Driving license

Hi Kath,

I'm afraid your lawyer is correct: unless you had pre-registered with DGT before 31 December 2020 for a driving licence exchange, you will have to take a driving test in Spain.

As an aside, the DGT has agreed a further 6 months' extension to the grace period for those who HAD pre-registered before 30 December, but are unlikely to effect the actual exchange before 30 June this year. Those people, and ONLY those who pre-registered, now have until 31 December 2021 to exchange their licence.  However - and this is very important! - it still remains that the UK driving licence for residents here will be INVALID after 30 June, so if resident in Spain, do not drive after 30 June until you have completed the exchange.

Kind regards, 

Kim

HI. 

We registered for residency before the 31st December but our residency still hasn't come through yet. does this mean we won't be able to change our licenses when we are finally accepted as permanent residents?

Hi bikerdodge,

I understand that you applied for residency before 31st December 2020, but did you pre-register with DGT (Trafico) your intention to exchange your driving licence by that date?  If not, you'll have to take a Spanish driving test in order to make the exchange (unless a bilateral agreement is reached between the UK and Spain about recognising UK driving licenses, but I've seen nothing to suggest that's a priority at the moment).

Kind regards, 

Kim

Hi Kim.

Many thanks for the advice. We had a lawyer to do our residency application and he mentioned at the time that we would need to change our licenses, I'm hoping he also made the application for that. I'll get in touch with him.

Mucho Gracias. 

Hi Kim.

After rereading your post a thought has come to me.

We are still waiting for approval of our residency application, so technically, we are not residents. Would that mean our licenses will be valid after June 30, up to the date we become residents?

Hi Roger,

The problem with being "technically" non-resident is that you can't have it both ways.  UK citizens who are non-resident in Spain can drive on a UK license for up to 90 days in 180 rolling days without problem, but as a non-resident who has been living in Spain since last November(?), "technically" you are an illegal immigrant.  That said, as someone who has submitted their residency application, you are allowed to remain in Spain while you're awaiting the outcome.  So which way do you want to cut it?  More importantly, what status would the Spanish police ascribe to you if challenged?

If your residency applications were submitted last year, you should have received a decision by now, even if you haven't got your TIEs. If you have the "resulto favorable", you can apply to the DGT to make your license exchange, albeit it under the new rules.  You should query this with the lawyer handling your residency application.

Kind regards, 

Kim

Hi Gabrielle,

You can buy IDPs at a UK Post Office.  However, you don't need them for driving in the EU if you have a photocard driving licence issued in the UK.  You may need an IDP if you still have the old-style, paper driving licence, or if your licence was issued in Gibraltar, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man. 

https://www.gov.uk/driving-abroad/international-driving-permit

Kind regards,

Kim

Hi. 

My wife and I both have IDPs issued in the UK. Do they really entitle us to drive in Spain?

If so, there would be nothing to stop us from getting a new one each year.

Sorry but we are residents and was looking for a solution to the change over