Using UK driving licences in Spain

Information and questions about driving in Andalucia, buying or importing cars and motorbikes plus legal issues surrounding taxes and licenses.
User avatar
gerryh
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 8046
Joined: Sat Jan 12, 2008 6:17 pm
Location: Cajiz, Malaga

Using UK driving licences in Spain

Postby gerryh » Fri Mar 16, 2018 10:21 am

Don't know if this is alarmist or based on any fact. :think:
https://www.petrolprices.com/news/uk-li ... ed-brexit/
If it is correct then those of you who live in Spain and still use your UK driving licences the I suggest you change them to Spanish(EU) driving licences soon.
Cheers
Gerry
Gerry Harris

User avatar
costakid
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 5752
Joined: Sun Feb 13, 2005 11:55 am
Location: malaga este

Re: Using UK driving licences in Spain

Postby costakid » Fri Mar 16, 2018 11:16 am

I have read this in several places. The AA always supplied an IDP pre EU days. I remember having to obtain a green cars as well. The only people who it may cause problems for are the long stayers who are still on UK plates.
The Spanish hire companies have already said they will ignore the rule for UK citizens.
Last edited by costakid on Fri Mar 16, 2018 2:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.

ashtondav
Resident
Posts: 1776
Joined: Mon Feb 07, 2005 8:10 pm
Location: Northampton Frigiliana/Nerja

Re: Using UK driving licences in Spain

Postby ashtondav » Fri Mar 16, 2018 1:24 pm

I though a driving licence was only "legal" if it had your correct address and had therefore assumed that if living in Spain a UK licence was invalid. Not so?

El Cid
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 16058
Joined: Sun Oct 24, 2004 10:42 pm
Location: La Herradura, Costa Tropical, Granada

Re: Using UK driving licences in Spain

Postby El Cid » Fri Mar 16, 2018 2:04 pm

No, it is acceptable to have your old UK address on it when you move to Spain.

Sid

katy
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 13752
Joined: Thu Jun 24, 2004 3:45 pm

Re: Using UK driving licences in Spain

Postby katy » Fri Mar 16, 2018 3:00 pm

If not planning to leave Spain why not just get a Spanish one. As for non-residents why would the EU bother. We Brits can drive in USA, Australia etc. with our UK licences.

Wonder which bright spark in Brussels thought up the "third country" tag, probably the commission for propaganda. I presume EU countries are the first :lol: Wonder what second countries are.

pensure1988
Resident
Posts: 736
Joined: Mon Apr 15, 2013 9:03 pm
Location: Estepona

Re: Using UK driving licences in Spain

Postby pensure1988 » Mon Mar 19, 2018 10:44 pm

please see citizens advice bureaux for more info.

https://www.citizensadvice.org.es/cab-s ... -licences/

El Cid
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 16058
Joined: Sun Oct 24, 2004 10:42 pm
Location: La Herradura, Costa Tropical, Granada

Re: Using UK driving licences in Spain

Postby El Cid » Mon Mar 19, 2018 11:07 pm

What has that article got to do with the original question?
It’s also 3 years old.

Sid

pensure1988
Resident
Posts: 736
Joined: Mon Apr 15, 2013 9:03 pm
Location: Estepona

Re: Using UK driving licences in Spain

Postby pensure1988 » Tue Mar 20, 2018 8:41 am

Sorry Sid, I attached the incorrect article. Here is the correct updated one.

https://www.citizensadvice.org.es/faq/c ... e-spanish/

David

User avatar
gerryh
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 8046
Joined: Sat Jan 12, 2008 6:17 pm
Location: Cajiz, Malaga

Re: Using UK driving licences in Spain

Postby gerryh » Tue Mar 20, 2018 9:21 am

That link has nothing to do with my original question.
Cheers
Gerry
Gerry Harris

ashtondav
Resident
Posts: 1776
Joined: Mon Feb 07, 2005 8:10 pm
Location: Northampton Frigiliana/Nerja

Re: Using UK driving licences in Spain

Postby ashtondav » Wed Mar 21, 2018 6:28 pm

El Cid wrote:No, it is acceptable to have your old UK address on it when you move to Spain.

Sid
But not when you move in the UK: https://www.gov.uk/dvla-change-address

"You must tell DVLA when your address changes so your driving licence, vehicle log book (V5C) and vehicle tax are up to date...Change the address on either:

your full driving licence
your provisional driving licence

It doesn’t cost anything to change your address with DVLA.

You can still drive while you’re waiting for your new licence...


...Before you start

You can be fined up to £1,000 if you don’t tell DVLA when your address changes."

El Cid
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 16058
Joined: Sun Oct 24, 2004 10:42 pm
Location: La Herradura, Costa Tropical, Granada

Re: Using UK driving licences in Spain

Postby El Cid » Wed Mar 21, 2018 6:37 pm

Perfectly true but totally irrelevant as Gerry was specifically referring to people who LIVE IN SPAIN. They do not need the correct address on their licence.

It’s all in the FAQs viewtopic.php?f=42&t=27787 (last paragraph)

Sid

ashtondav
Resident
Posts: 1776
Joined: Mon Feb 07, 2005 8:10 pm
Location: Northampton Frigiliana/Nerja

Re: Using UK driving licences in Spain

Postby ashtondav » Wed Mar 21, 2018 7:48 pm

Agreed. Just pointing it out for UK readers who may have not made the change. Also I guess it would be illegal if the Spanish resident used his unchanged UK licence when hiring or driving in the UK when going back for visits.

