The MOVES III subsidy, step by step
MOVES III is the national scheme that subsidises electric vehicles and charge point installations — but it is administered by each of Spain's seventeen autonomous communities separately, which is where nearly all the confusion, and most of the disappointment, comes from.
Last checked:
The rates used here have not yet been verified against the official source. They reflect commonly published values and are here so the tool is usable, but they should be treated as indicative only until confirmed. Spanish rates also change at least annually.
Before you act on any figure — accepting a job, budgeting a purchase, planning a tax position — confirm it against IDAE + each regional energy body. A gestor or abogado can advise on your own situation; this page cannot.
Not legal advice. This page explains how the MOVES III scheme is structured and administered in general terms so you know what to expect. It is not legal, tax or immigration advice, and it cannot account for your situation. Amounts, deadlines and eligibility are set regionally and change frequently; your own regional energy body is the authority. Confirm anything that matters with the official body or a qualified gestor or abogado before you act on it.
Why it is confusing: national money, regional rules
MOVES III is funded centrally and designed by IDAE. That part is national and consistent. Everything you actually interact with is not.
Each autonomous community runs its own call for applications, with its own portal, its own forms, its own opening and closing dates, and its own share of the budget. So the answer to almost any specific question about MOVES — how much, by when, using which form — is "it depends on your region".
| Set nationally (IDAE) | Set by your region |
|---|---|
| The framework and maximum amounts | The amount you actually receive, within that ceiling |
| Broad eligibility categories | Documentation and specific conditions |
| Total funding available | How much your region gets, and when it runs out |
| The overall scheme period | When applications open and close where you live |
What the grant is worth
National maximum amounts for vehicle purchases. These are ceilings, not entitlements — what you receive depends on the vehicle, on whether you scrap an eligible old one, and on your region.
| Vehicle | Without scrappage | With scrappage |
|---|---|---|
| Battery electric car (BEV) The main category. Subject to a maximum vehicle price, which excludes most premium models. | 4.500 € | 7.000 € |
| Plug-in hybrid (PHEV) Requires a minimum electric-only range. | 2.500 € | 5.000 € |
| Electric motorcycle Category L vehicles, subject to their own conditions. | 750 € | 1.100 € |
For charge point installations the grant is a percentage of eligible cost rather than a fixed sum:
| Applicant | Share of eligible cost |
|---|---|
| Individuals and communities of owners Covers the charge point, installation and associated works. Higher rates have applied in small municipalities. | up to 70% |
| Self-employed and small businesses Rate falls as the size of the undertaking increases. | up to 50% |
| Large undertakings Publicly accessible points may qualify for more. | up to 30% |
If you are installing at home, the home charger guide covers the installation itself — including your right to install in a communal garage.
Four things that catch people out
None of these are hidden. All of them are routinely discovered too late.
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Trap one
Regional budgets run out early
Allocations are finite, and several regions exhaust theirs long before the scheme formally ends — sometimes within weeks of opening. There is no national waiting list and no queue. Applying early in a funding round matters more than applying carefully at the end of one.
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Trap two
Payment is slow — often very slow
Waits of many months between approval and money arriving have been common. Budget as though you are paying full price and treat the grant as a later rebate. Anyone planning a purchase around the grant arriving by a particular date is planning on sand.
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Trap three
The grant is generally taxable income
In Spain these grants have generally counted as taxable income in the year received. So the headline figure is not what you keep — your marginal rate comes off it. Almost nobody factors this in, and it can reduce the real benefit substantially for higher earners.
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Trap four
Buying before applying can disqualify you
The scheme generally expects the application to come before the purchase, or within a short defined window after it. Sequencing is set regionally. Getting it wrong is the most expensive mistake available here, and it is entirely avoidable by asking first.
How to apply
- Find your regional body and check whether its call is currently open — see the list below.
- Confirm the required order for your region: application before purchase, or within how long afterwards.
- Check the vehicle qualifies. There is a maximum price, which excludes many premium models, and plug-in hybrids must meet a minimum electric range.
- Decide about scrappage. Scrapping an eligible old vehicle raises the grant substantially, but the old vehicle must meet age and registration conditions.
