Renew licence in spain (1 Viewer)

Apr 29, 2014
459
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Warwickshire, UK
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As I understand it after living in Spain for six months you become a resident and you require a Spanish licence if so is it the same procedure to renew at 67 and 70 or do I keep my British licence and come back here to renew
 

Don Quixote

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Jul 29, 2012
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Not long enough, but a little common sense helps..........
If you live in Spain for 183 days or more you then can/have to apply to become a resident ( I will cover driving licence only ) and should change your UK driving licence.
It's a pain in the arse....... firstly if you have a medical condition like heart problems then you must renew it every year at cost.... Then there is the C1 part...... over 55 years old has to be renewed each year after a basic medical each year at cost 185 euros ish. On top of that they remove the parts of the licence you will not need ( I have/HAD HGV1,2,3 PSV,track ) all removed as in their works at your age you will not need them. They remove your UK licence before giving your Spanish one and DVLA are informed. Takes from 1 month to a year in some cases.
I will not go into residenency as will push my blood pressure over the limit for this time of the day......

Some reading:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/residency-requirements-in-spain

If you what to get it done and do not speak Spanish the chap below can sort it all out for you making it painless other then the cost.
http://www.spanish-number-plates.com/index.php
 
Last edited:
Aug 18, 2014
23,538
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If you are an actually registered on the foreigners registration list then you can continue to use the licence until it requires renewal. Then you must change it for a Spanish one.
If you renewed a UK licence once already on the foreigners list then an observant Trafico officer could do you for " driving with no licence " as it is illegal to do that ,the same as taking a test in another state .

Exchanging for a spanish one doesn't normally require a medical if there is a long while to run on the UK licence. If it is coming up for renewal then a medical is required & is done at a " Centro de Reconocimiento " . Most are walk in , some require an appt.
Cost around 35-50€ depending on classes on licence. For spanish licence renewals everything can be done at the C de R but not dead sure that you can do first exchange. A " Gestoria" would be able to do it all for you at not much cost.

Spanish licence lats for 10 years BUT if you also have on it classes c,c1.c1+e ,bpt etc; these only last 5 years . If you don't know it is easy not to notice :whistle: :LOL:
When you renew the licence at 5 yrars for these then car &bikes etc are automatically renewed.

The medical can also vary depending on what region you are in. Although it shouldn't & don't worry it isn't anything to get concerned about as long as you can read an eye chart .

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Don Quixote

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Jul 29, 2012
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Not long enough, but a little common sense helps..........
If you are an actually registered on the foreigners registration list then you can continue to use the licence until it requires renewal. Then you must change it for a Spanish one.
If you renewed a UK licence once already on the foreigners list then an observant Trafico officer could do you for " driving with no licence " as it is illegal to do that ,the same as taking a test in another state .

Exchanging for a spanish one doesn't normally require a medical if there is a long while to run on the UK licence. If it is coming up for renewal then a medical is required & is done at a " Centro de Reconocimiento " . Most are walk in , some require an appt.
Cost around 35-50€ depending on classes on licence. For spanish licence renewals everything can be done at the C de R but not dead sure that you can do first exchange. A " Gestoria" would be able to do it all for you at not much cost.

Spanish licence lats for 10 years BUT if you also have on it classes c,c1.c1+e ,bpt etc; these only last 5 years . If you don't know it is easy not to notice :whistle: :LOL:
When you renew the licence at 5 yrars for these then car &bikes etc are automatically renewed.

The medical can also vary depending on what region you are in. Although it shouldn't & don't worry it isn't anything to get concerned about as long as you can read an eye chart .

This changed this year and now if you live in Spain ( ie have residenency ) you require a Spanish driving licence by Spanish law (As of 19th January 2015, this requirement has been reinforced by the issuing of denuncias and fines). They should also send you out a renewal slip to attended medical and eye test when it's due.
 
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sally47
Apr 29, 2014
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Thanks for the information guys really helpful just one more question want to keep our motorhome and get it registered in Spain but I read somewhere I have to change the vehicle from right hand drive to left hand is this true
 

Billy23

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Feb 10, 2012
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I hear that after the age of 70 they take off the over 3.5 ton bit of your licence. I do NOT know if this is true, if it affects you then I suggest you check it out.

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vwalan

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Sep 23, 2008
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in spain they never had the over 3.5ton when they passed the car test.
when you swap a uk licence for spanish you should keep all the uk categories but at 70 a uk driver loses the over 3.5 ton with out a medical. thats why in spain you lose it at 70.
many spanish i know that passed their test years ago come to uk swap their licence gain the over 3.5ton . then go back to spain and spain gives them more than they had.
its just a game .
 

