Drivers Licence. €250 Fine in Nerja :-(

[hiker]

My wife got hit for €250 last night for holding an incorrect licence.
She's been driving around on her German licence and according to the Police Officer it's invalid after 6 months if you are a Resident.
Bummer!!!!

I had changed mine sometime in 2009 but only because I wanted to and I had decided to sit in the passanger seat last night. I had'nt realise we had to change our licences into Spanish ones after 6 months residency.
Expensive lesson learned.

The law must be a bit different in Ireland because she drove around there for nearly 10 years with her German licence and had no trouble.

I'm half hoping someone will come on and say "oh, thats wrong. Just go to such and such office and it'll be sorted out"
The Police Officer seemed quite sure of himself and, in fairness, he was very apologetic too. He even used the immortal phrase, "I'm just doing my job"

[gerryh]

My wife got hit for €250 last night for holding an incorrect licence.
She's been driving around on her German licence and according to the Police Officer it's invalid after 6 months if you are a Resident.
"

Was it a German licence or an EU licence issued in Germany.
Both my wife and I have been stopped and our EU licences issued in the UK have been accepted. Asked the police whether we need to change them and always got the answer that it wasn't necessary.
Cheers
Gerry

[country boy]

There are other forum members far more qualified to comment on this than I, but, my understanding is that provided you have a valid medical certificate, and your licence is up to date and issued in the EU then it is quiet in order to drive on it in Spain.

[hiker]

Hi GerryH, its a German licence issued in Germany. Its about 25 years old.
The Police Officer explained that it was a German Drivers Licence and only valid for driving in Germany or for driving Hired Cars in Spain.

Its a photo-type Licence about the size of a passport but he would'nt accept it.
I got the disticnt impression we stumbled into a Fund Raising exercise last night.

I would have thought a warning to produce a new licence within 30 days at the local station would have been appropriate but I'm more used to the easy going Garda Síochána back in ireland.

[knowal]

Hi GerryH, its a German licence issued in Germany. Its about 25 years old.
The Police Officer explained that it was a German Drivers Licence and only valid for driving in Germany or for driving Hired Cars in Spain.

Its a photo-type Licence about the size of a passport but he would'nt accept it.
I got the disticnt impression we stumbled into a Fund Raising exercise last night.

I would have thought a warning to produce a new licence within 30 days at the local station would have been appropriate but I'm more used to the easy going Garda Síochána back in ireland.

If your German licence did not have the required translation, as per the European licence model, then the Guardia have acted correctly.
So stop whinging about fund raising exercises. It seems like a fair cop!

[hiker]

If your German licence did not have the required translation, as per the European licence model, then the Guardia have acted correctly.
So stop whinging about fund raising exercises. It seems like a fair cop!

Yes, I figured he was'nt making it up and no real whining (well, a lot of strong German curse words were used afterwards )

It's worth pointing out, though to other forum users who might not be sure about where they stand.


Looks like I'll have to back on the game again for a few weeks to raise the money....

[El Cid]

It really depends on whether the licence is the EU "pattern" - with regard to the layout and classes of vehicle.I am not sure when Germany changed over but it is possible that a 25 year old licence could be the old type.

If it is the EU pattern, then there is no longer any requirement for a resident to change it or have it registered with Trafico. As has been pointed out there are now requirements to have a medical test and carry a certificate to this effect but that is all.

If you have a non EU pattern licence then it is valid if accompanied by an International Driving Permit issued by the same country that issued the original licence although the relevant Spanish law does not differentiate between the licence types - it merely refers to licences issued in another EU member state being valid in Spain.

That said, there are still a number of cases where the Guardia refuse to accept the change in the law and have wrongly fined people for having a foreign licence.

From what has been said, it seems the officer just rejected the licence on the grounds that it was a German licence rather than any other reason and that is clearly wrong.

