Changing to Spanish driving licence

Information and questions about driving in Andalucia, buying or importing cars and motorbikes plus legal issues surrounding taxes and licenses.
elusive
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Re: Changing to Spanish driving licence

Postby elusive » Sun Nov 10, 2019 4:38 pm

Hope you get it sorted. We had one hick up re changing the licence in that the recorded letter we got telling us to make another appointment to hand over our uk licence was ready for collection at the the local post office but they had put another label with some randoms name/address next to ours so the post office woman refused to hand it over and sent ot back to traffico. And another of the same for a family member never came. So we made another appointment went back to traffico and luckily all our paper work was behind the counter ready to go. So it wasnt a wasted journey. I hate having to chase people up (shouldnt have moved here!!)and get anxiety so prefer to do things myself if possible

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Re: Changing to Spanish driving licence

Postby Johnandali » Thu Nov 14, 2019 10:59 pm

My Gestor handled my licence exchange.....handed across my UK licence on 22nd October .....imagine my surprise when Gestor called today to advise my Spanish licence was ready for collection.....could not believe it......

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Wicksey
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Re: Changing to Spanish driving licence

Postby Wicksey » Fri Nov 15, 2019 10:14 am

Is that the new licence or the temporary one they issue?

I heard of someone else who applied in March and hasn't got theirs yet, so I'm not sure what's going on. I shall make an appointment for Dec and see how I get on. From the website it seems that you cannot book much in advance so I have to wait until nearer the time to make the appointment at tráfico.

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Wicksey
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Re: Changing to Spanish driving licence

Postby Wicksey » Fri Nov 15, 2019 5:37 pm

Re payment, it looks like you can pay in the trafico office by card when you go for your appointment per the DGT site. Is this the case??

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Re: Changing to Spanish driving licence

Postby Johnandali » Fri Nov 15, 2019 5:41 pm

Wicksey wrote:Re payment, it looks like you can pay in the trafico office by card when you go for your appointment per the DGT site. Is this the case??
My first appointment with Gestor was 22nd October to complete paperwork and start process. Got my full licence yesterday - I was really surprised. Starting process to get my wife’s licence transferred next week.

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Re: Changing to Spanish driving licence

Postby El Cid » Fri Nov 15, 2019 5:44 pm

My advice for exchanging a UK licence would always be to get a gestor to do it. They don’t charge much and from many members posts, it is quicker and avoids a lot of hassle and travel.

As for renewals, the current system runs like clockwork.

Sid

Johnandali
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Re: Changing to Spanish driving licence

Postby Johnandali » Fri Nov 15, 2019 5:46 pm

Totally agree used a Gestor for residency and driving licence.... money well spent.

El Cid
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Re: Changing to Spanish driving licence

Postby El Cid » Fri Nov 15, 2019 5:47 pm

Johnandali wrote:
Wicksey wrote:
My first appointment with Gestor was 22nd October to complete paperwork and start process. Got my full licence yesterday - I was really surprised. Starting process to get my wife’s licence transferred next week.
Thanks for that. It tends to support my last post.

Sid

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IreneD
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Re: Changing to Spanish driving licence

Postby IreneD » Sat Nov 16, 2019 1:16 am

It was very quick for my OH, via a gestor, a matter of weeks but much longer for me, via the same gestor. About 9 months, I think, from memory. The gestor blamed dvlc and also a backlog at trafico but I got the licence eventually. It wasn't expensive and did indeed avoid going backwards and forwards to Malaga so I would recommend doing it that way.

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Wicksey
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Re: Changing to Spanish driving licence

Postby Wicksey » Sat Nov 16, 2019 12:39 pm

El Cid wrote:My advice for exchanging a UK licence would always be to get a gestor to do it. They don’t charge much and from many members posts, it is quicker and avoids a lot of hassle and travel.

As for renewals, the current system runs like clockwork.

Sid

We have gone through the gestor for my OH's which started in June. They are charging us 133€ :shock: I asked a year or two before and it was 75€ so was pretty shocked to find out how much they're charging now. I have called in twice in the past couple of weeks and they say that Trafico said the photo copy of the old UK licence stamped by Trafico is sufficient if he is stopped. They didn't offer any explanation for the delay.

