UK Paper License

If you are resident in Spain you can't put your Spanish address on your UK licence,

If you have a property in UK or use a family / friends address for you to keeep your UK licence you should be OK but might be considered dodgy by some.

If you do not have a UK address and have not informed the DVLA then you will have a problem with the DVLA and get a fine

If yoy live permanently in Spain it is very easy to swap your Uk licencne for a Spanish licence and if you ever go back to Uk the reverse swap is just as easy

"Are you sure about this bit Kathyslad? I agree with you and Mariedav that you can hold a valid UK photocard DL until it expires but what about the aplication of penalty points? Are you saying that UK Spanish residents driving on valid UK Dl's are immune from the Spanish points deduction system?"

Its quite clearly stated in the Spanish legislation that it is a voluntary  process. It used to be compulsory in the last legislation, but Spain was forced to amend it following a ruling in the EU Courts. The eventual aim is that all points can be registered centrally, but this doesn't seem to be making progress. The Spanish legislation (as allowed by the EU Directive) enables them to require you exchange your licence for a Spanish one if there are points to register.

"If you do not have a UK address and have not informed the DVLA then you will have a problem with the DVLA and get a fine"

If you advise the DVLA of your Spanish address they will not change it, as per your first point, BUT providing you are no longer  a UK resident then the requirement to change it doesn't apply. Technically under the EU Directice they could record it, but the UK computer systems can't do it. so, they amended the Road Traffic Act 1988 in 1989 otherwise the UK would not have been able to comply with the fundamental principle of the EU Directive on Driving Licences, which is "mutual recognition"

If you return to the UK and become resident again ( defined as 185 days in a calendar year) then you must change it, otherwise it would be an offence.

The Spanish legislation (as allowed by the EU Directive) enables them to require you exchange your licence for a Spanish one if there are points to register.

So, just to clarify. If you are convicted of a point deduction offence they can then insist you exchange your DL - Interesting, I didn't know that. I better be careful, wasn't planning on exchanging mine until 2019 

kathyslad

So if you leave the UK and inform the DVLA that you have new address in Spain they will not change your DL and it will still have your old address on (where someone else may well be living)!!!

So you go back to UK for a holiday and drive and commit a driving offence - where does the fine got to.

I do not think you are right on this

No, you're not committing an offence if you have informed trafico and registered your license with them.  The DVLA website clearly states you should contact the traffic office in your new country and that there is no requirement to inform DVLA. The Guardia Civil reply to this question is that changing your license is voluntary.  (look up u3a torrevieja website. They have a section on motoring which the Guardia Civil answers directly).

If, however, you drive in UK and haven't informed trafico then, clearly, this could be an offence. If you register your license then you get a form stating you have registered it so no offence committed.  

Maybe someone who does this would know if registering your license means trafico informs DVLA like they do when you change it. I imagine they would as they check the validity of the license with DVLA before issuing it.

Kathyslad is completely right and I have confirmed it with DVLA

As  some say if you are not an expert (gas, electricity,  plumbing, the law etc.) then don't express an opinion on things you do not know about. As they say,  "Don't just guess, leave it to to those who do know."

if the address on your driving licence is not a valid address for you,  then you will have problems, you cannot use any address or the existing address on your DL if it is NOT a valid address for you.

The advice from the DVLA on their website is to inform you what you must do if you live abroad i.e. contact the local authority NOTHING else - if the address in the UK is still a VALID address for you (either your own property or an address of someone who gives you permission to use their adresss) then in Spain it is OK as stated.

When my wife and I moved to Spain we changed our UK licences to Spanish ones They were easily renewed when we were 70 I have never had any problems hiring a car in the UK Life seems so much simpler without the problems the people on this thread have created!! 

"if the address on your driving licence is not a valid address for you,  then you will have problems, you cannot use any address or the existing address on your DL if it is NOT a valid address for you"

i've already explained why it's okay. However, I would be interested to know what problems you think you will have whilst using your licence in Spain as a resident in Spain.

Tadd, why are you making this so complicated when it isn't? 

1. Changing your UK license is voluntary.

2. You don't inform DVLA when you change countries, you tell the authority in your new country.

3. You cannot, absolutely cannot, change the address on your UK license to a Spanish address.

4. Do it properly and you will get a certificate showing your new address regardless of what's printed on your UK license and your license is inscribed with your NIE number.

I cannot for the life of me see what the problem is. Kathyslad has explained it all and I think you are creating problems when there aren't any.

1. Changing your UK license is voluntary. I agree in EU/EEA (and some other countries)

2. You don't inform DVLA when you change countries, you tell the authority in your new country. This needs checking and I will call DVLA and report back

3. You cannot, absolutely cannot, change the address on your UK license to a Spanish address. I agree (same for any country)

4. Do it properly and you will get a certificate showing your new address regardless of what's printed on your UK license and your license is inscribed with your NIE number. May be OK in Spain but the validity of this in UK or anywhere else may be in question (to be honest this process is no different to exchanging your UK licncne for a Spanish one and just as simple - as scubmaike says easiest all round)

For the info of the guessers .

This is an email from DVLA

Thank you for your email. Your email reference number is 216845.