- Gather documentation — identification, proof of address, the vehicle or installation paperwork, and scrappage evidence if relevant.
- Submit through the regional portal. For a vehicle, the dealer will usually do this; verify it has actually been submitted.
- Keep every document and note the tax year in which any payment arrives.
This page does not track which regions are open. Budget status changes week to week, and a stale "currently open" would be worse than no information — it would send you to a closed portal, or worse, cause you to delay a purchase waiting for a scheme that has already closed. Check your own regional body directly; that is the only current answer.
Who administers MOVES where you live
The body to apply to, by region. Amounts and current status come from them, not from here.
| Region | Administering body |
|---|---|
| Andalucía | Agencia Andaluza de la Energía |
| Aragón | Gobierno de Aragón — Industria |
| Asturias | FAEN / Principado de Asturias |
| Illes Balears | Govern de les Illes Balears |
| Canarias | Gobierno de Canarias |
| Cantabria | Gobierno de Cantabria |
| Castilla-La Mancha | Junta de Comunidades de Castilla-La Mancha |
| Castilla y León | EREN / Junta de Castilla y León |
| Cataluña | ICAEN — Institut Català d'Energia |
| Extremadura | Junta de Extremadura |
| Galicia | INEGA — Instituto Enerxético de Galicia |
| La Rioja | Gobierno de La Rioja |
| Comunidad de Madrid | Comunidad de Madrid — Fundación de la Energía |
| Región de Murcia | Instituto de Fomento de la Región de Murcia |
| Navarra | Gobierno de Navarra |
| País Vasco | EVE — Ente Vasco de la Energía |
| Comunitat Valenciana | IVACE — Institut Valencià de Competitivitat Empresarial |
Bodies as at 30 July 2026. Regional administrations restructure occasionally; if a name here no longer matches, search for your region plus ayudas MOVES.
Is it worth applying?
Usually yes — the amounts are meaningful, and for a charge point installation the percentage-based grant can cover a large share of the cost. But the honest framing is this:
- Decide whether the purchase makes sense without the grant. If it only works with the subsidy, the timing risk is doing too much work.
- Treat the money as a rebate arriving at an unknown future date, reduced by tax.
- Apply as early in a funding round as you can.
- If your dealer handles it, still confirm what was submitted and when.
Frequently asked questions
Who actually pays the MOVES grant — the government or my region?
Both, in a way that explains most of the confusion. MOVES III is designed and funded nationally through IDAE, but it is administered by each autonomous community. You apply to your region, using its portal, its forms and its timetable. That is why two people buying identical cars in different regions can face different paperwork, different waiting times and even different amounts.
How long does it take to get the money?
Historically, a long time — waits of many months between approval and payment have been common, and in some regions longer. The practical advice that follows from this is firm: budget as though you are paying the full price of the vehicle, and treat the grant as a rebate that may arrive much later. Do not plan a purchase on the assumption the money arrives before a payment is due.
Is the MOVES grant taxable?
In Spain these grants have generally counted as taxable income in the year they are received, which surprises almost everyone. That means a headline grant is not what you keep — the effective value is reduced by your marginal tax rate. Confirm the current position for your circumstances before assuming the advertised figure is the real benefit, and factor the tax year in which you receive it into your planning.
Can I apply after I have already bought the car?
Usually not in the way people hope. The scheme generally expects the application to precede the purchase, or to follow it within a short defined window, and buying first and applying later is a common way to be refused. Because the exact sequencing is set regionally, check your own region's rules before you sign anything — this is the single most expensive ordering mistake in the process.
What if my region has run out of money?
Then you cannot apply, however eligible you are. Regional allocations are finite and several regions exhaust theirs well before the scheme formally closes, sometimes within weeks of opening. There is no national waiting list. If your region is closed, your options are to wait for a further allocation, or to proceed without the grant — which is why the advice to budget without it is not merely cautious.
Does the dealer handle this for me?
For a vehicle purchase, usually yes, and it is generally the path of least resistance — dealers process these routinely and know their regional portal. For a home charge point installation you are more likely to be dealing with the regional process yourself or through your installer. In both cases the application is still yours: check what has actually been submitted rather than assuming it is done.