UK Driving licence

Hello Helen

It would depend on where you want to live and be resident. You can only drive a car in one country at time.

Have a nice day.

Sorry, I should have said I am a resident in Spain.

The correct information can be found in Jim Taylor's Guide, a Medical is required for all applications or Renewals irrespective of age. Only in the case of a Driving Licence Exchange is a Medical not required, in this case the period still on your U.K. Licence is transferred to your new Spanish Licence, not suitable for your position.

https://www.costablancaforum.com/area/almorad%C3%AD-spain-11/driving-hire-buying-owning-car-licences-documents-itv-testing-in-almorad%C3%AD-14/jims-guide-the-driving-license-medical-test-39920/

In a no deal Brexit (and who knows maybe even with a deal) the problem with a UK driving licence is that there is no separate bilateral agreement between Spain and UK for an exchange between them so in the worst case you could be forced to take a new test in Spain.

All it would take to get rid of that problem once and for all would be for Spain to ratify the 1968 Vienna convention which they are already signed up to.

It was the same for UK post the referendum result but somebody foresaw such problems looming and they ratified the convention in 2018.

Deal or no deal though I very much imagine that when Spanish residents in UK with Spanish licences start being refused an exchange they will sit up and take notice and ratify but that may come too late for those who refuse to take their heads out of the sand!

"As a resident you need a Spanish licence"

To put it more accurately,

As a resident you will eventually need a Spanish licence.

Simply becoming resident does not demand it.

Thanks everyone

What has been posted is good advice, but in reality there are 1,000s of British who are Spanish residents driving around with UK licences. If they get a pull they just say ‘’tourist’’. There are also many British who do not even bother registering as residents doing the same. I doubt it’s a hanging offence, but not sure how you would stand with your insurance company if you had an accident. 

I realise things my well be different after BREXIT, but I have never understood the purpose of having a so called EU license. Maybe it’s just another job creation scheme. When you exchange your licence it's just swapping one bit of ink on paper for another in a different language.

The following is from GOV UK:

Driving in the EU after Brexit: driving licence exchange

The rules for exchanging UK driving licences will change when the UK leaves the EU.

Spain:

You can exchange a valid UK driving licence without taking a test within 9 months of the date that the UK leaves the EU. After this 9 month period you will need to take a test in order to exchange your licence.

Not that this refers to when the UK has left the EU, not just if there's a no-deal Brexit.

My recommendation - you're going to have to do it at some point, so I suggest you do it now.

I do not condone the first part of my post.

However Ray so we all know, could you explain why a UK license has the EU symbol? As far as I am aware with a UK licence you can legally hire and drive a car in any country in the world whilst being a tourist.