Car accident in Spain: what to do step by step and how to fill in the accident report

Even careful drivers have accidents. The first minutes decide how easily your claim is handled, and doing it in a foreign language adds stress. This is what to do if you have an accident in Spain.

1. At the scene: safety first

• Switch on your hazard lights and, if you have to leave the car on the road, put on a high-visibility vest.

• Since 1 January 2026, the warning signal in Spain is the connected V-16 beacon, placed on the roof of the car, instead of the old warning triangles.

• Move to a safe place, behind the barrier if you're on a motorway.

• If anyone is injured, call 112. The operators can often help in English.

2. Call the police when necessary

Call the police (Guardia Civil on interurban roads, or the local police in town) if there are injuries, if the other driver refuses to cooperate or give their details, if you suspect they are uninsured or under the influence, or if there's a disagreement about what happened.

3. Fill in the European accident statement

For accidents without injuries, Spanish drivers normally fill in the European accident statement (declaración amistosa de accidente, known as the parte amistoso). It's the same form across Europe, so it exists in English too. You can download it from our resources section and keep a copy in the car.

Tips:

1. One form, signed by both drivers. Each keeps a copy.

2. Tick the boxes carefully in section 12 (circumstances) and write the number of boxes ticked.

3. Draw a simple sketch of the accident.

4. Don't sign anything you don't understand or don't agree with. If you disagree, don't sign, and call the police.

5. Take photos of the vehicles, the plates, the position of the cars and the other driver's licence and insurance details.

4. Report it to your insurer

Report the accident to your insurer within seven days, as required by Spanish insurance law. Send the accident statement and photos. The sooner you report it, the sooner the claim can start.

Spanish insurers have agreements between them that speed up the settlement of many claims between two vehicles, so in simple cases your own insurer can often handle the repair directly.

5. If the other car is foreign

If the other vehicle is registered abroad, the claim still goes ahead. Take a photo of their insurance documents and plate. International agreements mean a foreign-registered car's insurance is handled through a representative in Spain.

How we can help

When our clients have an accident, they call us, not a call centre. Antonio Martínez Ballester spent years in the claims department of a major insurer before founding our agency, and we help you fill in the report, send it and follow the claim, in English. Visit us in central Murcia or send everything by WhatsApp.

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