El Cid
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 16058
Joined: Sun Oct 24, 2004 10:42 pm
Location: La Herradura, Costa Tropical, Granada

Re: Using UK driving licences in Spain

Postby El Cid » Wed Mar 21, 2018 10:10 pm

No, that is perfectly acceptable, if you were challenged about this (very unlikely) you just have to prove that you were not resident in the UK and there for a temporary visit.

Basically the police are only interested in whether you have a valid licence or not, it’s worth noting that if you have a Spanish licence there is no address on it.

I checked all this out personally with the DVLA before I wrote the FAQ.

Sid

User avatar
Wicksey
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 5878
Joined: Mon Sep 20, 2004 1:21 pm
Location: Axarquia coast

Re: Using UK driving licences in Spain

Postby Wicksey » Thu Mar 22, 2018 10:01 am

ashtondav wrote: Also I guess it would be illegal if the Spanish resident used his unchanged UK licence when hiring or driving in the UK when going back for visits.
I've never had a problem in the UK when hiring cars.

ashtondav
Resident
Posts: 1776
Joined: Mon Feb 07, 2005 8:10 pm
Location: Northampton Frigiliana/Nerja

Re: Using UK driving licences in Spain

Postby ashtondav » Thu Mar 22, 2018 12:54 pm

No, you wouldn’t, although last time I was asked for my national insurance number when hiring in the UK. Where you would hit a potential problem would be if you had a minor(or major) traffic offence with police involvement. In fact unless police are involved you could merrily drive around with anyone's licence!

El Cid
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 16058
Joined: Sun Oct 24, 2004 10:42 pm
Location: La Herradura, Costa Tropical, Granada

Re: Using UK driving licences in Spain

Postby El Cid » Thu Mar 22, 2018 1:13 pm

You seem determined to convince us that there are problems, imagined or otherwise, with a non resident using a UK licence in the UK. I specifically asked the DVLA for a ruling on this and this was their answer.


Providing your UK licence is still valid, you will be covered to drive when you return as a visitor even if it is displaying an old address.

Going back to the original address issue, this is exactly what they said.

Drivers who take up residence in another European Community/European Economic Area (EEC /EEA) country no longer have to exchange their driving licence, but may continue to drive using their own national licence for as long as it remains valid. You should, however, check with the appropriate driving licence authorities where you are now resident for information on any conditions that the host member state may stipulate.

National licences may only carry an address from the country which issued that licence. We are therefore unable to re-issue your British licence with an overseas address.

It is accepted that drivers who move to another part of the EC/EEA could be holding a licence showing an incorrect address.

This is permissible under the terms of the EC Directive on Driving Licences.

I hope you find this information helpful.

markwilding
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 7776
Joined: Fri Aug 14, 2009 11:02 am
Location: Bilbao Spain

Re: Using UK driving licences in Spain

Postby markwilding » Thu Mar 22, 2018 1:41 pm

That's interesting, a couple of years ago a friend, who had lived here a few years, was fined 200 Euros for using a UK licence here.

User avatar
Wicksey
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 5878
Joined: Mon Sep 20, 2004 1:21 pm
Location: Axarquia coast

Re: Using UK driving licences in Spain

Postby Wicksey » Thu Mar 22, 2018 2:26 pm

ashtondav wrote:No, you wouldn’t, although last time I was asked for my national insurance number when hiring in the UK.
When you hire in the UK you are supposed to get a DVLC certificate to show you don't have any points on your UK licence as the paper copy is no longer valid, and you just have the card. I usually print it off the gov.uk site
https://www.viewdrivingrecord.service.g ... nce-number?
and for that I need my national insurance number as well as my driving licence number. Sometimes they've not wanted to see it, particularly since we've started using the same hire car company and they have all my details now logged into their system.

Thanks for the confirmation Sid. That's why I've not rushed to change mine until it expires.

elusive
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 3275
Joined: Sat Apr 07, 2012 11:49 am
Location: East of Malaga

Re: Using UK driving licences in Spain

Postby elusive » Thu Mar 22, 2018 3:59 pm

markwilding wrote:That's interesting, a couple of years ago a friend, who had lived here a few years, was fined 200 Euros for using a UK licence here.
Depending on the licence codes (uk)on the back it may have been illegal. but more lilkely the guardia seem to make things up as they go along interms of driving licences.thats why its far easier to just change you licence. far easier than appealing a big fine

User avatar
peteroldracer
Andalucia Guru
Posts: 7774
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2004 5:56 pm
Location: Los Alcázares, Murcia

Re: Using UK driving licences in Spain

Postby peteroldracer » Thu Mar 22, 2018 7:13 pm

Wicksey - re “I've not rushed to change mine until it expires“
Be aware that the first thing to expire is the photo (assuming it is a photocard licence) and this can creep up on you. You are also obliged to have medicals to the same schedule as Spanish folk or your licence is not valid. If you are doing this then you may as well finish the job as change to a Spanish licence!
I used to cough to disguise a [email protected] I f@rt to disguise a cough.


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 7 guests