What Documents and other items must I have in the car

Maria,

You won´t have room in the car for anything else if you have to carry all those things!

Enjoy your stay in London

Ana

If you are resident you also need a valid health certificate, renewed every 10 years if under age 45., every  5 years 45-70

replacement Vehicle bulbs are no longer law, as it now takes a qualified mechanic to change bulbs on a lot of modern cars

If you are a resident, my advice is to exchange your licence for a Spanish one, in which case you won't need to carry the medical certificate, because to get your Spanish licence (and renew it) you need a medical - so the fact you have a Spanish licence proves you have had a valid medical.

Maria, glad you are enjoying my home city. I bet you love the weather? And did you see anyone smile yet? Didn't think so.

One question about Spanish driving practice: I heard this the other day, and wonder what your driving instructor taught you. Is it true that Spaniards are taught to "touch park", that is, to "bump" the car in front of and behind you? I (and no doubt most other extranjeros) always thought they did that because they just don't know how long their car is and because they are bad drivers. Hire a car while you're in London and try it. Maybe you will find out just how friendly Londoners can be!!!!!

Roberto:

Weather is London is not being that bad and yes! I have seen many smiles! I am actually surprised by that. Need to say that the smilin people are mosty non UK nationals but that is London about.

You are great people! People at the Law Society are also very nice, smiling and helpful! and they are UK.

Best,

Maria

Hi,

This the the first I´ve heard of needing a medical certificate to be able to drive on a UK licence in Spain.  Is this a new law/requirement?  Can you get the certificate from your local doctor (in Spain)?

Thanks

David

The holding of a Spanish driving license directly implies the holdingof enough medical conditions to drive.

"The holding of a Spanish driving license directly implies the holdingof enough medical conditions to drive".

Which of course a UK licence does not. Yes, theoretically you can now continue to drive on your UK licence even once you become a resident in Spain, but don't count on the Guardia who pulls you over knowing that.

My understanding is that you can use any EU issued photo licence, but you must still comply with the same conditions that a Spaniard with a Spanish licence has to, and that includes periodical medicals (as mentioned by Johnnie a couple of posts back). So, if you insist on using your UK licence, you should go to any of the government approved medical centres that do medicals for drivers (not your doctor) and get a certificate to carry with you.

I know others here disagree with me, but personally I don't see the point in taking a chance. The medical is easy and only €20-€30, exchanging your licence is simple and straightforward, and once you have your Spanish licence it will avoid any possible confusion.

Oh, and by the way, don't believe anyone who tells you you won't be able to rent a car back in the UK with a Spanish licence. What a ridiculous load of hogwash!

It wasn't until I was chatting to a Greek friend at work (in the UK) about items to be carried at all times in a car (when generally driving in the Med countries) that the penny dropped about why such ludicrous requirements exist.

The requirements are basically an artefact of the corruption that pervades Spanish society.  Any reasonable person can see that roads are in general far more dangerous than UK roads. Roadworks are carried and workers are protected with a few cones that look as if they have come out of a childrens play set, minimal warning of roadworks, no kerbstones, pedestrians and cars sharing the same piece of tarmac, parking across zebra crossing, on roundabouts..... I'll stop there.

However, high viz jackets, red triangles, spare bulb kit (what a joke).  I was stripping engines and gearboxes out of cars at 17 years of age, I know how to use a spanner. A few years older, not as much DIY car mechanics as when I was younger but front headlamp bulb replacement on my Audi should be no problem!!! Well it was, specialist tools required, (improvised I add) and 1 hour later I have changed the bulb.

Changing car bulbs is now beyond the capability of 99% of people on new modern cars. But still lets make is legal to carry a spare set, along with an extra red triangle.

The Spanish car industry has lobbied government (translated to read passed a few brown envelopes to politicians) to make those requirements law. It doesn't matter that nobody can change a light bulb as long as someone has had there palms greased with money.

Good point, but given the choice, I'd sooner buy a useless spare bulb set for a few quid, but still be able to drive at 1mph above the speed limit (conditions permitting - as most of us were taught it was perfectly OK to do) without worrying whether I'm going to get a fine in the post and points on my licence leading to increased insurance premiums. I totally agree about parking on roundabouts and zebras being a disgrace, and the general standard of road craft here is appalling, but on the other hand, it is still possible to enjoy driving here, whereas, having clocked up hundreds of thousands of trouble free miles in the UK over the years, when I return now and hire a car, I'm a bag of nerves with all the cameras, average speed traps, warnings from the hire company about any speeding fines received by post being billed to my credit card etc. etc., that I find driving in the UK about as pleasurable as flying with Ryanair.

Related to the madical requirement: Do you need that for driving with your UK license in the UK or you also pass regular medical tests every time you need to  renew the license?

I was packing our car (2008 Yaris) for the weekend away and I noticed along with the spare tire and such was a spare light bulb!!!!!

As an aside I think one of the reasons why people don't exchange their DLs is a lack of Spanish, by the time you've sorted out everything about living in Spain used up all the favours your Spanish speaking friends are will to give you, or at least it's that way for me. I do plan on exchanging my DL in at some point.

Speaking of changing a light bulb, I actually tired that when I was sorting out my car plates, I did the inspection and the only problem was burn out bulb, dutifully bought one from the petrol station and even got as far to get the old one out before I gave up and took it to the mechanic!

To answer Maria's question, health checks are not a requirement in UK unless you have a medical condition, in which case you are issued with a short period licence and you have to have a doctor's certificate at regular intervals (depending on the condition). 

At age 70, you have to make a written declaration as to your health but, again, no actual health check unless you declare something. Your licence is then renewed for 3 years.  If you commit an offence and this declaration is found to be wrong, you can be charged with driving without a valid licence.  They are talking of bringing in health checks every 10 years but, again, this will only consist of a declaration of health unless you have a problem in which case you will need a regular check up from your doctors.

I believe you used to have to have a compulsory check up on reaching age 70 but this was changed back in the 1970s. 

Of course for categories other than a standard car or bike licence, such as HGV or PSV (camiones, autobuses) there are medical requirements. Without checking, I'm guessing these are more or less the same in Spain and UK, as they are probably EU standards. No doubt there are plans afoot to standardise the licencing system throughout the EU for car and bike licences.

Thanks everyone who as replied.

But no one as answered the question about fines.

Are they all the same ie fixed penalty for minor offences. 

You should also be aware that if you are driving a foreign registered car in Spain, it must be road legal in it's own country to be road legal here.

For example, a British registered car must have a current MOT & road tax - if if doesn't have these things it is not road legal in Spain and an insurance company would be very unlikely to meet any claims - in theory the insurance would be invalid.

Some people get a Spanish ITV on foreign registered cars - it's not worth the paper it's printed on with reference to it making the car road legal in Spain, all it does is to confirm that the Spanish ITV department consider it roadworthy.

No more than 90 euros as those infringements are not considered serious or very serious by the Circulation act.