I am doing my own as the new protocol seemed to be set up only for the licence holder to do it themselves, and my gestor said she couldn't do it when I asked before the original Brexit date of 31 Oct. I have got the confirmation email to say I have registered with DGT to exchange, so will make an appointment early December to go and do it myself. At this rate I'll get mine back quicker than my OH :lol: As Irene said, it seems to be luck of the draw as to whether it comes back quickly or not.

alpineSi
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Re: Changing to Spanish driving licence

Postby alpineSi » Sat Nov 16, 2019 3:32 pm

Gestors I use seem to charge €40 for most administrative things because it was the same price to process my car matriculation as it was to exchange driving licences, despite the former involving a fair bit more paper. I can only assume the southern ones see this as a little Brexit supply-and-demand opportunity to fleece the foreigners (like they do when importing cars).

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Re: Changing to Spanish driving licence

Postby El Cid » Sat Nov 16, 2019 4:48 pm

Wicksey, out of interest, why have you not exchanged your licence long ago?

Sid

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Wicksey
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Re: Changing to Spanish driving licence

Postby Wicksey » Sun Nov 17, 2019 11:40 am

:lol: That's a question I keep asking myself :?

For a long time we were being told that as it is a EU licence it is valid here until it expires when I'm 70. Somewhere I had a printed sheet of instructions in Spanish that I used to carry around with me stating that.

Then more recently we have had fairly regular trips where we needed to hire a car and so therefore I did not want to give up the licence knowing that I would need it again in a couple of months. And so here we are panicking now (although I know I am by far not the only one in my position). I would point out that this is very unlike me, as I am usually very organised and must be one of the first people to return their UK tax returns etc etc. This licence thing seems to have passed me by for some reason!

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Wicksey
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Re: Changing to Spanish driving licence

Postby Wicksey » Tue Dec 24, 2019 3:28 pm

I went for my appointment yesterday at the DGT in Malaga. Possibly due to it being Christmas it was pretty quiet in there. I had a few problems trying to get my number for the queuing system but a friendly security man saw me looking helpless and came to my rescue. I didn't have to wait too long, probably 10-15 mins before being seen.

I needed a photocopy of my UK driving licence which I obtained from a kiosk outside the building' (not on the 'Que necesitas' list on the website). I had rather hoped that the info on their website was correct in that I didn't need a medical for changing my licence, but they had other ideas. So off I toddled down the road where there are two medical centres. I was seen immediately and was taken aback as to how little they did in comparison to my OH's medical. I was out in five minutes with my certificate, and they didn't even do the co-ordination test.

Took it all back to the same man that dealt with me earlier in the DGT centre, and came away with my temporary licence and a promise that I'd have my new licence in four weeks .... so watch this space! It cost 24.10€.

I did ask about my OH's application and seeing it was a gestor that had handled it, he rolled his eyes. The computer says the temporary licence was sent to the gestoria last week, so at last something is happening.

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Wicksey
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Re: Changing to Spanish driving licence

Postby Wicksey » Mon Feb 03, 2020 4:52 pm

:clap: :clap: Yay ..... both cards arrived today ..... :thumbup: :thumbup: Slight difference in cost, 24€ for mine I did myself that took 6 weeks (including Christmas, New Year and 3 Kings' holidays) and 133€ to the gestoria that took 7 months :twisted:

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gerryh
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Re: Changing to Spanish driving licence

Postby gerryh » Mon Feb 03, 2020 4:58 pm

:thumbup: :thumbup:
It just proves it's often quicker and cheaper to do it yourself.
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Gerry
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Wicksey
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Re: Changing to Spanish driving licence

Postby Wicksey » Mon Feb 03, 2020 5:53 pm

I realise that now. Our old gestoria used to be really cheap and it was worth her arranging residencia and so on as she would send someone to do all the queuing at the police station, and we'd turn up and go straight in! I always thought that Trafico sounded a bit scary, but it was all OK in the end.

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peteroldracer
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Re: Changing to Spanish driving licence

Postby peteroldracer » Mon Feb 03, 2020 6:43 pm

Wicksey " must be one of the first people to return their UK tax returns". Surely as a resident you will be submitting Spanish tax returns ratrher than UK?
I used to cough to disguise a [email protected] I f@rt to disguise a cough.

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Re: Changing to Spanish driving licence

Postby El Cid » Mon Feb 03, 2020 7:26 pm

Income arising in the UK, such as rental income, has to be declared in the UK and also declared in Spain.

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Re: Changing to Spanish driving licence

Postby markwilding » Mon Feb 03, 2020 10:53 pm

Correct, Even though between my wife and I we don't earn enough to have to pay any tax in the UK, We still have to fill out individual returns.
The letting company normally has to hold the tax. A declaration of non-residential status has to be filled out to so as not to be taxed at source but the Spanish tax office is informed.


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