Exchanging UK driving Licence for a Spanish one

Information and questions about driving in Andalucia, buying or importing cars and motorbikes plus legal issues surrounding taxes and licenses.
El Cid
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Re: Exchanging UK driving Licence for a Spanish one

Postby El Cid » Fri Oct 26, 2018 9:17 am

Wicksey, if I were you I would do it sooner rather than later.

Sid

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Re: Exchanging UK driving Licence for a Spanish one

Postby Lyric » Fri Oct 26, 2018 10:33 am

Me too

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Re: Exchanging UK driving Licence for a Spanish one

Postby Wicksey » Fri Oct 26, 2018 10:43 am

I've needed my licence for hiring a car for numerous trips over the last 6 months so didn't want to be without it for a few weeks but I have a gap in my travels coming up so will do it then. I thought one of the medical centres did the licence application for you as well as the medical, but maybe that's just when renewing an existing Spanish licence. Looks like I'll have to get on and do it.

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Re: Exchanging UK driving Licence for a Spanish one

Postby El Cid » Fri Oct 26, 2018 11:40 am

I don't think the medical centre does a changeover, just a renewal. It might be worth calling them and asking. Otherwise my advice would be to use a gestor. Life is too short to get involved with Trafico!

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Wicksey
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Re: Exchanging UK driving Licence for a Spanish one

Postby Wicksey » Fri Oct 26, 2018 12:40 pm

El Cid wrote: Life is too short to get involved with Trafico!

Sid
:thumbup: I agree entirely!

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peteroldracer
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Re: Exchanging UK driving Licence for a Spanish one

Postby peteroldracer » Fri Oct 26, 2018 1:16 pm

We found the whole process less traumatic than dealing with any spanish builder...
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Re: Exchanging UK driving Licence for a Spanish one

Postby kexon » Fri Oct 26, 2018 2:06 pm

Thank you Sid you have saved me many weeks that I would have lost forever.

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Re: Exchanging UK driving Licence for a Spanish one

Postby elusive » Fri Oct 26, 2018 2:53 pm

Having been always told that as it is an EU licence I don't need to change my UK one as it is valid here, I haven't done so yet but if Brexit ever happens, then it may be a different matter.
----------------
Every e.u country has its own rule. The uk used to make you change i think it was within three years of becoming resident but the last time i looked they had changed it again and you could use an E.U licence until the photo expired. Spain you have to change within two years of becoming a resident depending on what codes or whatever they call them you have on the back dictating what you can drive. Considering the guardia are law unto themselves imo its not worth the worry keeping a uk licence even if it is legal.

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Re: Exchanging UK driving Licence for a Spanish one

Postby john the baptist » Fri Oct 26, 2018 6:38 pm

elusive wrote:You can get the forms to change at traffico itself although when i went to malaga the other week they had all been moved from they used to be with no obvious info saying where they were so i just got my ticket and went to the window when called. They printed off the ones i needed there and then instead.

Kexon. Nothing offical has been said about what will happen re licences after brexit as no deal has been anounced yet. If a deal is done i would think the law would just stay as it is now interms of when a licence has to be changed to a spanish one. Who knows. Personally i would advise people to change before inorder to save possible issues especially as i think you said you have been here many years already? your photo on your licence could already be invalid

Theres no 6 month rule re uk licence john if thats what you mean??.if the fine was obviously wrong you should have contested it
There is a rule about 6 months. The thing of getting it registered at traffico as a UK valid licence no longer applies. Remember the 6 month rule regarding the UK registered car. Also if you are resident in Spain traffico will not know where you live for point deductions or fines.
Anyway Gibraltar border its truly the wild west and its there literally no defense to anything. I personally know many Brits that have their cars impounded now that they have the number plate readers going in and going out. The computer will identify cars that have entered or left over a certain period of time especially if its every day or once a week, Also if you are going on foot the barriers accumulate your movements between the border as it does at all airports and ports.

Im also aware that uk registered vans may be ignored by the policia local but the guardia know that van are cheap in cars and people are earning using these vehicles.

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Re: Exchanging UK driving Licence for a Spanish one

Postby peteroldracer » Fri Oct 26, 2018 6:46 pm

There is a rule about 6 months....
I would just love to see the actual law that applies....yet another example of cojones I suspect...
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Re: Exchanging UK driving Licence for a Spanish one

Postby elusive » Fri Oct 26, 2018 8:21 pm

Thought you ment 6:months re exchanging your licence apologies .but the 6 month rule for using uk plates is even less if you are already a spanish resident its something like a month. the permiso de circulation has the owners registared address presuming they are driving an E.S car

Gib police seem unintrested when it comes to illegal cars entering.reported one as we entered amd the officer said nothing he could do. Emailed for clarifaction got no reply. Guardia to busy on their mobiles whe we re enter.no point re number plate recog and people on front around 15k people go back and forth everyday working so no evidence of much.only the ones making several trips a day

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Re: Exchanging UK driving Licence for a Spanish one

