Exchange your driving licence in Spain
First, can I drive in Spain with my current driving licence?
Foreigners who are in Spain as tourists must have a valid driving licence for at least 2 years and they must be over 23 years.
In case of EU citizens, they can keep their driving licences to drive in Spain, unless they have a timelife licence (without any expiration date), wherein there is a deadline of 6 months to exchange their driving licence or get a new Spanish one.
Non-EU citizens whose country has an agreement with Spain (including Andorra, Korea, Japan, Switzerland and Monaco) must exchange their driving licence or get a new Spanish one if they will stay in Spain for more than 6 months.
Rest of Non-EU citizens (no agreement) must get a new Spanish driving licence if they are staying in Spain.
Second, who can exchange their driving licence in Spain?
You can exchange any driving licence issued by any Member State of the EU or States party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area (Norwegian, Iceland and Liechenstein) in accordance with the EU regulations, under the conditions in which it was issued in their place of origin, except for the minimum age required for driving, that will correspond to the Spanish laws.
However, restricted, suspended or withdrawn driving licences shall not be valid for driving in Spain.
The holder of a driving licence issued in one of these States that has acquired his residence status in Spain will be subject to the Spanish provisions regarding his period of validity, control of his psychophysical abilities and allocation of credit points. In the case of a driving license that is not subject to a certain period of validity, the holder must renew it, after two years after establishing his normal residence in Spain.
If you got your driving licence in a EU country, you can avoid the second point.
Non-EU drivers whose country has an agreement with Spain will be able to exchange their driving licence (Andorra, Korea, Japan, Switzerland and Monaco). Please, check the second point.
Also the following countries have an agreement with Spain: Democratic People’s Republic of Algeria, the Republic of Bolivia, the Republic of Chile, the Republic of Colombia, the Republic of Ecuador, the Kingdom of Morocco, the Republic of Nicaragua, the Republic of Peru, Republic of Panama, Republic of Paraguay, Republic of Uruguay, Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Federative Republic of Brazil, Republic of El Salvador, Republic of the Philippines, Republic of Guatemala, Republic of Serbia, Republic of Turkey, Tunisia, Ukraine, Macedonia.
Third, what does NOT Trafico exchange?
• driving licences obtained on a later date than the signing of the convention being legally resident in spain. (in the case of the republic of korea the date on which the driving licence was obtained may be later than that of the legal residence)
• driving licences obtained from a licence exchanged from another country that does not have an exchange agreement with spain
Fourth, what if I am not a EU citizen and my country does not have any agreement with Spain?
It is possible to exchange it, if you can provide:
1.- Produce evidence of having been employed as a professional driver for a period of not less than 6 months by a company or companies legally established or with a branch in spain.
2.- not to be disqualified from driving motor vehicles and mopeds, and not to have their licence or permit suspended or under an administrative procedure.
3.- to pass a test of skills and behaviour on roads open to traffic.
Find out more interesting posts:
John Donaldson
January 25, 2018 @ 7:39 pm
I am a retired UK citizen with both a UK & Canadian pension. I have a UK/EU passport and recently became a Spanish Resident .
My UK drivers licence expired 3 years ago when I became 70 yrs of age, however I still have my valid Canadian Licence as I lived there for many decades.
My wife still has a valid UK licence which will expire in 9 years time and we understand she can continue to drive in Spain for another 2 years before getting a Spanish one..
Can I continue to do the same?
Javier Rodríguez
February 12, 2018 @ 12:37 pm
Hello John,
According to the EU laws, after 2 years of residence you should exchange your driving licence in your new EU country. Therefore, it is up to you. However I inform you about what law says.
ibrahim
April 27, 2018 @ 1:18 pm
hi javier, first of all thanks for sharing the valuable information. i’m from Bangladesh and i have south korean driving license(including international version). recently i moved to madrid and i want to exchange it. i already collected official translation of my korean driving licence from korean embassy in madrid. now my questions is
1. what other documents i need for getting Spanish driving licence.
2. as i mentioned that i already have an international driving licence (from korea), so can i rent/buy car in spain with it or i need to wait for Spanish driving licence.
Javier Rodríguez
April 27, 2018 @ 7:49 pm
Hello Ibrahim,
Unfortunately there is not any agreement between Spain and South Korea to exchange driving licences, I am afraid.
