Driving In Spain On Uk Licence?
The British authorities are negotiating with Spanish officials on the recognition of United Kingdom-issued driving licenses so that UK nationals holding such licenses can again drive in the UK without the need for a practical test to obtain a Spanish license.
According to a statement of Minister Karl McCartney, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Transport, the British Embassy in Spain and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, together with the Department for Transport, have been negotiating with the Spanish authorities regarding the exchange of the UK driving licenses.
” Our aim is to secure a deal that allows UK licence holders resident in Spain to exchange their licence for a Spanish one without the need for a practical test, so they can return to the roads as soon as possible ,” the statement reads. The Minister also claims that the UK Government has engaged in these negotiations, pointing out that Spanish drivers in the UK have encountered no limitations nor inconvenience in their ability to drive, in spite of Spain’s move to limit the use of UK-issued driving licenses.
- Since May 1, 2022, British citizens residing in Spain are no longer permitted to drive with their UK driving licenses due to Brexit;
- While the UK was part of the European Union, British drivers could drive throughout the whole bloc, as all Member States recognized their driving licenses;
However, due to Brexit, several other EU countries, including here Spain, no longer recognize the British licenses. In a statement published on the official Facebook page of the British embassy in Spain, called ” Brits in Spain “, Minister McCartney claims that the UK has reached arrangements for the recognition of British licenses with 24 other EU Member States already, but negotiations with Spain have been a bit more complicated.
- Minister McCartney claims that Spain has been requiring additional elements which no one else has asked for in relation to driving license exchange arrangements;
- ” We understand that some UK Nationals are currently unable to drive whilst we are negotiating with the Spanish;
To those affected, we would reiterate that we understand your frustration, and we are aware of the severe impact on your everyday lives ,” the Minister says, assuring these drivers that they are doing everything possible to resolve this problem. In the last week of July, British and Spanish officials have continued intensive talks, which have resulted in a productive meeting held on July 29.
- While there remains some outstanding work to be done to agree on the annexes of the agreement between both countries, the UK authorities explain that once the agreement is finalized, the same will be published in the Spanish gazette;
From that day on, British citizens living in Spain will have a period of six months to exchange their British driving license with one issued by the authorities of Spain without having to take a test. Those whose driving licenses have recently expired will also be eligible to exchange them for a Spanish one.
Can I drive in Spain with a UK license?
Can I drive in Spain with a UK licence? – Yes, you can drive in Spain using your full UK driving licence. But you must be at least 18 years old and, obviously, it must be in-date. Unlike in some other European countries, you don’t need an international driving permit to drive there.
Can I drive in Spain with a UK license after Brexit?
Spain (including Balearic and Canary Isles) – You can continue to use your licence until 30 April 2022. You may need to take a test if you want to exchange your licence. If you hold a licence from Gibraltar, Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man, you may need to take a test to drive in Spain.
How long can I drive on a UK licence in Spain?
1) UK Licence Holders – For holders of UK driving licences, to drive in Spain as a resident in Spain , after the end of the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement transition period (December 31, 2020), it is necessary to change your UK driving licence for a Spanish one.
You cannot use an International Driving Permit (IDP) instead. Current regulations mean that a UK-issued driving licence is valid for 6 months after arrival in Spain. UK driving licence validity in Spain (30 April 2022) If you moved to Spain after 1 January 2021 , your valid UK licence will be recognised for 6 months from the date you obtained residence, or until 30th April 2022, whichever is later.
Previous temporary extensions to the exchange period have ceased. From 1 May 2022, if you have been resident for more than 6 months and have not exchanged your UK licence for a Spanish one, you will no longer be able to drive using your UK licence. For example, if you became resident in Spain before November 2021 your UK driving licence will not be valid from 1 May 2022 onwards.
- You need to pass the Spanish theory and practical dirving test before you can legally continue to drive in Spain;
- If you did not request the licence exchange with the DGT before December 30th 2020, the current process is that you will still have to take a practical and theory driving test in order to obtain a Spanish licence;
Spanish and UK authorities confirm that they are still in negotiation for further recognition of UK and Spanish driving licences in both countries. Please feel free to contact us on our infoline, to register for updates on the situation. You can find out more about the process of applying for a Spanish licence on the DGT site, where the information is also available in English: https://sede.
dgt. gob. es/es/permisos-de-conducir/obtencion-renovacion-duplicados-permiso/permiso-conducir/index. shtml. You can take the theory test in English , but the practical is only available in Spanish. You can still use your Spanish licence in the UK for short visits, or you can exchange it for a UK licence without taking a test.