Postby hangoverocks » Wed Dec 05, 2018 6:16 pm

Having researched this topic EXTENSIVELY I was ready for everything except one requirement ! (see below)
Here in Granada capital I finally managed to get my UK licence processed on Dec 4, 2018, after being registered Spanish Resident and driving more than 10 years (stopped twice by local police -all OK).
I had to get a "cita previa" online (https://sedeapl.dgt.gob.es/WEB_NCIT_CON ... aso2.faces)
- I took with me (to DGT) my:
  • 'Padrón' Certificate (photocopy of my 10 year old certificate)
    Certificate "Registro de Ciudadano de la Union" (National certificate 10 years old)
    UK Passport
    Spanish NIE card
    photograph (mine was an official-size passport photo which they said was too big! fortunately she was good enough to cut it down to size)
    Certificate 'Ensayo Psicofísica' (cost me 35€-ish last week at a specialist Granada medical centre) - the DGT kept this.
    UK Driving Licence - the DGT kept this.
The FIRST thing DGT asked me for was my UK National Insurance number !
Fortunately (again) I was able to remember it - she looked me up on the computer and confirmed it correct.
Then I had to fill in two or three forms, which they helped me with (one form was this: https://sede.dgt.gob.es/Galerias/tramit ... .03-ES.pdf ) They said that, because of differences between the two countries 'Vehicle codes', they were only requesting codes B and BE (car and scooter under 50cc, car with trailer), she did ask me if I wanted a minibus code, I said no.
They took 25€-ish by credit card.
They issued me with a 3 month temporary Spanish driving permit.

I am so happy ! Of course I don´t know if I will get a full Spanish licence, nor if it will be processed before B***x*t !
It has taken me about two years to get this done. good luck to everyone else.

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Re: Exchanging UK driving Licence for a Spanish one

Postby Inglis1 » Fri Feb 01, 2019 11:37 am

I have just done this. People must do this soon in case Brexit happens on 28th March, if so you may have to take a spanish driving test after that date. The medical is easy to pass but they would not do it unless I had an appointment at trafico booked. We were advised this can take 2-3 months so just got an agent to do it for me. They seem to have regular booked slots which is probably why it is so difficult to get an appointment.

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Re: Exchanging UK driving Licence for a Spanish one

Postby gerryh » Fri Feb 01, 2019 2:12 pm

Inglis1 wrote:... They seem to have regular booked slots which is probably why it is so difficult to get an appointment.
Gestors who do the transfers etc have a special counter just for them so they avoid the normal queues.
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Re: Exchanging UK driving Licence for a Spanish one

Postby Manchesteral » Wed Feb 06, 2019 7:06 pm

elusive wrote:Having been always told that as it is an EU licence I don't need to change my UK one as it is valid here, I haven't done so yet but if Brexit ever happens, then it may be a different matter.
----------------
Every e.u country has its own rule. The uk used to make you change i think it was within three years of becoming resident but the last time i looked they had changed it again and you could use an E.U licence until the photo expired. Spain you have to change within two years of becoming a resident depending on what codes or whatever they call them you have on the back dictating what you can drive. Considering the guardia are law unto themselves imo its not worth the worry keeping a uk licence even if it is legal.
In the Nordic countries you must, by law change your U K licence for one of that country after six months of residence ! I don't know about the rest of the bloc !

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Re: Exchanging UK driving Licence for a Spanish one

Postby Paddy Pumpkin » Thu Feb 07, 2019 12:17 am

If you move country within the EU you can continue to drive on a licence from another EU country until the licence expires, as long as the original licence has an expiry of lesss than 15 years when issued.

These are the law EU wide. If you take up residency in another EU country you are not required to exchange your licence to the new country. (unless you lose the original or commit a driving offence)

If the original licence has an expiry of more than 15 years then you have a minimum of 2 years to convert it to a licence of your new country if residence

There are no exceptions the rules are the same in every EU country.

https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/v ... dex_en.htm


If the police stop you in Spain it might be a good idea to have aprinted copy of the following

https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/v ... dex_es.htm

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Re: Exchanging UK driving Licence for a Spanish one

Postby Wicksey » Thu Feb 07, 2019 11:28 am

Inglis1 wrote:I have just done this. People must do this soon in case Brexit happens on 28th March, if so you may have to take a spanish driving test after that date. The medical is easy to pass but they would not do it unless I had an appointment at trafico booked. We were advised this can take 2-3 months so just got an agent to do it for me. They seem to have regular booked slots which is probably why it is so difficult to get an appointment.
I did mention on another thread that I asked my gestoria the other week and it's taking more time now. There's no problem taking the paperwork in but it's getting the new licence back. It seems that there's a good chance it will not be back in time for our next UK trip when we need a hire car, so I cannot afford to give up my licence until I know I don't need it. We had regular trips away last year when we needed our licences for car hire so left it until after the new year, but it's now too late as it seems to be taking at least 4 months to get the new ones issued. UK will not accept a Spanish temporary licence.

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Re: Exchanging UK driving Licence for a Spanish one

Postby Beachcomber » Thu Feb 07, 2019 2:10 pm

Paddy Pumpkin wrote:,,,If the police stop you in Spain it might be a good idea to have aprinted copy of the following...
No matter how much in the right you think you may be, If you are going to start arguing the toss with the Guardia Civil and waving pieces of paper under their noses you had better be certain that the rest of your paperwork is in perfect order and that your vehicle is 100% road legal otherwise you could find yourself with a pocketful of fines for offences you never even knew existed.

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Re: Exchanging UK driving Licence for a Spanish one

Postby peteroldracer » Thu Feb 07, 2019 2:40 pm

In truth you are much less likely to get stopped if you are driving a Spanish registered car, even one with the driver on the wrong side.
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Re: Exchanging UK driving Licence for a Spanish one

Postby alpineSi » Sat Feb 09, 2019 10:26 pm

Does anyone know if licences are processed regionally or nationally? I'm wondering if it might be faster in non-tourist areas such as where I'm living at the moment. My gf and I are both thinking we might need to change ours but would like to have at least one 'proper' licence between us in case we cross a border. I'm still trying to assess if the Spanish will just grant UK licence holders an exemption, like they're apparently going to do to ensure our qualifications are still recognised, or if they see it as a convenient excuse to get all the foreign residents switched over.


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