Check the firm
yourself
Two minutes, a public registry, and no need to take anyone's word for it. Including ours.
A removals firm's legality is checkable by you: the national transport registry publishes authorisations in force. Anyone charging to move other people's goods needs MDP or MDL; MPC is own-account transport and does not qualify. Look it up in the Registro de Empresas y Actividades de Transporte, public under article 53 of Law 16/1987.
Checking it yourself, in two minutes
Four stepsAsk for the CIF and the full registered name
Not the trading name on the website: the registered name. A firm that resists giving it has already answered the question.
Search the national registry
Go to the transport registry and search by CIF. It publishes authorisations in force, community licences, professional competence and registered vehicles.
Confirm it says MDP or MDL, not MPC
MDP is heavy public goods transport and MDL is light; both allow carrying goods for hire. MPC is own-account transport and does not permit charging to move other people's things.
Ask for the policy, not the promise
Third-party liability cover is not insurance on your furniture: it covers damage to third parties. What protects your contents is goods-in-transit cover based on a valued inventory, and items worth more than EUR 600 must be listed separately.
What should make you stop
Warning signsNo invoice means no demonstrable contract, and no contract means no claim and no arbitration board.
A written quote is obligatory before the move and must state explicitly whether municipal fees and permits are included. Once accepted it is proof that the contract exists and of what it contains.
A firm may exclude the transport arbitration board in writing, and it has to do so before the service begins. If it does not, and you are claiming under EUR 15,000, the board has jurisdiction: free, no lawyer, binding award. Look for that clause before you sign.
Read it before you sign, not afterIf the local reference for a two or three-bed flat is EUR 350 to 800 and someone offers EUR 150, they have either misunderstood the job or do not intend to complete it. On the UK corridor the equivalent signal is the GBP 80 per cubic metre advert, which industry sources themselves cite as a red flag.
What the law requires of a Spanish removals firm
The requirements| Requirement | What it means |
|---|---|
| MDP or MDL authorisation | Public goods transport authorisation. The first thing to check. |
| IAE heading 757 | The tax heading for removals. General road freight is 722; invoicing under the wrong heading is a signal. |
| Economic capacity | EUR 9,000 for the first vehicle and EUR 5,000 for each additional one. |
| Good repute and professional competence | Personal requirements of the licence holder, verifiable in the same registry. |
| Compulsory insurance | Third-party liability, which is not the same as cover on your furniture. |
| Tax and social security compliance | A condition of keeping the authorisation in force. |
Questions about legitimacy
Frequently askedHow do I check a Spanish removals company is registered?
Search by CIF in the Registro de Empresas y Actividades de Transporte. It is public and free, guaranteed by article 53 of Law 16/1987.
What is the difference between MDP, MDL and MPC?
MDP and MDL are public transport authorisations, heavy and light, and allow carrying other people's goods for payment. MPC is private complementary transport and does not permit doing removals for money.
Is a man with a van legal in Spain?
Charging for it without an authorisation, no. The problem for you is not the penalty they face: it is that if something breaks there is no goods-in-transit cover and no arbitration board to go to.
What is the Junta Arbitral del Transporte?
A free dispute resolution body: no lawyer, no procurador, binding award. A firm may exclude the transport arbitration board in writing, and it has to do so before the service begins. If it does not, and you are claiming under EUR 15,000, the board has jurisdiction: free, no lawyer, binding award. Look for that clause before you sign.
Does a complaint form get me compensated?
No. The hoja de reclamaciones opens a penalty procedure against the firm but does not compensate you. For that you need the arbitration board or the courts. Your municipal OMIC offers free mediation.
What insurance actually covers my furniture?
Third-party liability cover is not insurance on your furniture: it covers damage to third parties. What protects your contents is goods-in-transit cover based on a valued inventory, and items worth more than EUR 600 must be listed separately. An industry illustration: a washing machine arriving with a broken glass door paid out EUR 18 under liability cover, because that cover is calculated by weight, not value.
Does my Spanish home insurance help?
Possibly. Many Spanish home policies include a desplazamiento del contenido cover that can apply during a move. It is one of the most overlooked options: call and ask before buying separate cover.