Driving Licence - Page 2

You were an EU citizen at that time!

My partner didn't get residency until January 2021. Does all this apply to him? 

As he is a Spanish resident needs a Spanish Driving Licence.

As the guardia have been going on about this for ages, I would expect them to be out in force pulling in  any likely offenders.

Lynn

What in God's name does this mean for myself, I became a resident on Jan5th 2022?

From .gov.uk 29/04/22

Driving section updated: from 1 May 2022 UK driving licences will no longer be valid for driving in Spain if you have been resident for more than 6 months.

Steve 

Once you've been a Spanish resident for 6 months you need to  have a Spanish Driving Licence. That has always been the case.

What has changed is that you can no longer exchange your U.K. licence for a Spanish licence. You now have to take a Spanish Driving Test to obtain your Spanish Licence.

Lynn

We know the latest extension expires today but which "latest legislation" are you referring to?Due to the uncertainty of an exchange agreement being reached for over two years UK government and embassy advice has been to arrange to take a Spanish test so the answer to your question is yes.
Hanging on in hope of an agreement was always going to be a gamble which, at least as things stand today, you have unfortunately lost.There will be many in the same position but it should be noted that continued driving without a valid licence will almost certainly invalidate your insurance.

https://practicatest.com/en/how-to-pass-a-driving-test-in-spain Some of this might be out of date due to the announcement eff 1st May but the main body is relevant.

Well, hand on heart, despite the official guidance on Gov UK, I never expected this to happen. I still half expect there to be another announcement in the coming days
The only thing those affected can do is to complain bitterly to your local MPs in the UK. I haven't read the papers yet today but I would be surprised if the subject didn't make an appearance at some stage. 
I do feel for everybody in this position, after all it's not cheap https://then24.com/2021/05/13/how-much-does-it-cost-to-obtain-a-driving-license-in-spain-in-2021/#:~:text=All%20aspiring%20drivers%20are%20required,between%2012%20and%2060%20euros. 

A good number of ex-pats come over with years of driving experience and, to be honest, with all the other legalities involved in moving over and getting used to everything which is so very different from the UK, fitting in taking a medical, theory, lessons and a test within the first 6 months would have been a real ordeal for me.

I know there are many other countries in the world that don't have an exchange agreement with Spain but the sheer numbers of Brits retiring to Spain should, in my opinion, have made a difference. And no, I'm not one to think that Spain's economy would collapse without us or that Brits are superior in any way to anybody else, but still!

I really feel for everyone involved and hope there is a better solution very soon.

Hi,we are currently in the UK and planning to emigrate next year. We are hoping to go down the Irish passport route with me as a UK citizen but her husband. I understand that I will have to take the full Spanish test (as it currently stands) Would you happen to know that if my wife obtains residency with her Irish passport yet she holds a UK driving licence will she be able to exchange it for a Spanish one with just the medical side of the requirements completed? 
Thanks in advance

Anyone with a U.K. licence needs to change to a Spanish licence within 6 months of residency. It’s  because their driving records are held on the DVLA website.

There has been a bit of a breakthrough today on the licence exchange problem, so hopefully it will all be resolved very soon. It’s look as though the DVLA & the DGT  are finally talking to each other about sharing information 

Lynn