Changing UK driving licences to Spanish as Brexit looms

Those who are resident in Spain MUST change their licences

"You will have until 31 December (2020) to exchange your UK licence for a Spanish one under the current rules. But don't leave it til the last minute - book an appointment on dgt.es as soon as you can, " warned the British Government in January.

As Brexit comes ever nearer there is still a good deal of uncertainty among some expat residents concerning what the status of UK driver’s licences will be following the exit of the UK from the EU, and for those resident in Spain it is a matter of urgency that they should begin the process of changing to a Spanish licence as soon as possible.

According to information supplied to Murcia Today from the Spanish DGT traffic authorities, with Brexit looming there are two very different scenarios for UK licence holders who are resident in this country and those who are not.

FOR RESIDENTS IN SPAIN WITH A BRITISH DRIVER’S LICENCE (European) those licences will remain valid in this country for only 9 months following Brexit. This leaves drivers with 2 options:

i. Swap the UK driver’s for a Spanish one (which will still entitle the holder to drive when visiting the UK), or

ii. If for any reason you do not want to use your UK licence, take out an International Driver’s Licence in the UK.

From a practical point of view, the option of completing a swap (“canje”) is recommended in most cases, although it may take some time.

The steps involved in the procedure are the following:

1. It is necessary to register a “PETICIÓN PREVIA” prior to officially requesting a licence swap.

This can be done at the most convenient Jefatura de Tráfico, by telephone or online (with an electronic signature).

There are various means of registering a Petición Previa:

- By telephone on 060, supplying personal and existing licence details (if your Spanish is not good ask for help from a fluent or native speaker)

- At the nearest Jefatura. No prior appointment is necessary but you must present the application form which can be downloaded here.

- Online if you possess a digital certificate, an electronic DNI or are part of the cl@ve system. The registration system can be entered here: the Chrome browser is recommended.

In the event of there being any problem with the application form or the registration you will be contacted by the DGT by telephone or by email.

There are two DGT Jefatura offices in the Murcia region, one in Murcia and one in Cartagena. 

Murcia city: Calle Ricardo Zamora 3. Open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 08.30 to 14.30 and on Thursdays from 08.30 to 14.30 and 15.30 to 17.30. Click for map

Cartagena: Calle Gisbert number 15, telephone 968 500 883 / 968 500 873. Click for map

2. After Brexit takes effect – presumably on 31^st January – you then have 9 months in which to visit the Jefatura de Tráfico in person to complete the procedure, after first making an appointment (“CITA PREVIA”).

The cita previa, or prior appointment, can be requested online as follows:

- Enter the appointments page of the DGT here and select your nearest office

- Then select the kind of procedure required: “Canje de Permisos de conducción (UE/EEE)”.

- Now select the country, “Reino Unido”, and press “Continuar”.

- Click “continuar” once more if necessary to reach the cita previa application form and fill in the details required.

- When the form is complete click "Solicitar" and the appointment is made.

3. Now that you have your appointment, you need to gather together the documentation you will be required to produce at the Jefatura de Tráfico.

- A printed copy of the completed application form

- ID documentation: DNI or NIE, residence permit or passport

- Proof of residency: a certificate of registration on the “registro de extranjeros” or a valid residence permit.

(On the official application form it is possible to authorize the DGT to check that you are correctly registered on the local “padrón” or for the IAE tax, but it is best to take along the additional documentation in case.)

- The UK driver’s licence which is to be swapped.

- Proof of payment for Fee 2.3, which in 2020 is 28.30 euros.

- A portrait photograph (NB: The size of the photo is not exactly the same as for a passport. If you use a photographic studio for the pictures, which is cheap and easy to do as there are usually such studios near to a DGT office or in most major towns, tell the photographer the images are for a driving licence and they will will provide the correct size. The same goes for passport photo machines, specify driving licence not passport.)

Once you have presented this during your appointment the DGT will take possession of your UK licence and you will be issued a provisional 3-month licence while the process is completed. In normal circumstances your Spanish licence will reach you by post within 6 weeks or so – although in some cases it can take up to 7 months, and the 9-month period of grace is designed to cover this eventuality.

REMEMBER; the provisional licence is valid only in Spain, not in other EU States. If you need to drive in other countries, request an international licence.

If after three months you have heard nothing, go to the Jefatura to enquire whether there is a problem.

NOTE: a medical certificate is not required to change a licence, according to information specifically provided by the DGT in response to an enquiry made by Murcia Today.

FOR HOLDERS OF A UK LICENCE WHO ARE NOT RESIDENT IN SPAIN THE LONG-TERM SITUATION REMAINS UNCLEAR

For the DGT traffic all UK nationals holding UK licences who are not residents fall into the category of “tourists”: that is to say, whether the individual is on holiday in Spain for a couple of days and hiring a car, or in this country for three or four months every year and driving their own car.

(Those spending over 6 months a year in Spain are required by law to become residents.)

For the first nine months after Brexit – until 31^st October 2020 assuming the UK leaves the EU on 31^st January – UK licences will continue to be valid in Spain.

But what happens then depends firstly on whether a bilateral agreement regarding driver’s licences in signed between the British and Spanish governments, and then, if such an agreement is reached, what it says.

It is possible that by 1^st November all UK licence holders wishing to drive in Spain will need to take out an International Driver’s Licence, a procedure which must be performed in the UK. This would apply even to those on short-term visits who are hiring a car for a couple of days: anyone already planning to visit in the winter of 2020-21 might be well advised to consider doing so now, just in case.

NOTES: 

It is possible that some people may be worried that a Spanish licence will not allow them to drive in the UK, but the British government website offers reassurance on this point: “Visitors with a non-UK driving licence will still be able to drive in the UK. You will not need an International Driving Permit (IDP).”

Any drivers who have Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) – needed to drive lorries, buses or coaches professionally – should check where their CPC was issued. If there is a no-deal Brexit a UK-issued CPC will not be recognised for the purpose of employment in the EU, making it necessary to swap your UK-issued CPC for an EU one before the UK leaves the EU.

Use a professional

If you are concerned about undertaking this process by yourself, then use a professional to do it for you. There are many companies who will undertake any of the complicated paperwork processes required to ensure international residents of Spain comply with Spanish regulations and are informed of their liabilities whilst living in Spain. ALWAYS choose a company which operates legally, do NOT select a friend of a friend who works on the black and is not legally registered as there is no comeback should they lack the knowledge and experience to provide you with a professional service. The Murcia Today business directory lists many professinal companies which cover a wide range of services. Click for Business Directory

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