# application for spanish driving license.



## passiflora (Jun 28, 2012)

We applied for our Spanish driving license in November. We still have heard nothing. Before I go trailing to the office to ask----does anyone know if the scrap of paper they give prior to the license arriving is valid for months or a certain length of time only.


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## Guest (Mar 9, 2013)

Well it depends if there is an expiry date on that piece of paper. I had a similar problem last year. The piece of paper I received had no expiry date on it and that is all I had for 7 months. The problem of my licence was not from the Spanish trafico office, it was from the DVLC in Swansea. Trafico send your licence back to England and then produce you a Spanish one after your details are returned from the UK. 
To be sure your documentation is legal, I would check with your gestoria, they should know.


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

It is valid for 3 months from the date of expiry old licence being renewed or 3 months from the date which should be stamped on it when you surrendered your UK licence. 
A month is too long to wait. They should be processed in a week.


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## Guest (Mar 9, 2013)

Well, the police agreed that my piece of paper was valid until my new licence arrived. As I said, it took 7 months due to delay from the UK. My wife's licence took 10 weeks. 
Get that piece of paper checked out officially for peace of mind and to be legal. They normally issue you with a temporary licence which is valid for three months, but I got a piece of paper instead


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## mazlester (Oct 30, 2010)

My husband applied In November and received his piece of paper and was told once they had heard back from UK they would issue him with a temp then a full licence. We returned in Jan to check on progress and was told they had sent something to DVLA and was waiting for a reply. We asked about the piece of paper and was told it was valid until he received his licence. When we arrived home he rang DVLA and they told us that they hadn't received anything from Spain and when they did so long as everything was ok they didn't send anything back, it was only if there were problems with the eligibility of the licence that they did reply????? To speed things up he decided to pay for the eligibility form from the DVLA. Once he had this he returned to Trafico and asked again. Again they said they hadn't heard anything rom DVLA and showed him the email. They photocopied the certificate and sent him on his way still with his piece of paper. So now he's still 'sin licence' and still DVLA say they haven't received anything from Spain!!!! I did read in this weeks RTN that the problem is on the UK side not Spain, and it's just the luck of the draw when they do manage to contact Spain.


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## passiflora (Jun 28, 2012)

mazlester said:


> My husband applied In November and received his piece of paper and was told once they had heard back from UK they would issue him with a temp then a full licence. We returned in Jan to check on progress and was told they had sent something to DVLA and was waiting for a reply. We asked about the piece of paper and was told it was valid until he received his licence. When we arrived home he rang DVLA and they told us that they hadn't received anything from Spain and when they did so long as everything was ok they didn't send anything back, it was only if there were problems with the eligibility of the licence that they did reply????? To speed things up he decided to pay for the eligibility form from the DVLA. Once he had this he returned to Trafico and asked again. Again they said they hadn't heard anything rom DVLA and showed him the email. They photocopied the certificate and sent him on his way still with his piece of paper. So now he's still 'sin licence' and still DVLA say they haven't received anything from Spain!!!! I did read in this weeks RTN that the problem is on the UK side not Spain, and it's just the luck of the draw when they do manage to contact Spain.


Thankyou for this detailed reply! I will stop worrying then and just hope the writing doesn't fade any more than it already has on the slip of paper from trafico! I might go and ask at Trafico next time I am in Cartagena but it seems as though it's just a waiting game.


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## passiflora (Jun 28, 2012)

Tejeda said:


> Well it depends if there is an expiry date on that piece of paper. I had a similar problem last year. The piece of paper I received had no expiry date on it and that is all I had for 7 months. The problem of my licence was not from the Spanish trafico office, it was from the DVLC in Swansea. Trafico send your licence back to England and then produce you a Spanish one after your details are returned from the UK.
> To be sure your documentation is legal, I would check with your gestoria, they should know.


Thank you for your input. There is no expiry date on the piece of paper. I guess we'll just keep waiting a while longer.


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

The problem is on the Spanish side. What do they expect the UK , or any other country to send ?
Even if they told the Spanish that he was a banned driver , it does not matter here.
To my knowledge the 'link-up' of licences still has not taken effect. Up here you give them your old licence & a week later they give you a Spanish one & send the old UK one back to the UK. Simple.


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## passiflora (Jun 28, 2012)

gus-lopez said:


> It is valid for 3 months from the date of expiry old licence being renewed or 3 months from the date which should be stamped on it when you surrendered your UK licence.
> A month is too long to wait. They should be processed in a week.



Thank you for your reply. Conflicting advice from those on high!!! Some say 3 months whilst others say no expiry date!!


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

Well I've just noticed that you are both in Murcia region so I can't really understand what the problem is. In Murcia they turned a friends around in a week last month.
What you have to remember is that it is unacceptable. The piece of paper is worthless if you wish to drive outside of Spain. You'd be ok in the UK but if you wish to drive in any other EU country you have a problem. I'd be making a complaint by now.


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## passiflora (Jun 28, 2012)

gus-lopez said:


> Well I've just noticed that you are both in Murcia region so I can't really understand what the problem is. In Murcia they turned a friends around in a week last month.
> What you have to remember is that it is unacceptable. The piece of paper is worthless if you wish to drive outside of Spain. You'd be ok in the UK but if you wish to drive in any other EU country you have a problem. I'd be making a complaint by now.


You're probably right. I'll go into Trafico next week and ask if they've got our new licenses hiding in a drawer somewhere! I'll let the forum know what the outcome is.


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## Guest (Mar 9, 2013)

Gus is right, any temporary licence is only valid in Spain, but where he is slightly incorrect, everyone has had different or indifferent service getting their licence renewed. You cannot say it should take a week if in some areas it is taking longer. I found the process frustrating, but having lived in Spain for 8 years, I'm now used to delays. I just chill out these days. My neighbour got his new licence in 5 weeks and mine took 7 months. There appears to be no consistency about the process.


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## mazlester (Oct 30, 2010)

Passiflora, I think our problem is we went to Cartagena! It seems that it doesn't take as long if you go to Murcia! I suppose it serves us right for taking the 'easy' option instead of fighting with the traffic in Murcia!!!


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## passiflora (Jun 28, 2012)

Tejeda said:


> Gus is right, any temporary licence is only valid in Spain, but where he is slightly incorrect, everyone has had different or indifferent service getting their licence renewed. You cannot say it should take a week if in some areas it is taking longer. I found the process frustrating, but having lived in Spain for 8 years, I'm now used to delays. I just chill out these days. My neighbour got his new licence in 5 weeks and mine took 7 months. There appears to be no consistency about the process.



Well I won't be driving anywhere else, only here so will ask at trafico and see what they say BUT---like you and having lived here for 11 years, I know how slowly and how differently the wheels can turn!


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## mazlester (Oct 30, 2010)

Well waddoyouknow? My hubby got his Spanish Driving Licence through yesterday! 7 months after his initial application, not bad eh? He popped in a couple of weeks ago to check on proceedings and was given his "first' temp licence having driven around with just a stamped receipt for 6 months! Anyway the day after this visit he got another through the post. Left hand - right hand comes to mind.


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## passiflora (Jun 28, 2012)

Ahhh! So ours could be arriving any time soon!


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## passiflora (Jun 28, 2012)

Our licenses arrived Friday past. Almost 7 months to the day after we went to Trafico in Cartagena!


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## mazlester (Oct 30, 2010)

Congratulations! They must be doing a job lot.


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