I thought that recounting how to get an ITV (MOT) for a car here might be of interest.  This is my 3rd experience of taking a Spanish registered diesel car to the ITV Baix Ebre station near Tortosa but I’m guessing that other ones must be similar.

Get an appointment when your car is due.  Like in UK they don’t send you a reminder.  When I was late the first time they didn’t seem phased. 

Report in at the ‘ITV Revisions’ desk with your vehicle registration document and await your number plate being called (in Catalan… so listen up!).

Go to the desk and pay up (45 Euros).  Now the fun begins.  For the most part you are dealing with humorless Spanish Civil Servants.  Take the folder with your documents in it to your car.

Drive to the Vehicle Emissions booth. When instructed open the bonnet for an oil check and then start the car and get out so a man can get in and rev the engine to his liking whilst his machine decides if your exhaust is responsible for 90% of global warming.

Get back in and drive round to the long shed as instructed and wait your turn.  When summoned open your window.   

First up… the wobble test.  Drive onto the floor pads (front wheels) and turn your engine off – gears in neutral.  You feel the earth move for you (oo err missus) and it is such fun you do it all again for the back wheels.  A quick electrics test: headlights, indicators, horn, wipers and sprayers, back lights including brake and reverse.  Your existing ITV sticker is scraped off (if applicable).

Next the brake test.  A similar thing – front and back - with a rolling road and you brake on request gently but firmly.  The back wheels also require a hand-break test.

Next the inspection pit awaits.  A man goes under your car and writhes with your wheels around asking you, via a loudspeaker near your window, to brake and to wiggle your steering wheel repeatedly left and right (quite hard given that the engine is off so there is no power steering).

If all is OK then you pass – hurray – and the sticker is placed on your windscreen to say as much.  Park just outside the long shed of doom and go back in to the desk in the middle to collect your paperwork.  Then away you go for another year or two. 

Hope this is of use.
Mike
PS  Look at some of the other vehicles around you and wonder why you were so worried that you might fail.  The other day I saw a horse-box being towed with 2 horses in it two wheels on the right but only one on the left.  Despite this severe list to the left the local policeman didn’t say a thing!

Perhaps the lower price is only for local Catalooians ?