Spanish Number Plates

A guide to the Spanish registration plate system — format, history, and how it works.

Current Format (Since 2000)

Since September 2000, Spanish number plates follow the format 1234 ABC — four digits followed by three letters. The plates feature the EU blue stripe on the left with the letter E for España.

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1234 BCD

Key Features:

• No region identification — plates are issued nationally, not by province
• 4 numbers + 3 letters — numbers run 0000–9999, letters BBB–ZZZ (excluding vowels and certain consonants)
• EU blue stripe — required since Spain joined the Schengen area
• White background with black characters (front and rear)

Previous Format (1971–2000)

Before 2000, Spanish plates were province-based. They started with one or two letters identifying the province (e.g., M for Madrid, B for Barcelona, MU for Murcia), followed by four digits and one or two letters.

This system was abandoned because it identified where the car owner lived, which raised privacy concerns and sometimes led to regional discrimination.

No Private Plates in Spain

Unlike the UK, Spain does not allow personalised or private number plates. Every vehicle is assigned a sequential registration number by the DGT (Dirección General de Tráfico). You cannot choose, buy, sell, or transfer registration numbers.

This means your Spanish plates will be brand new — issued sequentially from the DGT's current position in the numbering sequence.

How the Numbering Sequence Works

The system runs sequentially from 0000 BBB through to 9999 ZZZ. The letters skip vowels (A, E, I, O, U) and certain consonants (Ñ, Q) to avoid creating offensive words or confusion.

This gives a total capacity of around 80 million unique combinations — enough to last for decades. When your vehicle is registered, the DGT simply issues the next number in the sequence.

Get Your Spanish Plates

We handle the full import process — from ITV to fitting your new Spanish plates.

Or call us: +34 868 990 576 (Spain) · +44 (0)2380 200 706 (UK)