Falcon 269

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Jul 11, 2013
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Have looked into this as has my wife as we're also Spanish residents. A friend recently waited almost 3 months to get his Spanish licence after surrendering his UK one to the process over here. Others have waited up to 14 months! The Spanish authorities issue a paper temporary doc that's only recognised in Spain, which is useless if you travel and need to get a rental car.

Apparently Citizens' Advice Bureau here are itching to run a test case on the legality of the Spanish insistence on changing licence within the EU.

Considering all the hassle involved in the change, the possible impacts on my motorcycle and C1 quals, and the tendency for the Spanish to change things like this every year, my UK licence is staying for as long as I can hang on to it - and beyond, if I can engineer it that way.
 

vwalan

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Sep 23, 2008
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i know many that live in spain uk,germans dutch etc . most if they have the european licence dont change it . the trouble with uk licence it needs a uk address some of the others , germany is one i believe there is no address on the licence .

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Aug 18, 2014
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Then again my licence & daughter's were completed in a week !(y)
The hold ups are normally at the UK end.

As you can see from Don Quixote & my posts there is a large difference between regions & whether or not you have any medical problems.:(
No address on ours here but has NIE number thereby allowing them to know anything they want about you.
 

vwalan

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yes thats it, we get told uk is changing things to match up with europe . but then we find almost every country has its own way of doing things .
i also know the german licences used to give no restriction on their c1+e at one time . i know a few that changed uk licences for german and then spanish etc .
friends around malaga seem to have very little trouble changing licences or vehicle regs etc . might be the amount of foreigners there .
 

SandT

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Oct 15, 2012
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This from the EU website about driving licence validity....

I'm moving to another European country - will the new country recognise my current licence?
That depends whether your original licence was issued by an EU country:

  • If your original licence was issued by an EU country
YES — Your current licence will be recognised throughout the EU. But, the host country may require you to exchange it for a local one if your current driving licence does not mention a validity period of 10 or 15 years.


Terry

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Jun 23, 2011
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As Don Quixote said, if you don't change it you can be fined (300 euros in alicante province) every time you are stopped by the police.
Depends entirely on which province you live in as to how easy it is, in Alicante we found it very easy but would advise do it yourself, not through a Gestor. Mine took a few weeks to complete (the holdup was DVLA!), my neighbour used a Gestor and apart from costing a fortune, took 16 months.
 

Don Quixote

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Thanks for the information guys really helpful just one more question want to keep our motorhome and get it registered in Spain but I read somewhere I have to change the vehicle from right hand drive to left hand is this true
Sally, they will not ITV (MOT) a right hand drive to the best of my knowledge.
 

Don Quixote

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Jul 29, 2012
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Lost in La Mancha, Spain
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Not long enough, but a little common sense helps..........
This from the EU website about driving licence validity....

I'm moving to another European country - will the new country recognise my current licence?
That depends whether your original licence was issued by an EU country:

  • If your original licence was issued by an EU country
YES — Your current licence will be recognised throughout the EU. But, the host country may require you to exchange it for a local one if your current driving licence does not mention a validity period of 10 or 15 years.


Terry
Terry, yes that's correct, but this is Spain and in Spain they do it their way. Just like "A frames" they make it up as they go along....................

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bryandh

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Jan 17, 2011
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Thanks for the information guys really helpful just one more question want to keep our motorhome and get it registered in Spain but I read somewhere I have to change the vehicle from right hand drive to left hand is this true


Changing from RHD to LHD I do not believe to be an issue unless of course reg's for MH' s are different, but believe you will not be able to import a van where the habitation door opens onto the roadway. As others have said there are many "gestorias" throughout Spain who can advise/deal on all the issues you raise for not a lot of money. On the coasts, many of these firms speak English, inland that is less true so depending where you settle you may need to travel.

Bryan

PS: We also have an RHD car which came out with us, now on Spanish plates and is inspected by ITV (MOT) each year without question.

B
 
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Don Quixote

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Jul 29, 2012
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Not long enough, but a little common sense helps..........
Changing from RHD to LHD I do not believe to be an issue unless of course reg's for MH' s are different, but believe you will not be able to import a van where the habitation door opens onto the roadway. As others have said there are many "gestorias" throughout Spain who can advise/deal on all the issues you raise for not a lot of money. On the coasts, many of these firms speak English, inland that is less true so depending where you settle you may need to travel.

Bryan

PS: We also have an RHD car which came out with us, now on Spanish plates and is inspected by ITV (MOT) each year without question.

B
Bryan, you are correct a car is not a problem, but a MH is and they have strict rules on this ie: hab door on wrong side, towbar modes the list goes on and on, but I stand to be corrected if I'm wrong.
 

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