UK to Spanish Driving Licence

[underwater]

Hi
I live in Granada province.
Has anyone in the forums,especially anyone
who would have to deal with Granada Trafico, recently changed their British
licence to a Spanish one? If so roughly how long did it take?
I think some kind of temporary paper is issued when you give up your British licence which covers you until you get the Spanish one.
I just don't want to be without a proper licence for months(if not years!) as sometimes I drive in the UK when I visit the kids.
Thanks
Jan

[ICCSL]

You are not obliged to exchange your UK driving licence for a Spanish one any more. If you possess an EU licence (denoted by a ring of stars on the front) this can be stamped at Trafico for a current fee of approximately 7 Euros. You will need to produce your existing licence and Residencia, plus 1 copy of each and the relevant Trafico form duly completed. This procedure can usually be carried out on the same day.

[Don]

To get my UK licence "homologated" in Trafico cost me just under 18 euros "tax" but that was also to note the passing of the "medical" valid for the next 5 yrs to keep my UK licence fully compliant. I have since noted some insurance companies only accepting non-Spanish driving licences if they have been homologated with Trafico. All was done on the same morning though.

[underwater]

Tina
Thankyou for your helpful reply.
Did you do this at Granada Trafico office and
did they give you the form there to complete?
I assume when you say they stamped it ,that
they stamped the paper part of the photocard
licence?
Jan

[Wicksey]

Sorry to hijack this post, but on the subject of driving licences, I still have my paper one issued in 1990 (which was the last time I changed my address in the UK). Is it best to change to a Spanish one?

[gerryh]

Hi Wicksey,
I'm no expert but I would defiantly say yes. The paper one, so I understand unless you have an international driving permit as well, is not valid in Spain. The new ones with your photo and EU symbol are valid anywhere in the EU.

Cheers
Gerry

[Wicksey]

Thanks Gerry, I am beginning to think that with everything I've read on here lately, my old paper thingy is a bit passed its sell-by date

[tjtops]

I would advise hanging onto the 'old' paper one...at least until it expires. It was lost, wasn't it....
Apply for a new 'European' one.
At least you then have some backup should one be removed from your person for some perfidious reason at the roadside.
(And if you take a purely Sanish licence back to the UK and try to hire a car, you may well have problems.)

[ICCSL]

Tina
Thankyou for your helpful reply.
Did you do this at Granada Trafico office and
did they give you the form there to complete?
I assume when you say they stamped it ,that
they stamped the paper part of the photocard
licence?
Jan

I have not personally gone through this procedure but I know people who have. You will be provided with the forms in Trafico where you can fill them out. And they do stamp the paper part of the licence.

[Don]

Sorry to hijack this post, but on the subject of driving licences, I still have my paper one issued in 1990 (which was the last time I changed my address in the UK). Is it best to change to a Spanish one?

For sure you could have problems with the old paper UK licence alone. You have a choice to get a new UK photo licence, but you will need a UK address to use for that, or you can exchange the old UK licence for a Spanish photocard. If you do keep your UK licence you can get it homologated with Trafico to be 100% legal (requires this weird eyesight and coordination test every 5 yrs if over 45 yrs old, and every 2 yrs if over 70). If you exchange it for a Spanish one you risk losing some categories off the licence if like me, you have permission to drive C1, C1E, D1, D1E as an old UK right. Just this week I have had to deal with taking out a new insurance policy and a UK licence on its own was not accpetable without the homologation. Bit crazy really as the same company has been insuring me for the past 7 yrs without but as we all know things do have a habit of changing over here.

[El Cid]

(And if you take a purely Sanish licence back to the UK and try to hire a car, you may well have problems.)

Why would you have a problem?

Are you saying that if a Spaniard goes to the UK he cannot hire a car?

Sid

[tjtops]

Not necessarily Sid...but I have heard of a couple of cases where Brits produced Spanish licences and were refused ...something to do with the fact that endorsements couldn't be checked or something...anyway the hire company/ies wouldn;t play ball.
Don't shoot me, I'm only the messenger and I can;t remember all the details...this was only intended as a general 'bear in mind'!!!

[katy]

I won't change mine to Spanish. We went on holiday to the USA with another couple who had one...they didn't get the deal we got, cost them another $285. Rightly or wrongly they are regarded a bit like toilet paper in the UK and other countries!

Have had the medical and carry that around too.

[tjtops]

thank you Katy!!

[Wicksey]

I did ask our car hire company (1Car1) before our visit the other week about Spanish licences just in case we were going to swop it before we went back. They confirmed that the Spanish one would be acceptable but advised us to use our UK one on this visit just in case we hadn't go it back in time.

Don, have you had the eye test done for the licence? I only ask as although I can see well enough with both eyes together (if you see what I mean ), I have limited sight in my left, so if they cover my right I cannot see. I would hate to fail and find they won't let me drive

[El Cid]

I have limited sight in my left, so if they cover my right I cannot see. I would hate to fail and find they won't let me drive

You won't fail but you will be limited to 100kph, have to have mirrors on both sides and a "panoramic" rear view mirror. You will also only get a 3 year renewal.

That said, bearing in mind the huge discrepancies between the test centres they might not notice!

Sid

[JAR1972]

I wouldn't bother swapping.

All the natioinal licences will be scrapped for an EU one anyway... apparently...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6180617.stm

[gerryh]

If you get a licence in Spain or the UK you will get an EU licence.
Old national licences will need to be swapped for a new EU licence.

Cheers
Gerry

[geegee]

Given all EU countries are presumably obliged to accept an EU licence when hiring a car, and the Spanish driving licence is also presumably an EU licence in the same way an UK one is, what justification do UK car hire companies give for not accepting the Spanish licence as legitimate? Are they breaking the law by refusing to do so???

[Alpujarra]

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