driving licences

Information and questions about driving in Andalucia, buying or importing cars and motorbikes plus legal issues surrounding taxes and licenses.
worldbookday
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licence exchange

Postby worldbookday » Sat Mar 29, 2008 9:19 am

Went to Traffico in Seville with some people to exchange their UK licenses, at first window they were told it was not necessary, but then a senior person said it was - and yes the did require a medical - (over 45yrs old cost 30 euros) All a very straight forward procedure approx 35 mins 2 x licence exchange 2 x change of address on Spanish licence.So much more efficient then when I did mine in Huelva - 4 hrs!!. Another thing to be aware of is that your medical needs to be done in the province that you live. (We live on the boarder Huelva/Sevilla and a medical done in Huelva would not be valid for traffico in Sevilla - we were told this by the local driving instructor )

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karandjon
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Postby karandjon » Sat Mar 29, 2008 7:12 pm

Hi worldbook day. Could you tell me where Trafico is in Huelva, as i need to change my husbands licence. I tried to do his when i did mine a few years back in Granada. Mine was very straight forward, but his was not done. i went back 5 times to chase, but to no avail. I still have the slip of paper i was given when I paid!
Now we are living here, i thought i would give it another go at Huelva!

Many Thanks

Karen
vino, sol y aire, y seras rico como nadie

Don

Postby Don » Wed Apr 02, 2008 2:17 pm

So this morning, I went to get my "certificado de aptitud psicofisica" in one of the many "Centro de Reconocimiento Psico-médico de Conductores y Armas" near to Trafico in Sevilla. At first the medico said I dont need one as I must be allowed to drive in Spain on my UK license according to the new law. She pointed out that a certificate is only valid for 3 months and is issued in preparation for some action in Trafico, such as change or renewal of license. And as I didnt need to change or renew my license I didnt need the certificate. However she gave me a name to speak to in Trafico, who was not in today and I ended up speaking to the boss lady in Trafico who very nicely gave me the info "from the horses mouth".

Yes, any valid EU driving licence is valid for residents and non-residents alike in Spain. No question on that. However, as a "nominal" resident in Spain (without going into personal details, in this respect this is just being physically in Spain for more than 183 days in any one year) you do have to conform somehow to the equivalent medical checks which a Spanish license holder would have to do. This much is all as we had thought before. So I asked her about the 3 months validity of the certificate and she admitted that Spain does not have any defined system for a foreigner to register compliance with the rule over 5 yrs. If you have a car registered to you then you are already in Trafico's database. Most probably as a "resident" this is under your NIE number, which worked in my case. So she sent me back to get the "medical" certificate which is a simple eyesight and co-ordination test. 10 minutes and 30 euros later (and you need a passport style photo) I get back to the boss lady in trafico with said certificate and she simply makes a note (for which there is a tax of just under 18 euros) in her database that I have submitted the requisite certificate. Now to be all repeated every 5 years from now until I am 70. Your license as such is not endorsed in any way but you do get a receipt for the tax. Trafico keep the medical certificate and I should expect a confirmation note in the post which I guess I will need to carry with my perfectly valid UK driving licence.

And before anyone asks why it is not easier to change your license to a Spanish one, it would then be more difficult or more expensive to hire certain vehicles in the UK with a Spanish driving licence. If you also have a vehicle in the UK you could find your UK insurance company is not so happy to carry on as before. So I choose this option.

The coordination test is a very simple computer game with two handles, one in each hand with which you "steer" two blocks on a computer screen left and right as a pair of white stripe "roads" descend down the screen. Gets a bit fun when the roads do not stay "parallel" together, one veers to the left while the other veers to the right and so on. So unlike steering a pair of blocks along a road you are actually steering two blocks along two different roads at the same time.

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Cassandra
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Postby Cassandra » Wed Apr 02, 2008 2:30 pm

Don wrote: And before anyone asks why it is not easier to change your license to a Spanish one, it would then be more difficult or more expensive to hire certain vehicles in the UK with a Spanish driving licence.
The very opposite of what we found. It was the fact that we couldn't hire with our UK licences that made us change to Spanish. No problems once we changed them.

Of course if you still have UK property it's not a problem but at the time we didn't and so couldn't provide the proof of address the hire company required.

Don

Postby Don » Wed Apr 02, 2008 3:22 pm

Maybe it is related to the type of vehicle and the company but I was looking for prices to rent a small motorhome in Scotland and the daily insurance is higher for a "non-UK" licence than for a "UK licence". Now that may be related to the perceived risk of driving a van-type RHD vehicle if you are a "non-UK licence holder" but the web site is clear. For hiring cars, I have no problem renting with Europcar or Avis with a UK licence and getting it billed to a Spanish address. In fact they are happier with a UK licence as if for any reason you do not have your licence with you, apart from sundays they can phone DVLA and check the validity of your licence. I had the example just a couple of months back when changing from old paper to new photocard licence when I had to send the old one in and was without an original for a couple of weeks. You do of course need a UK address for your UK licence but you do not need to own property as such there.

worldbookday
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Traffico Huelva

Postby worldbookday » Wed Apr 02, 2008 7:58 pm

Sorry can't remember exact location, we were dierected from the foreigner's deptartment down by the docks and took about 20mins to walk. Sorry can't be more helpful

El Cid
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Re: licence exchange

Postby El Cid » Thu Apr 03, 2008 9:17 am

worldbookday wrote:Went to Traffico in Seville with some people to exchange their UK licenses, at first window they were told it was not necessary, but then a senior person said it was - and yes the did require a medical
Another example of Trafico not knowing their own rules!

A medical is NOT required when exchanging an EU licence. You only have to look at the details on the Trafico website to see that. If you do provide one it just goes in the bin and you have wasted 30 euros!

Some exchanges, such as from South American countries, DO require a medical - perhaps that's where the confusion arises.

Sid

Don

Postby Don » Wed Apr 23, 2008 9:19 am

Just to complete the story, yesterday in the post I receive a note from the Jefatura de Trafico with basically a stamped and dated print out from their database which shows datos personales (NIE, address) and confirmation of a medical valid for the next 5 years. As Sid mentioned before, there is clear confusion (is that possible :? ) over exactly when the clock begins ticking after you arrive in Spain and Trafico admit that they do not have a formal system set up to handle EU citizens medicals but they have found a way here. A total of 48 euros for a bit of peace of mind.

smash
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Postby smash » Wed Apr 23, 2008 10:37 pm

well the paper with the nie number is more than enough. i mean thats what i have. all you need is to carry your international passport with you and you are not gonna have any problems. as for the driving licenses idk-not a clue.... i dont have one anyway....


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