Registering your electric scooter with the DGT as a foreign resident (with a NIE)

Can a foreign resident register a scooter in Spain?

Yes. Registration in the DGT's Vehicle Register has been compulsory since 30 January 2026 (Royal Decree 52/2026), and it is the same for every owner, whatever their nationality. What the DGT requires is legal residence in Spain: the scooter is registered in your name with your NIE, just as a Spanish national registers it with a DNI.

Your NIE appears on the card or certificate you were given as a resident, such as the TIE (Tarjeta de Identidad de Extranjero), or on the official document that granted it to you. When the registration is complete, you receive a registration certificate in PDF with a number in the format M 0000 AAA, which is the number on the scooter's label.

Registration is one of three things your scooter needs: to be ridden, it must be registered with the DGT, carry the identification label and have third-party liability insurance (Law 5/2025). The general procedure, step by step, is in how to register a scooter with the DGT.

What do I need to register it?

Four things: your NIE, legal residence in Spain, one of the three identification methods and your scooter's details. This is the full list:

• NIE, front and back. The valid document showing your NIE. The scooter is registered in your name with it.
• Identification. A Spanish driving licence, Cl@ve PIN or a digital certificate. One of the three is enough (see below).
• The scooter's details. If it is certified: the technical data sheet with the certificate number (a letter and four digits, such as B1134) and a photo of the manufacturer's plate showing the serial number. If it is not: make, model and serial number.
• The DGT fee. €8.67 (fee 4.1). With us it is included in the €35.

The full list, with what each document is for, is on our required documents page.

How do I identify myself without a Spanish DNI?

With one of the three methods the DGT accepts: a Spanish driving licence, Cl@ve PIN or a digital certificate. You only need one, and all three work with a NIE.

If you don't have any of them yet, this is how each one works with a NIE. Without any of the three, you can still register the scooter yourself in person, with an appointment at a DGT traffic office (Jefatura de Tráfico) and your NIE.

Spanish driving licence (including an exchanged one)

If you have a Spanish driving licence, you don't need Cl@ve or a digital certificate: we identify you with your licence and handle the whole procedure for you. The licence is only used to identify you; you don't need one to ride a scooter.

If you exchanged your foreign licence at the DGT (the canje), you already hold a Spanish licence: the exchange swaps the one you had for the equivalent Spanish licence, so it works in the same way. A licence issued in another country that you have not exchanged is not one of the three methods: use Cl@ve PIN or a digital certificate instead.

Cl@ve PIN with a NIE

Cl@ve is the Spanish public administration's system for identifying yourself online. According to clave.gob.es, with a NIE you can register in two ways:

• Online, by invitation letter: you enter your NIE, a mobile number and an email address, and a letter with a code is posted to the tax address the Spanish Tax Agency (Agencia Tributaria) holds for you.
• In person, at a registration office of the Tax Agency, Social Security, the public employment service (SEPE) or a Government delegation or sub-delegation: bring the document showing your NIE and your passport. Many offices ask for an appointment.

Each mobile number can only be linked to one DNI or NIE. For now, registration by video identification in the Cl@ve app is only offered to Spanish nationals with a valid DNI, so it does not work with a NIE.

Digital certificate with a NIE

The FNMT (Fábrica Nacional de Moneda y Timbre, Spain's Royal Mint) also issues its personal digital certificate to NIE holders. You apply on its website and receive an application code by email. Then you go in person to an identity verification office with that code, the card or official document showing your NIE and your passport (EU citizens can use their national identity card instead). Once your identity is verified, you can download the certificate. The steps are on the FNMT website.

What if I only have a passport or don't live in Spain?

Then the scooter cannot be registered in your name. The DGT requires legal residence in Spain, and the scooter is registered with a NIE: a passport on its own is not enough.

Your passport does play a part when you get Cl@ve or a digital certificate, because you show it together with your NIE document. But it never replaces the NIE in the registration.

If you are on holiday or don't have legal residence in Spain, we cannot register the scooter for you either: we only submit registrations the DGT accepts.

I brought my scooter from another country. Can I register it?

Yes, if its model is certified. To register it as certified, it needs a certificate number issued by an authorised laboratory, and the model must be on the DGT's list; a type approval from another country is not enough. You can look up your model in our certified scooter finder.

If it is not certified, it can only be registered as a non-certified vehicle if it was put on the market before 22 January 2024. It is registered with its make, model and serial number and can be ridden until 22 January 2027; after that, it can no longer be ridden. Since 22 January 2024, the models sold must be certified. More in non-certified scooters and 2027.

Do I need insurance to ride it?

Yes. Third-party liability insurance is compulsory for registered scooters (Law 5/2025), with minimum cover of €6,450,000 for personal injury and €1,300,000 for property damage, and it only covers you in Spain. The DGT fines riding without insurance with €250 to €800 (€202 to €610 for not having it taken out).

We don't sell insurance: after registration we send you a link to a partner, from €44. What it covers and what it costs are in compulsory scooter insurance. Insurance is also one of Renfe's conditions for taking the scooter on the train: see scooters on trains, metro and buses.

How do we do it for you?

You fill in the form in English, attach your documents and pay €35, including the €8.67 DGT fee and VAT. The scooter is registered in your name, not the gestoría's (a gestoría is a licensed Spanish agency that deals with the authorities for you).

1. You fill in the registration form with your NIE and your scooter's details.
2. Before paying, you authorise us to carry out the procedure on your behalf.
3. We submit the registration to the DGT and pay the fee.
4. We email you the registration certificate in PDF, normally in under 24 working hours once your documents are complete.

If you also need the identification plate (the identification label the DGT requires, which many people call a number plate or sticker), it costs €15 + €4.95 shipping (VAT included) on our plate page, or €45 + €4.95 shipping in the registration + plate pack. We print it ourselves: NT Cars is an authorised number-plate processor (manipulador de placas habilitado) registered in Spain's National Vehicle Register (no. 038001272). If something goes wrong: If the mistake is ours, we redo it at no cost. If it can't be processed for reasons beyond our control (for example, incorrect details or not having the identification method you chose), we refund the amount paid minus €2 for the payment fee.

Frequently asked questions

Can I register my scooter in Spain with a passport?

Not with a passport alone. The DGT asks for a NIE and legal residence in Spain. If you are a foreign national legally resident here, the scooter is registered with your NIE.

Can I use my foreign driving licence to identify myself?

Only if you have exchanged it for a Spanish one at the DGT: then it is a Spanish licence. A licence issued in another country is not one of the three identification methods; use Cl@ve PIN or a digital certificate instead.

Can I register a scooter in Spain if I don't live here?

No. The DGT requires legal residence in Spain to register a scooter, so it cannot be registered in the name of a tourist or of someone who doesn't live here.

Can I register my scooter in English?

Yes, with us: our registration form is in English, as well as in Spanish and Catalan, and we submit the registration to the DGT for you.

How much does it cost to register an electric scooter in Spain?

The DGT fee is €8.67 (fee 4.1), the same for every owner. If we do it for you, it costs €35 including that fee and VAT, and we send you the certificate normally in under 24 working hours once your documents are complete.