[REVISION HISTORY]

Vehicle inspection regulations and compliance

Updated 3 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-08-23 05:43 UTC → 2026-08-31 07:21 UTC · added ~~removed~~

In ~~July, Dekra announced special Sunday hours at seven~~ Costa Rican stations and warned that roughly 30% of vehicles required to undergo Spain’s ITV were being missed, with lighting, tyre and brake defects most common. A week later, Spain’s traffic authority detailed stricter, age-based inspection schedules for tractors, harvesters and related equipment and introduced semi-annual ITV for camper-vans older than ten years, affecting over 100,000 vehicles and imposing a €200 fine for non-compliance. Following the initial rollout, Dekra broadened its Sunday service on 9 August, operating an extraordinary day at 11 stations nationwide to cut waiting times and boost road safety. The company reiterated the 30% Spanish non-compliance rate, urging owners to perform preventive checks. Spain’s expanded regime continues to differentiate fast tractors (exempt first four years, then biennial up to sixteen) from slower machines (first check at eight years, then biennial) and maintains mobile ITV stations to reach rural owners. In Costa Rica, Dekra expanded ~~its~~ accessibility ~~efforts~~ by scheduling an extraordinary service day for Sunday, 23 August. Twelve stations, including locations in Heredia, Alajuela, Cartago, and Puntarenas, will operate from 6:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. to provide additional inspection ~~options for drivers. Meanwhile, Spanish~~ options. Drivers are required to schedule appointments in advance via the Dekra Costa Rica website or telephone service. In Spain, authorities have addressed misinformation regarding inspection frequencies. Officials debunked false reports claiming that cars older than ten years require semi-annual inspections; under Royal Decree 920/2017, these vehicles remain subject to annual requirements. Driving with an expired inspection in Spain continues to carry a €200 fine. To further increase capacity in the Extremadura region, the Junta de Extremadura is seeking a location to install a new mobile vehicle inspection station (ITV) in Mérida. This unit is intended to reinforce the city’s fixed station, which operates only during morning shifts during the summer. The mobile service, managed by Dekra, is planned to operate until the end of the year, with a possible extension through 2027 depending on demand. Until the mobile unit is operational, regional authorities noted that demand can be met by stations in Montijo and Almendralejo.

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