Prices on the mainland often look lower, and many people wonder whether it pays to buy there and ship the car over. We ran the numbers with a real case, a 2020 BMW 3 Series bought from a dealer, using listings and tax rates from November 2026. The short answer: almost never.
Why cars look cheaper on the mainland
On the mainland a used car from a dealer carries Spanish VAT (IVA, 21%). In the Canary Islands the local tax is IGIC, which is lower. That difference is real, but it disappears at the port: a car that enters the islands pays IGIC on import, and the VAT you paid on the mainland is only recovered in some cases.
What you pay when the car arrives
- IGIC on import: 15% for cars of more than 11 fiscal horsepower, which includes most 2.0-litre four-cylinder engines (a 320d or a 330e is about 13). 9.5% below that, and 0% for electric cars and hybrids that emit no more than 110 g of CO2 per km.
- The IGIC is calculated on the price plus transport, and never on less than the tax authority's valuation of the car.
- Customs declaration (DUA) through an agent: about €150.
- Transport: from about €400 port to port, and about €850 door to door from Madrid to Las Palmas.
- There is no new registration tax: the car is already registered in Spain.
Can you get the Spanish VAT back?
Only if the dealer sells the car with VAT shown on the invoice, which is usual for cars from leasing or company fleets, and agrees to invoice it without VAT as an export with a DUA. Most used cars at mainland dealers are sold under the margin scheme (REBU): there is no VAT on the invoice, so there is nothing to recover, and you still pay IGIC when the car arrives.
Example 1: BMW 320d from 2020
On the mainland, 2020 320d models with 80,000 to 100,000 km are listed by dealers at around €22,500. This is what the same car costs once it is in Gran Canaria:
- Margin scheme (no VAT to recover): €22,500 + about €1,000 for transport and customs + about €3,500 of IGIC = around €27,000. That is €4,500 more than on the mainland.
- With VAT on the invoice and recovered: €18,600 without VAT + €1,000 + about €2,900 of IGIC = around €22,500. Exactly the same price as on the mainland, after all the paperwork.
Example 2: BMW 330e from 2020
The plug-in hybrid pays no IGIC, so it is the most favourable case for bringing a car over. A dealer in Gran Canaria lists one from 2020 with 84,600 km at €24,480. On the mainland, a similar one costs around €26,000.
- Margin scheme: €26,000 + €1,000 = around €27,000. About €2,500 more than buying it here.
- With VAT recovered: €21,500 + €1,000 = around €22,500. About €2,000 less on paper, but only if the dealer agrees to sell it without VAT, and before the costs listed below.
And from a private seller on the mainland?
This is the worst option. You pay the transfer tax (5.5% for a Canary Islands resident) and then IGIC again at customs. For a €20,000 car that is about €1,100 plus €3,100, plus €1,000 of transport and customs: more than €5,000 on top of the price, with no guarantee.
What the numbers do not show
- A trip to see the car before paying: flights and a night away, €300 to €400.
- One to three weeks without the car while it travels and clears customs.
- The risk of damage in transit, with insurance that is often basic.
- If the tax authority values the car above the price you paid, the IGIC goes up.
- A dealer's own guarantee may require taking the car back to the mainland for repairs.
Our conclusion
For almost every buyer it is not worth it. In the best case you pay the same as on the mainland, in the usual case you pay more, and in every case you take on the travel, the paperwork, the waiting and the risk. If the car you want exists in the islands, buying it here is simpler and, very often, cheaper.
If the car you want is not in the islands
Sometimes the exact model, engine, colour or specification simply is not available in the Canaries. In that case, do not do it alone. Rely on someone who knows both markets: who can find the right car, have it inspected before any money is paid, check whether the VAT can be recovered, and organise the transport, the customs and the IGIC, so the car arrives with no surprises and the numbers have been done properly before you commit.
Prices are from dealer listings in November 2026 and are rounded. Tax rates can change: confirm your case with a customs agent before buying.
By Efrén Suárez MartínFounder, Gran Canaria Premium Car