HEALTHPLAN MAGAZINE

The British Embassy in Madrid is to request a further extension to the deadline for British nationals to exchange their driving licences.

Under the current agreement, British drivers living in Spain who use a UK driving licence have to exchange it for a Spanish version by April 30.

Since March 2021, the Embassy has insisted that they have been working on reaching an agreement with their counterparts in Spain. However, to date, the initial deadline has been extended four times from June 30 until October 31 and again to December 31, February 28 and then to the latest date of April 30.

Many expats have been up in arms about the situation, baffled as to why what should be a simple agreement between the two governments has taken so long.

The Embassy posted an update to its Facebook page while acknowledging the worry it has been causing many British residents.

“Some of you have been in touch to ask about the ongoing driving licence negotiations, so we wanted to provide a brief update.

“Firstly, we want to recognise the anxiety this is causing those of you who hadn’t already exchanged your UK licence for a Spanish one (or registered your intent to do so) before 30 December 2020 or who have arrived in Spain since then. As you would expect, we can’t go into detail on the negotiations, except to say that they are continuing and both sides remain committed to reaching an agreement that will enable UK Nationals who are resident in Spain to exchange their UK licence for a Spanish one without needing to take a practical test,” said the Embassy.

With the current ‘grace period’ set to end at the end of April 2022, many British nationals are concerned that they will have to stop driving or retake their driving test in Spain.

Brits who lived in Spain prior to Brexit were required to register their intent by December 30, 2021, to exchange their licences, however, the whole process has been beset with complications due to the Coronavirus pandemic. This has seen many people struggling to obtain an appointment with the traffic authorities to make the swap.

It is believed that the potential agreement that the Embassy is seeking with the Spanish authorities will enable all Brits including those who move to the country in the future, to be able to exchange their licences without the need to sit a theory or practical test which could cost thousands of Euros.

The Embassy said, “We recognise your concern about the upcoming 30 April cut-off point, which is when the current grace period runs out, and we have asked Spain for an extension that will give us enough time to reach a final agreement and avoid a further cliff edge in the future.

“What we cannot do is guarantee when or whether an agreement will be reached. Therefore, if it is essential for you to drive, you may not want to wait for the outcome of the ongoing negotiations and you may decide to apply for a Spanish driving licence now. This involves taking both a practical and theory test.”

You can find out more about the process on the DGT site, where the information is also available in English.

https://sede.dgt.gob.es/es/permisos-de-conducir/

It is important to understand that the licence exchange only applies to British nationals living in Spain. Those visiting the country may continue to drive with their UK driving licences.

Source

https://www.facebook.com/BritsInSpain/posts/357242616436290