You will be able to drive in the UK with your EU driving license until it expires, you reach 70, or until three years after you become a UK resident again. Please note: You cannot renew or replace your UK, Gibraltar, Jersey, Guernsey or Isle of Man licence if you live in Spain.
Do I need an international driving permit to rent a car in Spain?
If you are planning to rent a car in Spain , applying for an international driving permit is important. Spain requires foreign drivers who have a license in English to obtain an IDP prior to arriving in Spain. This driving permit is a requirement to drive in Spain , and without the permit, you could face punishment if stopped by law enforcement officials while driving.
- American drivers must have both their domestic license and IDP in their possession while driving;
- An international drivers permit in Spain is a translated version of your original license;
- It is available only to those who are currently licensed in their home country;
The license makes it easy for law enforcement (and others like staff at the rental car desk) to learn your name, address and other information without language barriers standing in the way. Auto Europe has all your travel concerns on renting a car in Spain covered.
What documents do I need to rent a car in Spain?
Documents needed to rent a car in Spain – To rent a car in Spain, you will need to be at least 21 years of age and furnish a valid driver’s license from your home country, a credit card and an international permit; you should also have a printed copy of the confirmation or voucher in-hand.
- The International Driving Permit (IDP) is a small booklet that contains your license information in numerous languages, and typically carries a validity of one year;
- In Spain, anyone whose residency has passed the six-month mark is expected to have an EU license, though you’re usually not liable until your residency has passed two years;
Spain is one of the countries that requires an IDP for car rentals.
Can I drive in the EU with a UK driving licence?
Will my driving licence be valid? – Yes, most UK drivers are still able to use their normal driving licence to drive in EU countries. There are some exceptions and what is called an International Driving Permit (IDP) may be needed. An IDP can be bought at Post Offices for £5.
50. The exceptions are people who only have a paper licence, not a photocard one, as well as those with licences issued in Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) told BBC News last year that more than three million people in the UK only had a paper licence.
The government’s advice if you are in one of these groups is to check with the embassy of the country you are planning to drive in to see if you will need an IDP. It has also published some guidance for specific countries. There are two different types of IDP you might need in Europe.
For France and Germany, for example, some of those people will need a 1968 IDP. There is also a 1949 IDP, which covers visits to Andorra, for example. You can find the full list of which IDPs you need worldwide on this page.
Even if your UK photocard driving licence has an EU flag on it, it will still be valid in the UK until the expiry date printed on it. Image source, Getty Images.
What driving permit do I need for Spain?
✉ My wife and I are flying to Madrid at the end of April to visit a few paradores. When we booked our hire car, a message on screen said we would need an international driving permit (IDP), but gave no details. The government website says an IDP is not needed for driving in Spain.
I’ve done some online research and have seen references to hire companies turning UK drivers away. Can you clarify? Mark O’Neill You should ask your car-hire company to remove this misleading message, because the only reason you would need an IDP in Spain is if you have a paper driving licence, a licence issued in Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man, or are planning to stay more than six months.
“Spain will no longer recognise UK driver licences once a person has been resident for more than six months. There was an original deadline on this of December 31, 2021, but this has recently been extended to the end of April 2022. The UK is still negotiating with Spain over the driving licence exchange for UK nationals resident in Spain,” said Ernesto Suarez, the CEO of iCarhireinsurance.
com. ✉ On February 11 we booked an apartment in Costa Teguise in Lanzarote, on the Holiday Lettings website. We quickly received a confirmation but less than an hour later got an email from the owner saying another customer had already rented the property.
We expected a full refund but this didn’t take place. When we emailed the owner asking him for this, he replied that he would only receive payment after we’d arrived so we should talk to Tripadvisor (which owns Holiday Lettings). The company told us the only way we could get any money back was for me to cancel the booking but this would mean forfeiting the Tripadvisor booking fee of £364.
39. I had no option but to accept this or lose the entire amount. Can you help? David Clarke This saga has been difficult to unpick. Tripadvisor maintains that you and your wife separately used the website on the same day to contact the owner about booking his property.
He didn’t know that you were connected and told your wife that the property was no longer available for the dates she wanted and you then mistakenly understood that he was cancelling the accepted booking. You eventually cancelled the booking which meant you weren’t refunded the booking fee. 
The island of Procida is Italy’s capital of culture for 2022 ALAMY ✉ I’d be grateful for a suggestion for a three-night stay in Europe at the start of October to celebrate a Covid-postponed 40th birthday with my two sisters. We love great scenery, beaches or mountains, along with a bit of yoga, biking or hiking and some nice local places to eat. Ideally there would be some late summer sunshine. We aren’t so bothered about lively nightlife or touristy city breaks. Our budget is up to £2,000.
