out when your ITV is due?
The date that counts is the first registration date, not the date you bought the vehicle. If you bought it second hand, it keeps the calendar it already had. There are three quick ways to check:
- The windscreen sticker. It shows the month and year of the next inspection. It is the fastest option, as long as it is up to date and the latest one.
- The ITV card (tarjeta ITV, the vehicle's technical record). The back lists previous inspections with their expiry dates.
- miDGT. In the app or on the online portal of the DGT (Spain's traffic authority), using your digital certificate or Cl@ve (the Spanish government's online ID), you can see the ITV expiry date for the vehicles registered in your name.
A worked example
A car first registered on 15 March 2022 must pass its first ITV before 15 March 2026. The next ones are due in March 2028 and March 2030. In March 2032 it turns 10, and from then on it is yearly: 2033, 2034 and so on.
The key point is that the calculation is based on the expiry date, not on the day you went to the station. That has a very useful practical consequence, which we look at next.
Can you take the ITV early? The 30-day rule
Many people wait until the last moment because they are afraid of "giving away" days of validity. There is no need. Article 6.5 of the regulation says that if you pass the inspection within the 30 days before it expires, the new validity counts from the date it was due to expire, not from the day of the inspection.
However, if you take it more than 30 days early, the new date counts from the day you went. In that case you do lose the days you brought it forward.
Book your appointment as soon as you enter the 30-day window. Some stations have waiting times of days or weeks, and booking early lets you pick a day and time that suits you.
Is there a grace period if you miss the date?
No. This is the most expensive mistake. The ITV expires on the date shown, and the next day you are driving with an expired ITV. Having an appointment booked does not exempt you: if you are stopped on the way to an appointment next week, the fine is the same.
So the sensible approach is never to leave it until the last day. A breakdown, an illness or a busy week at work is enough for the date to slip past.
Jack reminds you on WhatsApp before you enter the 30-day window and works out the next date once you pass.
Start for freeWhat are the fines for an expired, unfavourable or failed ITV?
These are the amounts usually applied, as the specialist press consistently reports:
| Situation | Usual fine |
|---|---|
| Driving with an expired ITV | €200 (€100 if paid early) |
| Driving with an unfavourable (desfavorable) ITV | €200 |
| Driving with a failed (negativa) ITV | €500 and the vehicle is impounded |
| Not returning for the second inspection within 2 months | €500 |
None of these offences takes points off your licence. But on top of the fine comes the part that really hurts: if the vehicle is impounded, the tow truck and the pound are at your expense, and you are left without your car or work van until it is sorted.
What happens if the ITV result is unfavourable or failed?
It is not the end of the world, but there is a deadline. Under article 11 of the regulation, you have a maximum of 2 months to fix the defects and go back to the station.
- Unfavourable (desfavorable): there are serious defects. You can drive to the garage and back to the ITV within the deadline you are given.
- Failed (negativa): there are very serious defects that make driving dangerous. The vehicle should not be moved except to take it to the garage or the station.
If you do not go back within those 2 months, the ITV counts as not passed and the fine goes up. That is why it pays to ask the garage for a quote on the same day as the inspection.
Since 1 January 2026, version 7.9 of the inspection procedure manual applies, and reading emissions through the OBD port on Euro 5 and Euro 6 cars is now part of the test. A fault warning light on, or a stored fault, can complicate your result, so check it before you go.
Keeping up with servicing is the best way to avoid surprises at the station. If you are not sure what is due and when, read our guide to the car maintenance schedule by mileage.
Do cars over 10 years old need the ITV every 6 months?
Every so often a message goes round social media and chat groups saying that cars over 10 years old will have to pass the ITV every 6 months. It is false. In 2026 a private car over 10 years old still has it once a year.
The confusion comes from the fact that six-monthly inspections do exist, but for other vehicles: light vans over 10 years old, and taxis, VTC, ambulances and driving school cars over 5 years old. For your private car, nothing has changed.
What if the car is parked with an expired ITV?
What the law penalises is driving with an expired ITV. That is why some courts have cancelled fines given to cars that were parked and not moving, as Administrative Court no. 3 in Oviedo did in June 2026.
Treat this with caution: it is one court's decision, not Supreme Court case law, and other courts may see it differently. Also, do not confuse the ITV with insurance: a parked car that has not been deregistered does need to be insured, as we explain in our article on driving without insurance in Spain.
How to never forget the ITV again
The ITV has one problem: it comes round every two years, or every year, and in between you have plenty of time to forget about it completely. The sticker is there, but nobody looks at the inside of the windscreen.
With Vehistrack for individuals you enter the date once and Jack, our WhatsApp assistant, reminds you in time to book within the 30-day window. When you pass, just tell him ("I've passed the ITV") and he works out the next date based on the type of vehicle and its age. It is also saved in the car's history, something a buyer will value the day you sell, as we explain in our guide to service history when selling a car.
Frequently asked questions
Can I take the ITV early in Spain?
Yes. If you do it within the 30 days before it expires, you do not lose any days: the new date counts from the expiry date. If you take it earlier, it counts from the day of the inspection.
When does a motorbike have its first ITV?
4 years after registration, and then every 2 years, never yearly. Two-wheel mopeds have it earlier, at 3 years, and then also every 2 years. If you ride a motorbike, you may also like our guide to the motorcycle GPS tracker.
Can I drive with an expired ITV if I have an appointment?
No. There is no grace period, and having an appointment does not exempt you from the fine if you are stopped.
Does an expired ITV cost points on my licence?
No. None of the ITV-related offences takes points off, but the usual fine is €200 for driving with it expired and it can reach €500 plus impounding if the inspection was failed.
Where can I see the date of my next ITV?
On the windscreen sticker, on the ITV card, or in miDGT, which shows the expiry date for the vehicles registered in your name.