Drivers who take up residence in another EC/EEA country no longer have to exchange their driving licence, but may continue to drive using their own national licence for as long as it remains valid. They should however check with the appropriate driving licence authorities where they resident for information on any conditions that the host member state may stipulate.

National licences may only carry an address from the country which issued that licence. We are therefore unable to re-issue a British licence with a foreign address. It is accepted that drivers who move to another part of the EC/EEA could be holding licences showing an incorrect address.

This is permissible under the the terms of the EC Directive on Driving Licence.

Do not reply to this email. If you wish to contact us again about this response then please use our Reply Form or copy and paste the following URL in to your browser:

https://emaildvla.direct.gov.uk/emaildvla/cegemail/directgov/en/reply_form_drivers.html

When filling in the form the email reference number 216845 will be required.

Regards

Mrs L Salter

Customer Enquiries Group

DVLA

From the DVLA website:

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."

and

Remember, if you permanently move to another country, you can't register your new address on your British driving licence. You'll need to contact the driving licence authority in your country of residence"

Seems pretty straightforward to me. Only UK residents need to have their address on their license with a valid address.

And I agree. Just as easy to swap it for a Spanish one and then swap back if you go back to UK.

I just called DVLA on 0300 790 6801

The advice they gave is that if you move abroad they strongly recommend that you obtain a local driving licence, in the case of EU / EEA countries you can exchange your driving licence no problem. In some none EU / EEA countries you may have to take a driving test

In regards to the address on your UK licence you do not have to inform the DVLA of a change of address. However, should you be stopped by the UK police driving in the UK with this licence (having an address that you do not reside at on your driving licence) you may be subject to a fine of up to £1000 (this is a police matter and NOT the DVLA).

The same rule applies if you move within the UK or abroad and have an invalid address on your driving licence.

Examples I discussed with DVLA

1. If you moved the USA (you will have to take a driving test!) and you kept your UK licence with your old address.  If you return to the UK (holiday, business, i.e. short term) and drive with your UK driving licence with the old address
2. If you moved from Bournemouth to Cardiff and did not inform DVLA of the address change and continue to drive in UK
3. If you moved to Spain and did not inform the DVLA of an address change. If you return to the UK holiday, business, i.e. short term) and drive with your UK driving licence with the old address

In all of the 3 examples above if you drive in the UK  you may be subject to a fine of up to £1000 for having an incorrect / invalid address on your driving licence.

The very nice lady also said that the UK police may not accept any certificate issued by any other country (in this case Spain) as a valid attachment to your driving licence or as proof of an address that contradicts the address on your driving licence and you may be subject to the same fine of up to £1000 for failing to change your address.

So if you decide to keep your UK licence and obtain this certificate please be aware that you may encounter problems if you are driving in the UK and stopped by the UK police.

Bottom line is simple as scubamike says and as recommended by the DVLA, if you intend to live in Spain (no matter how long) the best advice is to exchange your UK driving licence for a Spanish driving licence it is easy, clean, valid in UK and can easily be transferred back at any time you decide to go back to the UK.

Well Tadd1966 I am pleased that you now accept the information provided was correct.

Just to be clear, I have never expressed a view on whether you should exchange or not, because it is a personal choice. It will suit some people and not others. However, one of the fundamental principles of the EU is freedom of movement, and one of the things they have actually moved forward is the drving licence.

I am a great believer in freedom of choice, so I always try to post what is the law, and the choices you have, not my personal opinion. It is then upto the individual to make their own informed choice.

kathyslad

and it clarifies the problems you may encounter i.e. driving in the UK and getting stopped

as an aside I do see some similarities in your posts to another member of this forum - makes you think as he/she has quite a few

Tadd was lucky that the person who picked up the phone at DVLA was such an authority, as there are so many examples online where even the legal eagles of the Dept Transport are unable to speak with any certainty. Concepts such as "invalid address" and "residential addresses" are impossible to pin down. The purpose is presumably so that the state knows how to find you if it wants to arrest you or perhaps just inform someone that you have been in an accident.

But we do not all live compartmentalised lives that fit this concept. A lot of people live on boats and move around canals and rivers.  A lot of people are travellers. And many people are homeless. One can imagine the human rights issues that would flow if DVLA were to say "No valid adddress - you are not allowed a driving licence". And we know that very few of these people are filling out forms updating DVLA of their address each time they weigh anchor or hitch up their caravan, or find a new floor to sleep on - as DVLA would like them to, presumedly. 

And a lot of us have more than one address and live in several countries. As I've said before on  EOS, what happens if you spend 4 months a year in UK, Spain & "elsewhere"? No one will insure you or give you a driving licence, but they will all be very happy to tax you.

So there is no definitive solution. The law would have to be tested on individual cases. If a boat owner repeatedly visits a pub to collect his mail - then that's his address. If a person who is homeless and sleeping on people's couches gives his parents address and makes arrangements for mail to be forwarded - then that's his address.

We don't live our lives in a way just to satisfy some jobsworth at DVLA, or some policeman, surely?

Both my husband and myself have the old style paper licenses.  He has the green one and mine is the "new" style pink one. Neither of us has the photocard and from my understanding our licenses will continue to be valid until out 70th birthdays.  If there are any changes to our details we will have to apply for a photocard license which will cost us £20 and be valid for only 10 years. Wonder what the hire car company will make of them when we pick up a car next week.