Driving In Spain: UK Nationals Must Exchange Licences By June 30
Expat Tips
Published: 09 April 2021 12:18 CET
Updated: 22 June 2022 12:18 CET
IMPORTANT UPDATE: Please note that the deadline has now been extended until the end of May 2022
British nationals who live in Spain have been urged to exchange their driving licences with the deadline to do so less than 12 weeks away.
Spain’s traffic authorities, along with the UK government have stressed that any UK nationals driving in Spain will need to exchange their licence by the deadline date of June 30 if they wish to continue to drive legally in Spain.
Those who were legally resident in Spain prior to December 30, were required to register their intention of exchanging their UK licence for a Spanish version which they could do online.
If you need to exchange your licence, the process will depend on whether you previously registered your intention with the DGT.
If you registered with the Spanish Traffic Authority (DGT) before 30 December 2020
If you were a resident prior to January 1, 2021, and registered your intention to exchange your licence before December 30, 2020, you will need to request an appointment with the DGT to exchange your licence before June 30, 2021.
To do so, you will need:
- Proof that you are registered as a legal resident in Spain. (You can demonstrate this using your TIE card or green A4 EU residence certificate.)
- Your UK driving licence
- A completed application form
- A colour photo 32x26mm in size
Making An Appointment
To exchange your licence, you will need to make an appointment as soon as possible at your nearest DGT office.
To do this you can call 060 between 9 am and 6 pm Monday to Friday.
You can find out more about making an appointment, the required documentation and the full procedure to exchange your licence by visiting the following official DGT page (with English translation).
Your licence will then be exchanged for a temporary driving permit (Autorización temporal para conducir) which will authorise you to drive until you receive your new Spanish licence.
Note that the temporary permit is only valid in Spain.
If you did not register with DGT before 30 December 2020
In the event that you did not register your intention to exchange your licence before December 30, 2020, you will need to carry out the same exchange process of a non-EU national. This will also mean taking a theory and practical driving test in Spain.
As the UK government is currently in discussion with their counterparts in Spain on the process of exchanging licences, it may mean that a practical driving test will not be required after June 30, 2021.
The following page from the DGT outlines the application process for a new Spanish driving licence.
https://sede.dgt.gob.es/es/permisos-de-conducir/obtencion-renovacion-duplicados-permiso/permiso-conducir/index.shtml
Driving in the UK with your Spanish licence
Once you have received your Spanish licence, you can use it to drive in the UK for short visits. If you ever decide to return to the UK, you may exchange your Spanish licence, without having to take a driving test.
We will update this page when further information becomes available.
In the meantime, you are encouraged to register for email updates which will provide you with all the latest information on living in Spain.
https://www.gov.uk/email-signup/?topic=/world/living-in-spain
It is important to reiterate that regardless of whether you previously registered your intention to exchange your licence or not, it will remain valid in Spain until at least June 30, 2021.
