Change of driving licence

Non-EU Driving Licence Holders

If you are going to live in Spain and become a legal resident (and you are from a country outside the European Union) you will have to exchange your driving license.

- UK nationals living in Spain and using a British licence must exchange the licence for a Spanish one within 6 months.
- UK drivers may continue to drive in Spain with their current licence while awaiting an appointment to make the exchange.
- UK licence holders will need to take a psycho-physical aptitude test to exchange their licence.
- UK licence holders will NOT need to sit a Spanish driving test.
- Those who have exchanged their UK licence for a third-country licence may be able to exchange it for a Spanish one, however, this will depend on whether Spain has an agreement with the third country on licence exchange

If you are in Spain for more than six months and have still not applied to exchange your licence, you will no longer be able to legally drive in Spain until you do exchange it. The psicotecnico test or psycho-physical aptitude test, consists of a set of examination checks that are carried out by ophthalmologists, psychologists and doctors.

The tests include:

Eyesight test
Hearing and audiometry test
Blood pressure check and pulmonary auscultation
Mobility, strength and coordination tests
Psychological test
General questions about your health

You will need a certificate showing you have passed the test in order to exchange your licence. The certificate will be valid for three months.

EU Driving Licence Holders

If you are coming from another EU or EEA country, hold an official driving licence there and are over 18 years of age (legal driving age in Spain) you can use this when driving in Spain, however, you may need to exchange it under certain conditions. If your licence is currently valid, you can use this to drive in Spain until it expires, although if you wish, you may exchange it earlier for a Spanish version. Note that this is entirely voluntary.

- If your licence expires, you must exchange it for a Spanish one.

- If your licence has an indefinite validity (no expiry date) you must exchange it within two years of becoming resident.

- If your licence is valid for more than 15 years for group 1 (AM, A1, A2, A, B and BE), or more than five years for group 2 (C1, C1E, C, CE, D1, D1E, D and DE), you also must exchange it within two years of becoming a resident in Spain.

If you do exchange your licence, your current one will be withdrawn and you will be issued with a provisional licence while you await the processing of the new one. The provisional licence has a validity of 3 months and can only be used within Spanish territory.

How to Exchange Your Licence

If you need to exchange your licence for a Spanish version you can do so by visiting your provincial tráfico headquarters Jefatura Provincial de Tráfic. You will need to make an appointment online first. Alternatively, you can make an appointment by calling 060. You will then need to provide the following documentation during your appointment.

Completed application form
Copy of your passport
NIE documentation (Número de Identificación de Extranjero)
Residence Card
Certificate of psychological aptitude issued by the authorised drivers check centre (Centro de Reconocimiento de Conductores Autorizado).
Two photographs of 32mm x 25mm in size.
Current licence and copy. (You may need a translation of the licence also)
Fee of €28.87. You can pay the fee online. You may also pay during your appointment at the DGT office. Those over 70 do not pay. Note that the price for UK nationals is €20.81 with the price to renew the permit €24.58.

Note that your Spanish licence like in other countries will need to be periodically renewed. Currently, the periods are:

Up to the age of 65, licences must be renewed every 10 years.
Over the age of 65, the licence must be renewed every five years.

Countries Not Permitted to Exchange Licences

There are a few countries where there is no agreement with the Spanish authorities to change their licences. These countries are Australia, Canada, South Africa and the U.S.A. This means after 6 months of being resident in Spain, you will need to sit a Spanish driving test.

Change of licence plate from UK to Spanish

Vehicles from the UK may be imported into Spain for up to 6 months in any period of 12 months. You are granted a period of 60 days after obtaining a Residencia (as a Resident) to legally “import” your vehicle.

If you spend more than 183 days in Spain, then you are legally considered to be a resident. Hence, you are only permitted to drive a UK registered vehicle in Spain for up to 6 months of the year. While the car is here on foreign number plates, you are required to put “stickers” on the headlight bring them in line with Spanish regulation.

To change to Spanish plates, the car must have been in the owner´s name one year.

Application form to be filled in and signed
Pay importation tax
Passport
NIE
Residencia card
Car documents
- ITV card with pink and blue copy and sales contract in case of a sale
Receipt of road tax paid at your local town hall

Engineer’s report : check at the local ITV station whether your technical certificate from your home country (“certificado de características”) will be sufficient so that you can be issued with a 'certificado de conformidad'
Receipt of registration fee on the vehicle paid at “Hacienda”
ITV inspection
Spanish plates (a set of plates)

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Change of driving licence