HEALTHPLAN MAGAZINE

There still appears to be no end in sight between the UK and Spanish governments in the driving licence exchange negotiations.

With the previous grace period for Brits in Spain to exchange their licences ending on April 30, those who have lived in Spain for more than 6 months will now have to sit a Spanish driving test or find alternative arrangements for transportation, at least until a resolution can be found.

The saga which has been ongoing since the UK left the EU on January 1, 2021, has rightly left many British residents in Spain extremely angry and frustrated that a solution has not been found sooner.

The British Embassy in Spain took to their official Facebook page to update Brits saying, “We’ve concluded another round of Driving Licence negotiations this week and we continue to make good progress towards an agreement that is acceptable to the UK and Spain. We are working as quickly as possible and will provide a further update next week.

“We know that many people are experiencing great difficulties as a result of UK Licences not currently being recognised in Spain for residents of more than 6 months and that many of you are not able to take a Spanish test.

“We are reading all your messages and though we can’t reply to them all individually, we understand how frustrated, angry and anxious you are. We are sharing your messages with Spanish authorities and doing all we can to reach an agreement as soon as possible."

It’s important to note that this mainly affects those who either didn’t exchange or apply to exchange their licences prior to Brexit and those who arrived from January 1, 2021, and who have lived in Spain for 6 months or more.

Who is affected?

Those who will potentially be affected are:-

• UK licence holders who are long-term residents in Spain and did not exchange or register their intent to exchange, as advised, before the end of the transition period (December 31st 2020).
• UK licence holders who have arrived as residents in Spain after December 31st 2020 and have been residents in Spain for longer than 6 months.
• UK licence holders who did register their intent to exchange before the end of the transition period, but did not complete the exchange process by April 30th.

Why is it taking so long?

It is believed for the UK to get a simpler more streamlined deal for British nationals to exchange their licences without the need to take a test, they will need to give Spain direct, real-time access to the UK’s licencing data.

This would mean that the Spanish authorities would be able to access the credentials of anybody driving a UK plated car in Spain.

As a result, Spanish police would be able to issue fines to British drivers and pursue and prosecute them if they are not paid.

Any British nationals living in Spain for more than six months and found driving on a UK licence can potentially be fined 200 Euros under current traffic laws.

The Embassy promised to keep British nationals updated as the negotiations continued but recommended that anyone who was finding it difficult to get around without a vehicle to get in contact with the town hall and local charities who may be able to advise.

“If you need help or advice, please do get in touch with your local town hall as they, or many of the local charities, may be able to help with transport options – particularly if you need it for medical reasons. Support in Spain is also a useful source of information and if you find yourself made vulnerable as a result of this, you can get in touch with your nearest consulate and you will find their details on gov.uk” they said.

Source

https://www.facebook.com/BritsInSpain/posts/390126326481252

Image Credit: UK In Spain (Ambassador, Hugh Elliott)