The cheapest and most expensive places in Spain to get an ITV test
With price differences of up to 210%, it might be worth taking a spin when your next test in Spain is due
Just like the MOT test in the UK, car owners in Spain need to mark their calendars carefully to schedule their Technical Inspection of Vehicles (ITV) test, a legally-obligated appointment which checks that motors are roadworthy. With queues often long and strikes a common occurrence, it can be a bit of a hassle, but did you know that it could also be costing you more than it needs to?
Incredibly, rates vary across Spanish test centres by as much as 209.7% for petrol cars and 125.7% for diesels, according to a recent study conducted by FACUA – Consumers in Action.
This probably seems like an enormous disparity, and it certainly is, but it’s all down to how ITV test centres are managed in Spain. Many, such as in Madrid, are liberalised, meaning that they aren’t governed by any regional rules and can charge what they like. As a result, Madrid charges the most in the country for tests on diesel cars (66.02 euros), while the Basque Country, where test centres are also privately owned, is the priciest for petrol, at 52.68 euros.
The average price of the ITV in the 17 autonomous communities in Spain currently stands at 39.29 euros for petrol-powered cars ( 11.2% more than in 2023 ) and 47.12 euros for those equipped with a diesel engine (9.8% more than the previous year).
Many factors contributed to this overall increase, but one of the main culprits was the closure of the Region of Murcia’s last remaining state-run ITV centre, which considerably pushed up prices.
Cheapest ITV tests for petrol vehicles
On the other end of the scale, many communities are far cheaper so it may be worth taking a spin over the border next time your ITV is due.
The cheapest rates by far were found in Mallorca (17.01 euros), followed by Andalucía (29.10 euros for vehicles under 1,600cc and 39.34 for the rest) and Extremadura (29.25 euros at stations run by the local government and 42.48 euros at privately-owned ones).
Cheapest ITV tests for diesel vehicles
If you drive a diesel car, head to Extremadura, where the average test costs just 29.95 euros. Coming right behind are Mallorca (30.92 euros) and Andalucía (30.92 euros) for passenger cars under 1,600cc.
How does ITV pricing work?
Thankfully, Madrid and Murcia are the only places in Spain where the privately-owned ITV test centres can charge whatever they like. In other regions where the stations are privately owned, they operate through a concession system, so the prices are controlled somewhat by the local governments.
There are also communities with a mixed model of public and private stations, such as Extremadura, where the differences in prices very obvious.
In the Valencian Community, the management of the ITV became public again at the end of 2022, after 25 years of being concessioned to private companies.
In Mallorca, since 2020, management has been carried out directly by the Island Council through a public company.
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