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Impounded in Barcelona: where and how to get your car back

car pound Barcelona

In Barcelona the city crane is particularly efficient, and can even come and go when you’re just a few minutes over your time and your car isn’t disturbing the traffic.

  • Unfortunately, foreign cars are sometimes the first to be impounded.

  • Be warned that motorbikes can also be impounded, so we advise owners of all vehicles to pay close attention to the signs.

motorbike impound

Locating a vehicle that has been impounded

If your vehicle has been impounded, you will see a fluorescent sticker on the ground in its place. You will normally see your registration number on the sticker as well as the telephone number and the address of the car pound.

If this information is not visible, do not panic: there are many ways to locate your vehicle.

  • Enter the registration number on the impound website.
  • Call +34 937065250: someone will be able to speak to you in English.
  • Send a text to +34 217010 with the word grúa and your registration number

Barcelona pounds

There are many different car pounds in Barcelona and all are open 24 hours.

If you are going by taxi, do not worry! The drivers know the addresses of the car pounds (grúas municipales) and are used to bringing distressed tourists there…

Passeig de la Vall d’Hebron car pound

Address: Passeig de la Vall d’Hebron 138-160
E-mail: di*******@bs***.cat
Telephone: +34 93.428.06.98

Metro: L3 or L5, stop Vall d’Hebron
Bus: 10, 17, 27, 73, 76, 112, 119, 185, B16, B19
Night Bus: N4

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Carrer Badajoz car pound

Address: Carrer Badajoz, 168
E-mail: di********@bs***.cat
Telephone: +34 93.328.49.50

Metro: L1 Glòries
Bus: 7, 92, 192, 60, N7, N2
Tram: T4, stop Ca l’Aranyó

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Parc Joan Miró car pound

Address: Parc Joan Miró, Carrer Tarragona (between Carrer Consell de Cent and el Carrer Diputació)
E-mail: di******@bs***.cat
Telephone: +34 93.423.05.70

Metro: L1, L3 or L8 stop Espanya or Tarragona
Train (FGC): R5, R6, L8, S4, S7, S8, S33, stop Espanya
Bus: 27, 30, 37, 46, 56, 57, 79, 91, 109, 157, 165
Night Bus: N1, N2, N13, N14, N15, N16, N17

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La Maquinista car pound

Address: Ciutat d’Asunción (between el Carrer Tucumán and el Carrer Potosí)
E-mail: co*******@bs***.cat
Telephone: +34 93.360.11.21

Metro: L1, stop Torres i Bages
Bus: 11, 42, 60, 73
Night Bus: N8

  • Warning! This pound does not take care of administrative procedures. To withdraw your vehicle you will first have to go and pay at the pound at Vall d’Hebron, or Parc Joan Miró or Carrer Badajoz.

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Castellbisbal car pound

Address: Avinguda del Ferrocarril, 11-13 (Can Estapé Industrial Centre)
E-mail: co*******@bs***.cat
Telephone: +34 93.772.36.91

Train (FGC): Rubí then take the Sarbus nº 2 towards Polo Industrial Rubí Sud

  • Attention! Like La Maquinista, Castellbisbal pound does not deal with administrative procedures. To withdraw your vehicle you will first have to go and pay at the pound at Vall d’Hebron, or Parc Joan Miró or Carrer Badajoz.

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Documents required to withdraw your vehicle

To withdraw your car, you should always present your driving licence, your insurance and your ID. You will also need the following in relation to your vehicle:

  • If you are the owner of the vehicle: registration papers in your name. In this case those people shown on the insurance policy as the usual drivers are also considered the owners.
  • If you are not the owner: an original signed authorisation from the vehicle’s owner as well as a photocopy of the owner’s ID or driving licence.
  • If it is a rental car, you will need the original or duplicate of the rental contract in your name. If the contract is not in your name, you will need the contract holder or agency to provide a signed authorisation. Attached to it a copy of the ID of the contract holder if they are the ones who have signed the authorisation.
  • If the vehicle’s owner is a legal person: a paper proving that you are the principal user of the vehicle or a stamped authorisation form accompanied by a photocopy of the ID of the authoriser.

How much does the pound cost in Barcelona?

Fees to pay

  • Impounding
  • Time your vehicle is held
  • One or more parking fines (they are generally around 100 euros but you will only pay around 50 if you pay straight away).

The amount should be paid before you recover your vehicle.

Pound prices

Cars

  • Impounding: around 150 euros
  • Price per hour: around 2 euros
  • Price per day: around 20 euros
  • Price per month: around 200 euros

Motorbikes

  • Impounding: around 61 euros
  • Price per hour: around 1 euro
  • Price per day: around 8 euros
  • Price per month: around 75 euros

Bikes

  • Impounding: around 61 euros
  • Price per hour: less than 1 euro
  • Price per day: around 5 euros
  • Price per month:around 40 euros

Note that the first 4 hours are free. However, the entire day bill applies after 10 hours.

In case of abuse

Many tourists feel themselves to be victims of abuse. If this is the case, bear in mind that any appeal only applies to the amount of the fine and not the cost of the impounding.

Once you have paid the pound (in cash or by Visa bank card), you can fill in the back of the ticket which you will receive with your bill. Send all to the following address:

Institut Municipal d’Hisenda
Avinguda Litoral, 30
08005 Barcelona

Our advice for avoiding the car pound in Barcelona

  • Be extremely vigilant and do not park without first reading the parking signs indicating the permitted parking times.
  • As a guide, avoid parking in green areas or in places without signs (apart from in the Pedralbes area) and respect the times indicated on your parking slip. In Eixample, there are many “carga-descarga” (loading and unloading) areas indicated by yellow lines. They are permitted at night but absolutely forbidden from 8am.
  • Do not miss our article on cheap car parks, as the best solution is of course to use the city’s car parks.

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