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Do I Need a Spanish Licence to Drive in Spain

Do I need a Spanish licence to drive in Spain and how to obtain or exchange a Spanish driving licence

By Nick Nutter | Updated 22 Mar 2023 | Andalucia | Living In Andalucia | Login to add to YOUR Favourites Favourites Icon or Read Later

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Who can drive in Spain

The legal driving age for driving a car in Spain is 18 years old. Those who are under 18 years of age cannot drive even if they hold a valid driving licence in their home country. So, sorry all you folks from Canada, Mexico and the United States, El Salvador, Guyana, Israel, Sri Lanka, Iceland, Gibraltar the United Kingdom and sundry other countries; until you are 18 years of age, no driving a car in Spain.

What type of licence do I need to drive in Spain

The type of licence you need to drive in Spain depends upon where you come from and how long you are intending to drive in Spain.



Citizens of other EU and EEA countries

If you are from another country in the European Union or from the European Economic Area, your European driving licence will be valid in Spain as long as it is current. Any exchange of your valid EU licence (Abre en nueva ventana) is therefore entirely voluntary. Exchange means we replace the driving licence you used to hold with an equivalent Spanish driving licence.

If your European licence expires, you must renew it in order to continue driving. This renewal involves exchanging your licence for a Spanish one.

If the driving licence has an indefinite period of validity (no expiry date), or is valid more than 15 years for group 1 (AM, A1, A2, A, B and BE), or more than five years for group 2 (C1, C1E, C, CE, D1, D1E, D and DE), you must renew it two years after establishing your ordinary residence in Spain.



Non EU citizens

Citizens from countries outside the EU can use their own driving licences to drive in Spain whilst they are on holiday. They may also use their own driving licence for up to 6 months after they have applied for residency in Spain. If the foreign license is not in Spanish, however, they must always carry an official translation or an International Driving Permit (IDP).

You do not need an IDP to drive in the EU , Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein if you have a photocard driving licence issued in the UK.

The IDP is a document that provides a translation of a person’s driver’s license into a number of different languages, including Spanish. Carry it at all times as well as the actual driver’s license. The IDP is valid for one year and you must apply outside of Spain.
Click here to see Who Needs an International Driving Permit to Drive in Spain and How to Apply for an International Driving Permit for Spain

After the Transition Period for UK Licence Holders (1st May 2022)

In the absence of an agreement between Spain and the UK, if you have been resident in Spain before January 1, 2022, but still use a UK driving license, with effect from May 1 2022, you will no longer be able to drive. Furthermore, for those who became residents after the first day of the year, your UK driving license is only valid for 6 months.

Blue Badge Holders
For those using the UK issued Blue Badge, this is no longer valid in Spain. You must return this to the UK and apply for a Spanish Disabled Parking Card. You can do this through the town hall.



UK Driving Licence Exchange in Spain

On the 1st May 2022, hundreds of UK driving licence holders, many of whom had been driving in Spain for years, had still failed to exchange their UK driving licence for a Spanish licence. Since that date, the British Embassy have been negotiating with the Spanish authorities to have the UK put on the list of countries with a reciprocal agreement for driving licence exchange.

In mid November 2022, the British Embassy announced that an agreement has now been reached. The agreement still has to go through the judicial process and the Spanish Cabinet before it becomes law, a process that could take months.

However, once the law is in force, UK driving licence holders will have six months in which to exchange their UK driving licence for a Spanish driving licence.

UK Driving Licence Holders Already Resident in Spain

As of Thursday 16th March 2023, all those UK driving licence holders who failed to exchange their UK driving licence for a Spanish driving licence have been given a reprieve. Those people may now drive using their UK licence for a period of six months, until the 16th September 2023. During that time they must apply to exchange their UK licence for a Spanish licence. This will not involve taking a practical driving test.

The link below currently takes you to the page about UK licence exchanges: https://sede.dgt.gob.es/.../canje-renovacion-sustitucion-uk/

Request a Permit Verification from DVLA

One thing that has changed is that a holder of a UK or Northern Ireland driving licence must now obtain a verification code from DVLA or DVA, before they go for an appointment with the DGT (or go to an authorised Driver Recognition Centre - see below).

