UK driving licences

Hi Cheryl,

I'm not surprised that The Daily Fail and Tory MP's would blame the Spanish for this, but for the sake of balance, the report could have included the fact that the UK has removed the DGT's access to the DVLA website since Brexit.  Since 1 January 2021, the DGT has been entirely reliant on the DVLA confirming information in respect of UK licence holders that it was previously capable of accessing itself.  No wonder there's such a backlog 😲

Kind regards, 

Kim

Brexit, the gift that keeps giving! I'm surprised the Daily Fail didn't blame Angela Raynor........

I wasn't trying to play the blame game, I was trying to offer hope to all those that are caught up in it.

Not sure that I'd offer them hope, it might well be false hope. 

Better to get on with dealing with the problem by way of lessons and test, something that a great many have had more than ample opportunity to do. 

I have said before that I would have found it very daunting. Something I sailed through as a teenager is a totally different kettle of fish to me now even though I have a clean record of driving for coming up to 45 years.
I am just thankful that I was able to exchange and I still have sympathy for those caught up in it and wish that it hadn't dragged on for so long for them all. It's still not really over as negotiations are still ongoing

https://digismak.com/alicante-will-add-5-examiners-to-lighten-the-waiting-lists-for-the-driving-test/ 

I don't know how much difference the extra 5 examiners made but it would be interesting to know how long the waiting lists are now.

https://upsticks.es/passing-a-driving-test-in-spain/ 

This may help some people.

It would be really good if someone who has actually gone through the process recently could give their experiences for us, it may help people who, like me, would dread it.

Many thanks for the links, Cheryl, I hope people who need to exchange their licence make use of the information.  

Unfortunately, while the British Ambassador repeatedly said that those for whom it's essential to drive should get on with taking the Spanish driving test, I think the repeated extensions have lulled many into a false sense of security.

Kind regards,

Kim

Got to agree with you, there are so many complaints from UK expats who are now resident in Spain about things that have changed, and consequently made their life so much more difficult.  But the bottom line is that they could not be bothered to do anything about it in advance. Nothing has been a secret, there has been more than ample notification with regard to everything, and sufficient advice and assistance provided to enable them to overcome the potential problems in advance. I do sympathise with all those still affected, but it’s not the fault of Spain or the UK Government, it’s their own fault.