Sid

[Beachcomber]

Check your car insurance policy to see if a service for handling traffic fines is included. It is standard for Linea Directa but I don't know about other companies.

[ashtondav]

I thought that your driving licence (even an EU one) must show your correct address. Otherwise it's subject to fine.

Wrong?

[El Cid]

I thought that your driving licence (even an EU one) must show your correct address. Otherwise it's subject to fine.

Wrong?

Yes - wrong!

Spanish licences do not show an address at all.

UK licences do but the DVLA are quite happy for it to show an incorrect address if you are no longer UK resident.

Sid

[gus-lopez]

Any licence from before 1996 would only be valid with an international driving permit regardless of which country it came from.
As from 19th January 2013 all licences will be identical & member states had until 19th January 2011 to adopt laws implementing the directive ( Directive 2006/126/EEC ). As from 2033 all licences issued before 19th January 2013 will become invalid.

[peteroldracer]

Remember that if your British EU photolicence expires you will be unable to renew it in the UK as you no longer a UK resident, AND THAT THE PHOTO IS ONLY VALID FOR TEN YEARS, NOT UNTIL YOU ARE 70 like the rest of the licence, so becomes invalid on that date.

[gavilan]

I have been mostly 'out of the loop' these last 2 -3 years ... so could someone please tell me what is this 'medical certificate' which is supposed to accompany a driving licence ... and how/where one obtains it?
thanks

[knowal]

My advice to any Spanish resident is to change over to a Spanish licence.
It is very easy to do at tráfico offices and saves any possible problems with the men in green. It won't cost very much.
The medical will be done to comply with the Spanish licence requirements at the appropriate intervals.
There will also be less problem if your licence is lost or stolen.

Go on, you know it makes sense!

[Wicksey]

We still have our pink paper licences from 1990. Will we need to change if we decided to move back permanently?

Edit .... just found the 'exchanging driving licence' thread in the Cars section which seems to show how it's all done!

[hiker]

An interesting update on this story.

I went into the Post Office this morning and paid the fine. I then went ot Malaga Traffic Office to hand in all the papers to get the Licence changed to a Spanish one.

I mentioned in passing that I'd got stuck for a "Denuncio" for €250. The young lady was quite shocked. She had a word with the supervisor and I was told that the Licence is, indeed, valid.

She gave me a form to fill in to apply for my refund.

I asked what the problem was with the Police Officer in Nerja. She said some of the Police don't like the old Licences because the picture is unrecognisable to the driver. (age is a bitch,eh?)
I might be a bit biased but the gorgeous CS is unchanged from that picture taken in 1982.

Anyway, she's getting a new licence and we're getting a refund so alls well that ends well.

[Julie]

Thats great news

[knowal]

An interesting update on this story.

I went into the Post Office this morning and paid the fine. I then went ot Malaga Traffic Office to hand in all the papers to get the Licence changed to a Spanish one.

I mentioned in passing that I'd got stuck for a "Denuncio" for €250. The young lady was quite shocked. She had a word with the supervisor and I was told that the Licence is, indeed, valid.

She gave me a form to fill in to apply for my refund.

I asked what the problem was with the Police Officer in Nerja. She said some of the Police don't like the old Licences because the picture is unrecognisable to the driver. (age is a *beep*,eh?)
I might be a bit biased but the gorgeous CS is unchanged from that picture taken in 1982.

Anyway, she's getting a new licence and we're getting a refund so alls well that ends well.

Extremely well done!
So it wasn't a fair cop at all... Grrr.

[peteroldracer]

Back to the "Third World" discussion - is there another EU country where the copper on the beat decides if and what offence may have been commited, possibly by sticking his wet finger in the air and seeing which way the wind blows, and the rest of the "Policia Incompetencia" just let fines be levied willy-nilly?

[BENIDORM]

Peter,
I have found, from experience, that the problems are more likely to be caused by a personality defect suffered by the particular policeman, regardless of which country they reside in...

Regards,
Gordon....