The ITV (Inspección Técnica de Vehículos) is Spain's periodic roadworthiness test, comparable to the MOT in the UK. It applies to you if your motorcycle is registered in Spain: because you live there, bought a bike locally or re-registered one you brought from another country. Here is when the motorcycle ITV is due, how often after that, what it costs in the different regions and what fine you face without a valid test. All information as of November 2026.
In short
- Motorcycles: no ITV for the first four years after first registration, then every two years.
- Mopeds up to 45 km/h (ciclomotores): exempt for three years, then every two years.
- Historic motorcycles: every four years.
- Cost: varies a lot by region; most regions set an official maximum price.
- Fine: 200 euros for breaching the ITV rules, 500 euros for serious technical defects. Pay within 20 days and you usually get 50 percent off.
Who the Spanish ITV applies to
The deadlines run from the date of first registration recorded in the vehicle register of the Spanish traffic authority DGT, so they concern motorcycles with Spanish plates. If you ride through Spain on a bike registered in another country, the test of that country still applies; for a German bike, for example, the German TÜV inspection. If you register a motorcycle in Spain after moving there, you have to go to the ITV first anyway. How that works is explained in Registering an EU motorcycle in Spain.
Motorcycle ITV intervals
The intervals are set out in Article 6 of Real Decreto 920/2017, the Spanish regulation on vehicle testing. The current version has applied since 1 October 2024.
| Vehicle | First ITV | After that |
|---|---|---|
| Ciclomotor (category L1e: up to 45 km/h, up to 50 cc or up to 4 kW electric) | after three years | every two years |
| Motorcycles, three-wheelers and quads (rest of category L) | after four years | every two years |
| Motorcycles classified as historic | at least every four years, whatever their age | |
An example: if your bike was first registered on 15 May 2022, the first ITV is due by 15 May 2026. After that it is every two years.
Going early without losing time
As a rule, the new validity period starts on the day you pass. But if you take the test within the last 30 calendar days before expiry, the two years are added to the old expiry date. So booking a few weeks ahead costs you nothing. If you go earlier than that, the new period starts on the test date.
How the test works
The test station classifies defects in three levels, and that decides what happens next:
- Minor defects (leves): you pass. You must fix them within two months; no retest is needed.
- Major defects (graves): the result is "desfavorable". You may only ride to a workshop and back to the station. The retest must take place within two months.
- Dangerous defects (muy graves): the result is "negativa". The bike must not be ridden at all and has to be transported, for example on a trailer. Here too you have two months to bring it back.
Miss the two months and the whole vehicle is tested again at the next visit. Once you pass, you get the V-19 sticker, which must be displayed on the vehicle; historic vehicles are exempt. Police can ask to see the report from the last test, so carry it with you.
Tip: Checking lights, tyres and brakes yourself takes a few minutes and can save you a retest. How to check your brakes is covered in Checking motorcycle brakes.
What the motorcycle ITV costs
There is no single price for all of Spain. Most regions (comunidades autónomas) set maximum tariffs that stations may not exceed. In the Madrid region and in Murcia, stations set their own prices. The Spanish motoring club RACE compiled the tariffs in February 2026, based on a 2025 table from the test station association, excluding VAT and the DGT fee, which RACE puts at 4.18 euros for 2026. Some examples for motorcycles:
| Region | Maximum tariff, motorcycle (excl. VAT) |
|---|---|
| Mallorca | 10.21 euros |
| Catalonia | 14.14 euros |
| Canary Islands | 15.26 euros |
| Valencia | 18.11 euros |
| Andalusia | 14.31 euros up to 125 cc, otherwise 23.89 euros |
| Basque Country | 24.24 euros |
| Madrid | free pricing; RACE gives a guide of about 35 to 45 euros |
Add VAT and the DGT fee on top. RACE also expects an inflation adjustment of around 3 percent for 2026. The station shows you the exact price when you book; according to RACE, online bookings are sometimes discounted.
Fine for riding without a valid ITV
Spain's traffic law (Ley sobre Tráfico, Circulación de Vehículos a Motor y Seguridad Vial) classes breaches of the ITV rules as a serious offence, with a fine of 200 euros. Riding with technical defects that seriously affect road safety is a very serious offence, at 500 euros. If you pay within 20 calendar days of notification, the fine is usually cut by 50 percent, so 200 becomes 100 euros. In return you give up the right to appeal.
Carrying on riding normally after a "desfavorable" result, instead of going straight to a workshop, also breaks the rules. How fines from other EU countries are enforced is explained in Foreign traffic fines: pay or not?
ITV compared with Germany and France
Compared with Germany, where motorcycles are tested every two years, Spain gives you more breathing room at the start: a new bike does not need its first ITV until it is four years old. France only introduced testing for motorcycles in 2024, see Motorcycle roadworthiness test in France. The other rules for riders in Spain are in Motorcycle rules in Spain and the new rules from October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
When does a motorcycle in Spain need its first ITV?
Four years after first registration. Mopeds up to 45 km/h need their first ITV after three years. After that, both go every two years.
Do I need a Spanish ITV for a foreign-registered motorcycle?
No, as long as it is registered in another country; that country's test applies. If you register the bike in Spain, you need an ITV to get the Spanish technical data sheet.
Do I lose time if I take the ITV early?
Not if you go within the last 30 calendar days before expiry. In that case the new period runs from the old expiry date.
How much is the fine without a valid ITV?
200 euros, or 500 euros for technical defects that seriously affect safety. If you pay within 20 calendar days, you usually pay half.
What happens if my bike fails?
With major defects you may only ride to a workshop and back to the station. With dangerous defects the bike must not be ridden. Either way you have two months for the retest.
Sources
- Real Decreto 920/2017 on vehicle roadworthiness testing, consolidated text (BOE)
- Real Decreto Legislativo 6/2015, Spanish traffic law, Articles 76, 77, 80 and 94, consolidated text (BOE)
- Conoce los tipos de infracciones y sanciones (DGT)
- Cuánto cuesta pasar la ITV, February 2026 (RACE)
Last checked: November 2026. Deadlines, prices and fines may change.
