quick question - english / spanish licence exchange

[spanish_lad]

can an old paper uk licence be exchanged for a shiney new spanish card one ?

and has anyone done it ?

[eveyon]

Would be interested in finding out as I have an old paper uk licence which is very old and tatty and held together with sellotape.

[Beachcomber]

If it is still valid I don't see why not but you need a residence permit.

Here is a list of requirements from DGT:

http://www.dgt.es/tramites/conductores/ ... 0necesaria:

[malagaman2005]

Great if you're fluent and not a numpty like me. Can anyone answer Spanish_lad's original question 'Has anybody done it?"

[El Cid]

Yes, I did it 6 years ago.

The easy option is pay a gestor €30 to do it for you or queue up at Trafico in Malaga.

And, yes, only residents can exchange their licence.

Sid

[Beachcomber]

I also did it but that was nearly twenty five years ago when all driving licences were tatty bits of paper and things have changed a bit since then!

One interesting point in that list from DGT is that the original licence being exchanged will be returned once it has been compared with the photocopy:

Fotocopia del permiso o licencia de conducción que, en su caso, posea, ya sea expedido en España o en otro país comunitario, acompañado del documento original que será devuelto una vez cotejado. (My bold not their's)

I don't know how long this has been so because they always used to keep your UK licence.

[Laslomas]

I changed my licence 2 years ago and the original was not returned to me. So it must be a new idea to return the old one. Surely it would be marked as cancelled - or you could use whichever you liked to suit the occasion!!

[malagaman2005]

Now it doesn't take much I can assure you all but I'm now totally confused? Going by numerous previous postings on this subject and input by many 'experts', the general conscensus of opinion was that driving on a UK/EU licence was illegal unless it was registered with the traffico even though the ruling from Brussels was that it must be accepeted by the Spanish authorities. I know of somebody who was turned away from the traffico in Malaga who tried to 'register' their UK licence as it (quote) 'wasn't necessary.' It is now stated in this post that you have to have residencia in order to exchange your UK licence for a Spanish one. I was under the impression, which is obviously wrong, that obtaining residency was not compulsory to live in Spain. My concern is that if I do not have residencia (yet) and therefore cannot exchange my licence for a Spanish one, how do I drive legally in Spain?

[Laslomas]

I have my Spanish Licence and do not have Residencia. I pay the Autonomo (Social Security) and if you are in this situation, ie working in Spain, you do not need Residencia.

[silver]

You can find all the info you need on this page
http://ec.europa.eu/youreurope/nav/en/c ... ex_en.html

[malagaman2005]

I have my Spanish Licence and do not have Residencia. I pay the Autonomo (Social Security) and if you are in this situation, ie working in Spain, you do not need Residencia.

I receive a UK pension (not the state one as I'm too young!!) so I don't work in Spain so I guess I can't go down that route.

quote="silver"]You can find all the info you need on this page
http://ec.europa.eu/youreurope/nav/en/c ... ex_en.html[/quote]

Useful link from you Silver-thanks

[Beachcomber]

Obtaining residencia is not compulsory for students and people who are in legal employment or their families although people in these categories can still obtain a permit if they wish.

Anyone who is retired or living here on independent means (or working illegally) still needs to apply for residencia although you are not now required to provide proof of financial resources as it says on the web site quoted by Silver.

If you are one of those people who is not required to obtain a residence permit you have instead to supply a mountain of paperwork when you wish to do something that requires you to produce one. That's why most people find it more convenient to obtain one even if they are not required to.

In fact, 'residence permit' has become something of a misnomer because an EU citizen can now live in any EU country of his choice without seeking permission to do so. It would be more appropriate to call it an identity card which is what it really is.

[Babby]

I have an old pink driving licence and after queuing up for 2 hours one hot unforgettable day in Málaga, I was told by the girl behind the counter that it was not necessary to change my licence as we are in the EU.

[campo babe]

My husband and I are in the process of exchanging our licences for Spanish ones. We had old pink licences and the address on them was nearly four years out of date. We couldn't get a new UK licence as we didn't have a UK address and it seemed the only way forward was to get a Spanish licence. We did this through a gestor, and now have to wait for the new photocard licences to arrive in the post. I didn't know if there was any other way to update our address.

[malagaman2005]

Campo babe Can you please keep me updated with your progress as I'd love to know the outcome because, as usual, there are so many conflicting views on this subject.
BTW do you have residency?

[El Cid]

You are right - there are many conflicting views on the subject, however the majority seem to be inaccurate including some views experienced in certain Trafico offices!

The law, both Spanish and EU is quite clear.

Residents can voluntarily, exchange their UK license or have it endorsed and the drivers details added to the police database of drivers.

UK licences used by residents, endorsed or not, are only valid for the same period as an equivalent Spanish licence and the same medical tests are required.

Sid

[JAR1972]

Just did it this morning at the DGT in La Linea. Arrived 9am and was done and dusted by 10am.

Make sure you have all the requirements in order and pay with exact money. Cost EUR 17.40. To save time and grab a ticket for the main queue first before joining the application form queue. Fill out the form whilst you wait in the cashier queue, by then your number should be about to come up for the main queue!

Needed 2x photo, Tarjet Communitaria (NIE) and photocopy, English Photocard License and photocopy, application form with proof of payment.

There is a little shop around the corner from the DGT who take photos and will do photocopies.

They gave back my English license plus a receipt showing I had applied for a Spanish one.

I'm not sure if the English one ever gets taken away? I guess I'll find out when I pick up the Spanish one. I was told 1 month, but the 3 months for the NIE card turned into nearly 7 so who knows when that will be...

[campo babe]

Yes, Malagaman, we do have residencia cards, being "retired" but not yet of state retirement age.

We were told the wait for the new licences was two months. We will wait and see.

[malagaman2005]

Just did it this morning at the DGT in La Linea...

I notice you make no mention of 'residencia' on your list of must haves, does this mean you did yours without? If so then that's another piece of mis-information given on this site.

[El Cid]

A Tarjeta Communitaria is the correct way of referring to a "residencia" card.

Not so much mis-information after all - possibly just a question of mis-understanding!

Sid