# New Regs for Renting a Car in Spain on a UK D/L



## larryzx (Jul 2, 2014)

I have just received this info from my son in UK which may be of interest to anyone planning to hire a car in Spain…..

_From 8 June, new rules mean you need to request a personal code from the DVLA up to 72 hours before picking up a car either in the UK or abroad. This is so hire firms can check for points, as paper licences are being scrapped for photocard holders. You may not be asked, but to be safe ensure you get one in advance.

· To get a code, you'll need to request one from the new Share Driving Licence online service that will be launched via Gov.uk or by calling 0300 790 6801.

· You will need to provide your driving licence number found on your photocard or on your paper driving licence for paper-only motorists, national insurance number and the postcode on your driving licence.

· Download a PDF of your licence. It will be worth taking as a precaution - though you will still need the code.

· Give the code to the rental desk when you pick up your car - it effectively gives the company temporary access to your licence info. But, annoyingly, the code only lasts for 72 hours before expiring, so time it right and make sure you don't request it too early.

Some driving organisations such as the AA are also advising motorists to take the paper counterpart of their photocard licence with them too just in case there are any problems. It's also warning drivers who want to hire a car abroad to be extra cautious as overseas car hire firms, or even traffic police abroad, may not be aware of the changes and may demand to see your paper licence.
_


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## Stevesolar (Dec 21, 2012)

Hi,
Wow - if true that is a right royal pain in the proverbial!
At least with the counterpart - hire companies could see if you had points.
I don't see how scrapping that was progress!
Cheers
Steve


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

No other EU licence holder has there licence checked as it isn't possible ,so why do the UK licence holders put up with this **** ? 
When I had a UK licence,a plastic one,
A ) I never carried it unless going abroad & 
B) the paper part never went anywhere from the house, ever.
C) No hire company in the UK or abroad ever asked for it. 

" It's also warning drivers who want to hire a car abroad to be extra cautious as overseas car hire firms, or even traffic police abroad, may not be aware of the changes and may demand to see your paper licence."
As if most would know that a UK photocard licence came with a paper part- :rofl:


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Stevesolar said:


> Hi,
> Wow - if true that is a right royal pain in the proverbial!
> At least with the counterpart - hire companies could see if you had points.
> I don't see how scrapping that was progress!
> ...


tis true - & here's the link that larryzx neglected to add to his post

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/driving-licence-changes


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## Stevesolar (Dec 21, 2012)

Hi,
Wow - that is just incredibly stupid!
Luckily, I use my UAE licence to hire cars overseas (and can't get points on my licence, when driving past speed cameras in the UK!)
Cheers
Steve


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Even more reason for Spanish residents (us immigrants) to get a Spanish DL.


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## larryzx (Jul 2, 2014)

eaI should like to make it clear that my original post was infact info from : www.moneysavingexpert.com › News

Had I been aware of the actual source I would have quoted it in my post and made it clear that was where the info I received came from.

PS I did have my son's permission to post the info he sent to me.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

larryzx said:


> I should like to make it clear that my original post was infact info from : www.moneysavingexpert.com › News
> 
> Had I been aware of the actual source I would have quoted it in my post and made it claer that was where the info I received came from.


wherever it came from - the 'horse's mouth' so to speak is the DVLA


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Another plan that's going well, I see.


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/ca...drivers-generate-code-time-want-hire-car.html


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Lynn R said:


> Another plan that's going well, I see.
> 
> 
> DVLA website crashes on first day after car hire rule change | Daily Mail Online


445,000 people lost their paper counterpart and had to pay £20 (=£9 million) to replace it. Sounds like a moneyspinner to me so why are DVLA changing things?


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

baldilocks said:


> 445,000 people lost their paper counterpart and had to pay £20 (=£9 million) to replace it. Sounds like a moneyspinner to me so why are DVLA changing things?


Probably becasue each duplicate had to be issued by 2 different Administrative Officers, verified by 2 different Executive Officers, all of whom are on flexi-time and final salary pension schemes and therefore actually cost £25 each to produce... 

No offence to civil servants you understand!!


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

baldilocks said:


> 445,000 people lost their paper counterpart and had to pay £20 (=£9 million) to replace it. Sounds like a moneyspinner to me so why are DVLA changing things?


Because EU rules state harmonised licences. The qualifying date has passed last year , I believe & you now can't have tatty additional bits of paper.
All the post 97 paper ones, which are still legal, can be withdrawn at a moments notice as it was included in the UK legislation.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Overandout said:


> Probably becasue each duplicate had to be issued by 2 different Administrative Officers, verified by 2 different Executive Officers, all of whom are on flexi-time and final salary pension schemes and therefore actually cost £25 each to produce...
> 
> No offence to civil servants you understand!!


Or perhaps because the DVLA was instructed to become "more like a business" and thus introduced more charges necessitating more people to handle the payments and the accounting, no doubt employed in something called a Business Support Centre or some such thing.

Today I got a letter from HMRC telling me they'd amended my tax code, in response to a letter I'd sent them on 19 March. I'd already received the revised notice of coding last week, so it's obvious that things are being handled in two completely separate offices as the envelopes came from different places. Possibly three, as sometimes all post is sent to one address and then sent on (sometimes scanned and uploaded to so-called integrated customer services systems). The person who sent the letter could well have been working in an outsourced customer service centre employed by a private company like Serco or Capita, just as the Passport Office now has all it's enquiries handled by a private company. That's more efficient, allegedly, although I'm damned if I can see how.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Oh look, I was right, now there's a surprise. So not civil servants at all , Overandout, but private sector employees.


DVLA hands £100m, 5-year contract to Capita


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