The United Kingdom (DVLA) you must access the following address:
https://www.gov.uk/view-driving-licence.

Northern Ireland (DVA) you must access the following address:
https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/services/view-or-share-your-ni-driving-licence-information

This code is only valid for 21 days so you should make your appointments with DGT or the Driver Recognition Centre well before you go online for your validation code.

If Your UK Licence Has Expired

Normally an expired driving licence cannot be exchanged. However, if you moved to Spain between the 1st February 2020 and the 16th March 2023 and your UK licence expired during the period in which you were unable to make an exchange due to the ongoing negotiations, a special dispensation has been obtained.

Documents that will be required to exchange a UK driving licence for a Spanish licence

In order to exchange a UK driving licence for a Spanish driving licence, the following documents will be required:
- Validation Permit Code
- Proof of identity (TIE card)
- Valid Passport
- Empadronamiento
- Existing driving licence
- Psychophysical Aptitude Test Certificate
- A recent colour photograph measuring 32mm x 26mm
- Proof of not residing in Spain when the permit to be exchanged was obtained (See below on Fraudulent Renewal of Driving Licence)

Fraudulent Renewal of Driving Licence

A driving licence issued in one country whilst the licence owner is resident in another is not normally accepted for exchange. However, some UK licence holders, resident in Spain, did renew their licences during the period when negotiations were taking place because they felt they had no other option. At the moment, those licences will be eligible for exchange. Licences renewed in the UK before December 2020 whilst the licence holder was resident in Spain will likely be rejected because they would be fraudulent renewals.

Psychophysical Aptitude Test

The Psicotécnico Test (Psychophysical Aptitude Test) checks your eyesight and reactions. You may also have an interview with a doctor. The certificate is valid for 3 months and you can retake the test until you pass it.



Where to Take the Psicotécnico Test

The DGT have issued a list of the locations at which you can take the phychophysical test.
Click here to find Driver Recognition Centers and physicophysical aptitude test locations

Driver Recognition Centers

At the Driver Recognition Centers authorized by the DGT you can renew your driving license and obtain the necessary medical examinations to obtain or renew driving permits and authorizations for any type of vehicle.
Click here to find the nearest Driver Recognition Centers and physicophysical aptitude test locations

How to Exchange a UK driving licence for a Spanish driving licence

The procedure for exchanging a UK driving licence for a Spanish driving licence will be revealed when the reciprocal agreement comes into effect. It will certainly involve making an appointment with your local traffico office and paying a fee (currently 23.50 Euros). It may also involve taking a medical examination depending on your age and how long your current licence is valid for. These details will be published here as soon as we have the information.

As From 16th March 2023

- Complete the application form
https://sede.dgt.gob.es/sede-estaticos/Galerias/modelos-solicitud/03/Mod.03-ES.pdf?fbclid=IwAR2qPM6n1jYnc-YQrBkQIsj3raBR6c22cJq37zuHxyNc2cnoCfbHwS_c7Wo
- Make an appointment to see the DGT
https://sede.dgt.gob.es/es/otros-tramites/cita-previa-jefaturas/
- Obtain your Validation Permit (See above for links)
- Pass a Psychophysical Aptitude Test at a Driver Recognition Centre (See above for link to find your nearest cetre)
- Take relevant documents to your appointment where you will be able to pay the fee
- You will be issued with a temporary permit. Your Spanish licence will be delivered to your postal address.
NOTE: YOUR TEMPORARY PERMIT IS ONLY VALID FOR DRIVING IN SPAIN AND IS ONLY VALID FOR THREE MONTHS

Countries with a driving licence exchange agreement with Spain

The United Kingdom now has a reciprocal driving licence exchange agreement in place. As of March 2021, other countries with a reciprocal agreement are: Andorra, Algeria, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, South Korea, Croatia, Ecuador, Japan, Morocco, Peru, Dominican Republic, Paraguay, Switzerland, Uruguay , Venezuela, Brazil, El Salvador, the Philippines, Guatemala, Serbia, Turkey, Tunisia and Ukraine.