It’s difficult to square this account with the fact that you and your wife share the same last name, email address and bank account but the good news is that the booking fee has been refunded “as a gesture of goodwill”.
Jeannette Stevenson The supremely scenic island of Ischia, off Italy’s Amalfi coast, will still be balmy in October (with an average temperature of 23C and comfortable sea swimming) and far less crowded than in the summer months. There are plenty of hiking trails, and after a trek up to Mount Epomeo for views over the bay of Naples, you can reward yourselves with lunch in La Grotta da Fiore, which is carved into the rock; giant bruschetta, rabbit, and wild fennel liqueur are the house specialities.
- The island’s thermal baths will still be open for you to take the waters, and don’t miss La Mortella, one of the great gardens of the world;
- You could also hop over to tiny Procida on the ferry;
- The backdrop for the films Il Postino and The Talented Mr Ripley , it’s Italy’s capital of culture for 2022, the first time an island has won the accolade;
Stay at the Continental Mare, where three nights’ half-board would cost £622pp, including flights to Naples, plus car and hydrofoil transfers ( citalia. com ). 
Trams in New Orleans ALAMY ✉ Last year, my husband and I booked ridiculously overpriced one-way tickets to New Orleans via eDreams. When we logged in to the airline apps it became apparent that eDreams had also booked us return flights for 28 days later: we had not had any confirmation from the agent to let us know and we assumed that this was why the cost was so high. When challenged (via Twitter and email), they told us these flights were “not for use” and return flights had been purchased to give us the cheapest tickets.
I’m confused as to how this could possibly reduce the ticket price. Sam Glanfield It may look odd but the ticket you bought would have been much more expensive if it had actually been booked as a one-way journey.
It’s standard practice for “legacy” airlines, such as British Airways, Emirates and Lufthansa, to charge hefty prices for one-way transatlantic fares because they’re often bought by business travellers who are less sensitive to price. Theoretically the airline has the right to penalise passengers who throw away the return half of their ticket but given that people don’t show up for flights for various reasons, it’s pretty difficult to enforce. 
✉ We’d like to take our three teens to Denmark and Copenhagen for five to seven days over the Easter holidays. They are keen to include a visit to Legoland. Can you suggest some great places to stay and see? Julie-Anne Clark The original Legoland is in Billund, in central Denmark, which is also home to Lego House, full of interactive exhibits, and Lalandia, a Center Parcs-style holiday centre with Scandinavia’s largest waterpark.
(They do, however, punish travellers who throw away the outbound portion of their ticket — by cancelling the return journey. ) A spokesperson for eDreams said it uses its “powerful technology” to source the best possible deals for customers.
You can easily fill three days here (trying to tear the teens away from Turbo Racer, a lightning-fast water slide, could be tricky). Book a cottage at Lalandia and you’ll have access to the Aquadome throughout your stay. Three nights in a Design Plus 6, sleeping up to six, starts at £807 on April 9 ( lalandia.
dk ). There are ten trains a day from Billund to Copenhagen, and the family-friendly Absalon Hotel is a short walk from the station, with colourful decor by Designers Guild and bikes to rent. It’s close to the trendy Meatpacking district and a small double, plus a family room, would cost £642 for two nights’ B&B ( absalon-hotel.
dk ). Tivoli, the amusement park, is a must do, as is getting out on the water and exploring the city by all-electric yellow harbour bus. If you have a gripe, suggestion or question relating to your holidays, please email traveldoctor@thetimes. co. uk.
Are UK driving Licences valid in EU?
Driving licences and international driving permits – You need to carry your UK driving licence with you. You do not need an international driving permit ( IDP ) to visit and drive in the EU , Switzerland, Iceland or Liechtenstein. You might need an IDP to drive in some EU countries and Norway if you have:
- a paper driving licence
- a licence that was issued in Gibraltar, Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man
Check if you need an IDP. You will not need an IDP to drive when visiting Ireland if you have a UK driving licence. You can get an IDP over the counter at the Post Office. An IDP costs £5. 50 and drivers must:
- be a resident of Great Britain or Northern Ireland
- have a full UK driving licence
- be 18 or over
What do I need to drive from UK to Spain?
Which documents do I need for driving in Spain? – To drive in Spain you will need a full and valid UK driver’s licence. You will also need proof of ownership (V5C) and insurance, as well as a passport or a national identity card. Now that Brexit is complete, UK drivers heading out to Spain might also need a motor insurance Green Card , although you do not need to carry an International Driving Permit.