Spanish driving licence.

if you are resident in spain any eu licence such as uk is ilegal ...

john

sorry if i upset you all !!! i did state resident in spain ie a non uk resident !! if i did not change my licence to a spanish one it would have been registerd to a uk address to wich i had no connection making my uk licence as invalid in the uk as it would be in spain . dvla must have miss led me with the information i was given .

If you move to another country, you should check with the driving licence authorities there for information about driving and exchange of licences. You don't need to notify DVLA of a change of address when moving to live abroad.

( from: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/DG_10023103 )

So DVLA aren't interested if you move abroad - it's down to the country you're moving to to say what they want you to do.

Los permisos de conducción expedidos en cualquier Estado miembro de la Unión Europea o en Estados Parte del Acuerdo sobre el Espacio Económico Europeo con arreglo a la normativa comunitaria mantendrán su validez en España, en las condiciones en que hubieran sido expedidos en su lugar de origen, con la salvedad de que la edad requerida para la conducción corresponderá a la exigida para obtener el permiso español equivalente.

( from: http://dgt.es/portal/es/oficina_virtual/conductores/canje_permisos/?tit=Canje )

So there you have it. Your UK licence (as long as it is a photo style EU one) is acceptable. Ridiculous but true.

I still maintain the only sensible thing if you are resident in Spain is to exchange your licence for a Spanish one though. Why wait for the Eurocrats to wake up and realise that they have created a ludicrous grey area?

If anyone knows the actual age requirement for the medical, I would be grateful for a reminder.

(I got one 5yrs ago before I was 45 and it is supposed to be valid for 10yrs... but then I heard you have to have a fresh one every 5 yrs after 45???  so 45, 50, 55, 60 up to 65  then it is more often?)

Thanks in advance...

Hi Susanspain

Ive just received my Spanish driving licence, its valid for 10 years Im 54 yrs old  and didnt require a medical certificate. I did all the paperwork myself at the Trafico Cartagena.

Cheers

Dave

The rules on medicals changed last year and Spanish licence holders now need one every ten years up to age 65 and every 5 years thereafter.

You can apparently now renew your licence at the medical centre, without going back to Trafico.  Search for your nearest Centro de Reconocimiento de Conductores.

I have just been for my first renewal of my Spanish Driving Licence and had the medical cost me 79 euros I thought that was steep but you have to pay it.

Renewals are every 2 years after 70

That does seem steep.

I think comadreja has it right, renewals are now every 5 years when over 65. Don't see anything different for over 70s: http://dgt.es/portal/es/oficina_virtual/conductores/renovaciones/?tit=Vigencia

Roberto

from your link

The driving license BTP classes, C1, C1 + E, C, C + E, D1, D1 + E, D and D + E will have a term of five years while the owner does not comply with sixty-five years and three years from that age.

The remaining classes permit and driver's license, whatever their class, have a term of ten years while the owner does not comply with the sixty-five years and five years from that age.

I am over 70 and my last licence was for a period of 2 years so it looks like they are just doing what they like as usual

The medical centre do the lot know you do not have to go to DGT they even take the photo for your licence and fill all forms in still its a lot of money and has gone up from a fee of 39 euros last time

This is an excerpt from Brian Dellers book:

I have a Spanish DL so I have no problems at all, and I even get advised when they are due, now every two years as I am over 70

The period of the licence that is shown for renewals assumes you are fit & healthy. The period for renewal can & will be reduced if you are taking medication for an ongoing illness like high blood pressure, depression, etc. My Spanish neighbour has to renew his licence every year & he's only 57.

The rules changed not long ago, to come into line with standardised EU regs that all member states have to comply with by, I think, 2013. So maybe not doing as they like as usual - doing as they're told, by the EU perhaps? Unless, as guslopez points out, you have a medical restriction (in which case there should be a code on your licence relating to the exact condition) you will probably find your next renewal is valid for 5 years.

Didn't know the medical centres will handle your renewal. Has the cost gone up to reflect this, or was the 39 euros you paid last time including processing the renewal too?

"The cost of the medical test in 2010 is set at 40 euros. The cost of renewal in 2010 is 22.22 euros and the centre will make a charge of around 10 euros for the service. This is all paid to the medical centre."

I still can't post links!   But this information came from an article called  "Renewing a Spanish Driving Licence Avoiding Tráfico Headquarters" on Suite 101 d0t c0m.

"The cost of the medical test in 2010 is set at 40 euros. "  Amazing that in 4 years they've managed to increase the cost by nearly 50%!!

Renewals now €22,40 - free if you're over 70

TO Roberto

I have no medical restrictions and the last medical I had was 2 years ago when I still had a YK licence which I have since changed to a Spanish one

So if as you say its free for over 70s to renew i would have been better off finding a centre that did not do the renewal. Sounds like another Rip off Brits to me

Not really following you. Like I said, the rules changed not long ago, so what applies now may not have been the case when you last renewed (sorry, I don't have a copy of the previous rules). The renewal of the licence itself is certainly free for over 70s now, but you would still have to pay for the medical, and if a med centre processes the application for you, naturally they will charge for that service. Why do you presume that this is a "rip off Brits" situation? The information I'm providing is from the dgt website - it applies to anyone with a Spanish licence - that would include Spaniards.

I renewed my Spanish  driving licence last month at a medical centre. My last licence was for 2 years when I was 70,  this time the medical centre did the renewal on their computer along with the medical test and took my photo and charged me 50 euros. That was it nothing else to do and 3 weeks later I received my new licence in the post. - It lasts for 5 years !  Very Happy !

Stonover

where did you do your medical at please

Hi fpegman, I had my medical in Estepona,  But any authorised medical centre in Spain will do the same service.

Regards.

Righty lets clear this up once and for all If you are in RESIDENT in Spain then you need to change your UK licence for a Spanish one Simples. The benifets are again Simples on the Spanish licence it has you NIE no and also the date your Medical runs out and it has an upto date Photo. You drive a Spanish reg car, you live in Spain full time then you are just asking to be fined by the Police 500e at the moment in Alicante region. The medical centres this year for a fee will now be able to renew  this for you only if you are renewing a Spanish licence. How do I know because I am helping someone do this as we speak yes they were fined so this info is current and up to date. Also why keep a UK licence? if you go back just apply for a new one.  39e at medical thats the fees as we speak this week. In Alicante.