If you want to stay longer than 6 months in Spain and/or become a resident, you will need to apply for a new one, to be honest.
I am sorry for that.
shahid
October 10, 2018 @ 8:54 am
Sir I am a Uae driving license holder can i exchange my license in Spain
Javier Rodríguez
October 10, 2018 @ 6:49 pm
Hello Shahid,
No you cannot, I am sorry. There isn’t any driving licence exchange agreement between Spain and UAE, so you would need to apply for a new one. It is possible to do it in English language, by the way.
shahid
December 9, 2018 @ 1:49 am
Sir i heard uae driving license permanent we can use in Spain if i have residence visa of Spain
Javier Rodríguez
December 10, 2018 @ 11:31 am
Hello Shahid,
If you have a residence visa, yes you can.
Robert Ferguson
May 17, 2021 @ 9:27 pm
I own a house in Málaga province and am non-resident, I have a NIE.
I have made a declaration of fiscal non residence with Unicaja my bank.
I pay renta no residente módulo 210 impuestos.
I bought a car in 2017, can I legally drive it with a UK licence as a non-resident, post Brexit?
I do not wish residencía.
Javier Rodríguez
May 26, 2021 @ 3:47 pm
Hello Robert,
It doesn’t depend on your properties in Spain, but on your residency status. Actually, if the police stops you and check your passport, they can know if you are a resident or not (if you are registered as a resident). However, they may have other ways to know if, even being a non-resident, you have spent more than 6 consecutive months in Spain, as the Tax Office usually do, for instance. For example, according to your passport stamps. Besides, it seems the DGT (DVLA in Spain) changed its mind and now they will not accept any British driving licence from the 30th of June 2021 (automatic voice message information you heard if you call to 060), which means you may need an International Driving Licence to drive around Spain from that day.
I hope it helps.
Javier R.
Danetta
November 26, 2021 @ 10:21 pm
Hello, at what point are you obligated to exchange the drivers license to a spanish one?
My friend from Denmark got fined for driving with her Danish drivers license. She is already long term resident in Spain.
I am resident for 6 months now, and I have never been told anything at traffic stops, but my friend I can get a fine as well.
My boyfriend is not a resident, but would like to drive my car.
Is there also a difference when you own a car or driving someone elses car?
Thanks for your reply!
Javier Rodríguez
December 16, 2021 @ 4:10 pm
Hello Danetta,
Your friend may have been fined because, apart from having been a resident in Spain for 2 years or longer, her Danish driving licence meets at least one of the following cases:
– Her driving licence is not limited in time or
– Her driving licence is valid for over 15 years or longer for group 1 (AM, A1, A2, A, B and BE), and/or for over 5 years or longer for group 2 (C1, C1E, C, CE, D1, D1E, D, DE) or
– Her driving licence is due to expire or expired
Under any of the circumstances above, you must exchange your EU driving licence for a Spanish one after 2 years of residency in Spain, with no exceptions.
That’s the reason she was fined, I believe.
I hope it helps,
Javier R.
Hamed Slim
January 27, 2022 @ 2:40 pm
Hi Javier,
I would like to exchange my Tunisian driving licence to a Spanish one, I’m a European citizen and I have my padron as a resident and nomina but not this hard to get the green tarjeta de extranjeros and due to covid there no appointments around Málaga district to get it…so will the impadronamiento cert will be enough to succefuly get my licence exchanged?
Thanks kindly
Javier Rodríguez
January 27, 2022 @ 6:17 pm
Hello Hamed,
You need to become a resident in Spain first, I am afraid.
Kind Regards,
Javier R.
Chey
December 24, 2022 @ 8:30 pm
I wish to study at university in Spain. I will obtain a Visa for long term study.
I am Canadian/ Australian.
Will I be able to use my Australian licence throughout my time as I will have a student Visa?
Will I be able to buy a car in Spain if I have only a student Visa?
Javier Rodríguez
December 29, 2022 @ 3:44 pm
Hello Chey,
If you will obtain a long-term visa, you will need to take a new Spanish driving licence, since there isn’t any licence exchange agreement between Australia and Spain and you will be a resident in Spain, so the International Driving Licence will not work.
About the car, of course you will be able to buy one if you want. You just need a NIE (which you should get within your residence card).
Kind Regards,
Javier R.