Changing Spanish license to a UK one

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Alcala Barry
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Changing Spanish license to a UK one

Postby Alcala Barry » Mon Jul 25, 2016 12:45 pm

Out of interest, has anybody out there had any experience of changing their Spanish driving license back to a UK license?
Is it just the same/similar process?

Regards

Barry

El Cid
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Re: Changing Spanish license to a UK one

Postby El Cid » Mon Jul 25, 2016 2:29 pm

It's very simple as no medical required.

https://www.gov.uk/exchange-foreign-driving-licence

Sid

Alcala Barry
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Re: Changing Spanish license to a UK one

Postby Alcala Barry » Mon Jul 25, 2016 3:50 pm

Hello Cid,
Had a sift through the site, so thanks for the pointer. It appears to be surprisingly easier there than over here in Spain.

Not planning to go back, but thought I'd check it out in case the political environment changes for the worse due to Brexit etc! Always best to be pre-warned, as they say.

Cheers

Barry

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knowal
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Re: Changing Spanish license to a UK one

Postby knowal » Mon Jul 25, 2016 4:36 pm

Yes, I have done this and it is entirely free. If you have your old driving licence number to hand it helps the process.
Just get a driving licence application form (D1) from the post office, and work through it carefully.

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Re: Changing Spanish license to a UK one

Postby El Cid » Mon Jul 25, 2016 4:46 pm

According to the website, there is a charge of £43. Maybe it is only free if you had previously exchanged a UK license for a Spanish one.

Unfortunately, you cannot download the form so I cannot check the small print.

Sid

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Re: Changing Spanish license to a UK one

Postby Miro » Mon Jul 25, 2016 6:18 pm

White Horse wrote: If you have your old driving licence number to hand it helps the process.
.
My Spanish licence has my old UK licence number on it.
Don't worry about what people think, they don't do it very often

"Acquiring a dog may be the only opportunity a human ever has to choose a relative," Mordecai Siegal 1935-2010.

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Re: Changing Spanish license to a UK one

Postby El Cid » Mon Jul 25, 2016 6:41 pm

Well, not the whole number, but part of it.

Sid

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Re: Changing Spanish license to a UK one

Postby Miro » Mon Jul 25, 2016 6:53 pm

I don't have my original UK licence to hand, but I'm 99% certain the whole number is there. Under section 12 (observations) there is code 70 (exchange of original licence) followed by a variation on my DOB, which was the only number on my original UK licence that I recall.
Don't worry about what people think, they don't do it very often

"Acquiring a dog may be the only opportunity a human ever has to choose a relative," Mordecai Siegal 1935-2010.

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knowal
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Re: Changing Spanish license to a UK one

Postby knowal » Mon Jul 25, 2016 7:16 pm

No it isn't. As Sid says, that is only a small part. A full licence number is 15 letters and numbers followed by 2 digits.
The formulation of a licence number is:
First 5 letters of surname, followed by date of birth with the final number moved to the first, so 25th Jan 1957 becomes 725015, then some initial and then some random numbers. (Different if you are female). Then there are 2 digits for the issue number.
All I had on my 2013 Spanish licence was 70.xxxxxxUK where xxxxxx was the 725015 bit.

The DVLA may or may not find your old information, but I kept scanned copies of my old licence from 1997 so that I had this information to hand.
I am an obsessive records keeper, not everyone is!

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Re: Changing Spanish license to a UK one

Postby Miro » Mon Jul 25, 2016 7:33 pm

White Horse wrote: I am an obsessive records keeper
:lol: Me too! (1997 as well!)
OK, happy to stand corrected, I dug out a copy of my old UK licence and you're right. The first 5 letters of your surname will not be hard for DVLA to work out though, nor the first two initials; the only part of the number that isn't obvious is the last 3 characters.
Don't worry about what people think, they don't do it very often

"Acquiring a dog may be the only opportunity a human ever has to choose a relative," Mordecai Siegal 1935-2010.

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Re: Changing Spanish license to a UK one

Postby masterob » Tue Jul 26, 2016 6:08 pm

I also exchanged by Spanish licence when I returned to the UK last year. It was painless and there was no charge.

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Re: Changing Spanish license to a UK one

Postby Alcala Barry » Wed Jul 27, 2016 2:40 pm

Thanks for the feedback. Sounds like it is all pretty straight forward.
Let's hope it stays that way - even with Brexit loomimg over the next couple of years.

Regards

Barry

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Re: Changing Spanish license to a UK one

Postby masterob » Wed Jul 27, 2016 7:38 pm

I don't think you need worry about Brexit in this context. If you previously had a UK licence then it's pretty straightforward exchanging a foreign one back to a UK one.

Alcala Barry
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Re: Changing Spanish license to a UK one

Postby Alcala Barry » Thu Jul 28, 2016 8:43 am

Masterob

Wasn't been too serious about Brexit, but appreciate your feedback.
Hope you are enjoying the relatively warm British weather.

Regards

Barry

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Re: Changing Spanish license to a UK one

Postby barry » Thu Jul 28, 2016 5:17 pm

I think the system is first and 6th numbers are last two numbers of birth year, 2nd and third are the month, and 4th and 5th are the day of the month.

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Re: Changing Spanish license to a UK one

Postby MartinEB » Fri Jul 29, 2016 10:33 am

Alcala Barry wrote:experience of changing their Spanish driving license back to a UK license?
Is it just the same/similar process?
I e-mailed DVLA to ask exactly that, their reply was:

Thank you for your email received on 18/3/16. Your email reference number is *******.

If you have previously held a GB licence and exchanged it for a Spanish licence, then you may apply when you are again resident in GB.

You will need to send us a D1 application form, these are available from our form ordering service at http://www.gov.uk/dvlaforms or selected Post Offices® that offer driving licence transactions, your nearest Post Office® can be found by clicking here.

No fee is required.

As you previously held a photocard, you will need to provide a new photograph if it was last renewed over 10 years ago.

Please send your completed application with your Spanish licence to the address on the back of the form.

We aim to deliver your driving licence within 3 weeks.

I hope this information is helpful.

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Re: Changing Spanish license to a UK one

Postby Alcala Barry » Sun Jul 31, 2016 8:02 pm

Martineb

All sounds very efficient and straight forward.

Thanks for that info.

Barry

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Re: Changing Spanish license to a UK one

Postby MartinEB » Sun Oct 16, 2016 7:22 am

Just to update.

Changed my Spanish licence to UK licence. Cost nothing and took just 11 days (as opposed to changing my UK licence to Spanish several years ago which cost over 149€ each (my wife and I) and took 9 months!)

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knowal
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Re: Changing Spanish license to a UK one

Postby knowal » Tue Oct 18, 2016 12:31 pm

I take it you used a third party, Martin, as the cost was less than €50, (less than €20 each trafico, plus €30 each for medical), when we changed to Spanish licences.

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Re: Changing Spanish license to a UK one

Postby MartinEB » Wed Oct 19, 2016 9:50 pm

White Horse wrote:I take it you used a third party, Martin, as the cost was less than €50, (less than €20 each trafico, plus €30 each for medical), when we changed to Spanish licences.
Ah if only, we did foolishly (but in our defense thinking it would quicker) use a gestor (50€ each), medical (60€ each), photo's (13€ each) -and then 26€ each for the Licenses! Ripped off? Yes probably, but we'd gotten use to being ripped of in Spain, one of the many (and there really are many) reasons we are now back in the UK :clap:


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