Exchanging a Driving Licence - EU/EAA citizens

If you are from a European Economic Area (EEA) country (EU plus Iceland, Norway, and Lichtenstein) you are free to drive in Spain using your existing driver’s license for the first two years in Spain. You must also register with the traffic authorities after six months. You can do this at your Central Register of Drivers and Minor Offenders (Registro Central de Conductores e Infractores) of the Provincial Traffic Headquarters (Jefatura Provincial de Tráfico).

You must adhere to the same conditions as Spanish license holders, including the following:
- undertake relevant medical checks from a Spanish doctor
- have reached the minimum age in Spain for the category of vehicle you wish to drive
- renew or exchange the license after two years. If an EU license is renewed in Spain, it converts it into a Spanish license, which then needs to be renewed every 10 years

Spanish authorities can also compel a person to obtain a new Spanish license if there are issues with penalty points

If you don’t obtain a Spanish driver’s license after two years and are caught driving, however, you face a fine of €200.

Once you register, you must take a medical examination at an Authorised Drivers’ Check Centre (Centro de Reconocimiento de Conductores Autorizado). This demonstrates that you are fit to drive.

You can also voluntarily exchange your license for a Spanish one at any time. This occurs at the Provincial Traffic Headquarters. The local authorities request the following documents:
application form
- identity card or passport
- proof of residence
- the valid driving license
- two recent photographs
- declaration that you haven’t been banned or suspended from driving
- declaration that you don’t hold another driver’s license in another country

Your old licence will be taken from you and you will receive a certificate that allows you to drive whilst your application is being processed.

Exchanging a Driving Licence

Citizens of Andorra, Japan, Korea, and Switzerland

Residents of these countries must produce the following:
- application form - valid national identity card or passport (original)
- residence permit and valid residence card
- medical fitness report from a recognized medical center (such as the Authorised Drivers’ Check Centre (Centro de Reconocimiento de Conductores Autorizado)
- current valid driving license
- two recent photographs
- declaration in writing that you have not been banned or suspended from driving
- declaration in writing that you do not hold another driver’s license of the same class issued by another EU country
- official translation of the permit by a consulate or embassy (Korea)
- official translation of the permit (Japan)

Exchanging a Driving Licence

Citizens of Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Dominical Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Macedonia, Morocco, Nicaragua, Peru, Panama, Paraguay, Philippines, Serbia, Turkey, Tunisia, Ukraine, Uruguay, and Venezuela

Residents of these countries must produce the following:
- application form
- valid national identity card or passport (original)
- residence permit, identity card, or foreign passport, along with the Certificate of Registration in the Central Register of Foreigners for EU foreigners
- medical fitness report from a recognized medical center (such as the Authorised Drivers’ Check Centre (Centro de Reconocimiento de Conductores Autorizado)
- current valid driving license
- two recent photographs
- declaration in writing that you have not been banned or suspended from driving
- declaration in writing that you do not hold another driver’s license of the same class issued by another EU country

The Spanish Driving Test

If you are not a citizen of the EU, EAA or one of the countries with an exchange agreement then you cannot exchange your driving licence for a Spanish driving licence, you must take the Spanish driving test. Citizens of many countries, including the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, will have to take the full Spanish driving test to get a Spanish license.

You must apply at the Provincial Traffic Headquarters (Jefatura Provincial de Tráfico). You need the following:
- a certificate of mental and physical fitness from the Authorised Drivers’ Check Centre (Centro de Reconocimiento de Conductores Autorizado); - an application form
- two passport-sized photographs
- your residence permit
- proof of address in Spain
- a declaration that there are no suspensions or legal cases preventing you from driving
- a declaration that you don’t already hold a similar license

You must take lessons through a recognized driving school.

The test has two parts: a written theory test as well as a practical test. Both are usually taken in Spanish although in some areas of Spain there are English-speaking examiners and you can take a translator with you. Check with the test centre.



Can You Drive in Spain with a US license?

If you hold a driving license from the US (United States of America) and you intend to drive in Spain for longer than 6 months then you must take a Spanish driving test to exchange your licence.

Can You Drive in Spain with a Canadian license?

If you hold a driving license from Canada and you intend to drive in Spain for longer than 6 months then you must take a Spanish driving test to exchange your licence.


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