Posted: Thu Aug 19, 2021 3:13pm
Hi Ed,
I broadly agree with your categorisation of applicants for driving licence exchanges, although category 3. people would have needed a "Resguardo" (confirmation of residency granted, prior to receiving their TIE) to register their intent to exchange, an NIE would not have been sufficient.
However, I don't believe there is any discrimination, even unintentional. The UK chose to leave the EU more than 5 years ago. When it left on 31 January 2021, there was a further 11 months transition period. Despite this, many people left it to the last quarter, even the last month, to apply for residency. Combined with those who had been living illegally in Spain and who finally realised that they had to regularise their position or leave, the numbers completely overwhelmed the Spanish authorities. In response to this, the Spanish government made special arrangements for UK citizens to have a further 6 months to complete their residency applications and exchange their driving licences, and have since further extended the deadline for driving licence exchange to 31 October 2021. I'm not aware of any other Third Country that has been granted the latitude afforded by Spain to UK citizens.
I understand that it's frustrating because, as members of the EU resident in Spain, we used to have up to 2 years to exchange our driving licences whereas Third Country Nationals, who become resident in Spain, have only 6 months to do so. But these rules, along with many others, have existed for decades and it didn't stop a small majority of UK citizens choosing Third Country status for us all. The UK and France have already agreed ongoing exchange of driving licences and, hopefully, the UK can agree something similar with Spain, but in the meantime, we have to comply with Spain's laws.
Regarding your proposed trip to the UK, if you surrender your driving licence in Spain, it definitely won't be exchanged on the same day. I exchanged mine 4 years ago and, even then, it took 5 weeks for my Spanish licence to arrive.
Kind regards,
Kim