# Exchange UK licence for Spanish licence - Same Vehicle categories ?



## Williams2 (Sep 15, 2013)

*This is a question to all British Expats who are living in Spain for the long haul
and have therefore exchanged their British driving licences for Spanish
driving licences, at some point during their stay.*

Naturally I'm not talking about HGV or Passenger vehicle licences, just the normal
licence you get in the UK, for driving a private motor car.

As Expats know - one of the curiosities when chatting to locals is - how many
different vehicle categories or classes of vehicle, can a British visitor or Expat
drive in Spain, on a British UK driving licence, as opposed to the normal Spanish
one and the answer is - as always - quite a lot !!

Which makes me wonder - come the day I exchange my British UK Driving
licence for a Spanish driving licence ( assuming I stay the full 10 years in Spain )
upto the time the UK licence expires.

*Will the Spanish authorities credit my new Spanish driving licence with the
same number of different vehicle categories or classes of vehicle I can drive,
like the ones I currently enjoy on my British licence or will the answer be 
No - you only get the same as what everyone else in Spain gets for
driving a normal private motor car.*

Finally here's a useful site for all British Expats and Visitors to Spain who
want to keep upto date with the status of their current UK Driving licence,
including penalty points and the future ability to share your licence details
with Private Hire Car companies.

UK Gov - View your current Driving Licence Information


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Williams2 said:


> *This is a question to all British Expats who are living in Spain for the long haul
> and have therefore exchanged their British driving licences for Spanish
> driving licences, at some point during their stay.*
> 
> ...


If you've been resident here for 2 years (or nearly 2 years), check the categories on your licence.

Some aren't valid for 10 years in Spain, so as far as Spain is concerned your licence might expire way sooner than in the UK


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## Williams2 (Sep 15, 2013)

xabiachica said:


> If you've been resident here for 2 years (or nearly 2 years), check the categories on your licence.
> 
> Some aren't valid for 10 years in Spain, so as far as Spain is concerned your licence might expire way sooner than in the UK


I did - on the very same useful UK Gov website and apparently I can drive all the 
classes of vehicle that are currently stamped on my British Driving licence upto
my 70th birthday. Therefore will the Spanish authorities be obliged to do the
same ? come the day I exchange it for a Spanish license ?


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Williams2 said:


> I did - on the very same useful UK Gov website and apparently I can drive all the
> classes of vehicle that are currently stamped on my British Driving licence upto
> my 70th birthday. Therefore will the Spanish authorities be obliged to do the
> same ? come the day I exchange it for a Spanish license ?


Once you_* live*_ in Spain, your licence is subject to the rules in Spain - which is nothing to do with the rules in the UK, so I doubt that website can tell you anything of the sort. 

I don't have a driving licence so can't check for myself

These links explain the situation for those who live in Spain. When you renew, as long as you complete the form correctly, the categories will be carried over.

https://sede.dgt.gob.es/es/tramites...acion-de-permisos-de-conduccion-comunitarios/

DO I HAVE TO EXCHANGE / RENEW MY EU DRIVING LICENCE? | Learn-Aprender


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## Williams2 (Sep 15, 2013)

xabiachica said:


> Once you_* live*_ in Spain, your licence is subject to the rules in Spain - which is nothing to do with the rules in the UK, so I doubt that website can tell you anything of the sort.
> 
> I don't have a driving licence so can't check for myself
> 
> ...


*Please can we get back to topic* - and forget about the my upto 10 years comment, 
as it's half a dozen of one or two of the other whether I'm really
staying here permanent. What with the UK referendum and everything.

*My question is - assuming I stay for any length of time in Spain and I decide to
exchange my British Driving licence for a Spanish driving licence.*

*Will the Spanish authorities credit my new Spanish driving licence with the
same number of different vehicle categories or classes of vehicle I can drive,
like the ones I currently enjoy on my British licence or will the answer be
No - you only get the same as what everyone else in Spain gets for
driving a normal private motor car.*

Therefore if you can answer with any authority or experience to the highlighted
question - then please do so !!!

But thanks xabiachica for those links below - they are really useful *but as always I like to draw on Expats
personal experiences of acquiring a Spanish licence.*

These links explain the situation for those who live in Spain. When you renew, as long as you complete the form correctly, the categories will be carried over.

https://sede.dgt.gob.es/es/tramites-...-comunitarios/

DO I HAVE TO EXCHANGE / RENEW MY EU DRIVING LICENCE? | Learn-Aprender


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Williams2 said:


> *Please can we get back to topic* - and forget about the my upto 10 years comment,
> as it's half a dozen of one or two of the other whether I'm really
> staying here permanent. What with the UK referendum and everything.
> 
> ...




If you post on an open forum, & post wrong information which 1000s will read, you have to expect that someone will correct it   


That said, I thought I had answered your question - as long as the categories are listed correctly on the renewal form, they are then listed on the renewed licence. If some of those categories are subject to a shorter (say 5 year) renewal time in Spain, then the licence will reflect that.


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## Williams2 (Sep 15, 2013)

Williams2 said:


> But thanks xabiachica for those links below - they are really useful *but as always I like to draw on Expats
> personal experiences of acquiring a Spanish licence.*


As I said in my last post - I don't want to get into a bun fight as to who said what when
or where - as all I want to know is:

*
Will the Spanish authorities credit my new Spanish driving licence with the
same number of different vehicle categories or classes of vehicle I can drive,
like the ones I currently enjoy on my British licence or will the answer be
No - you only get the same as what everyone else in Spain gets for
driving a normal private motor car.*

As always I like to draw on Expats personal experiences of acquiring a Spanish licence.

Nothing more, nothing less !!! Is that understood or do I have to repeat myself ??

Of course you have my full authority to delete the misleading 10 year line - with my blessing.
As I cannot !!
For christs sake - don't be so pedantic !!!


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## VFR (Dec 23, 2009)

On many UK licenses you will have an entitlement to drive a mini bus over 8 (?) seats (or whatever it is)
You will no longer have this on a Spanish license as this requires a PSV type qualification.
HGV will remain the same.
Motorbike is also the same.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

My answer;

I used to have the following categories; 
a,b,be,b1,c1e,d1,d1e,fklnp

but now have; 
am,a1,a2,a,b,be,c1,c1e,btp

c1 and c1e expired after 5 years not 10 as before as did btp

so, the categories are different but this may be due to the two countries getting better aligned with EU rules.

Just checked the Gov.uk website and there are actually no changes as my new Spanish licence now conforms to the change in rules brought in 2012/13


So the answer is that the licences will be identical bearing in mind the changes brought in across Europe in 2012/2013.


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## Williams2 (Sep 15, 2013)

snikpoh said:


> My answer;
> 
> I used to have the following categories;
> a,b,be,b1,c1e,d1,d1e,fklnp
> ...


*Thank you !*


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

snikpoh said:


> My answer;
> 
> I used to have the following categories;
> a,b,be,b1,c1e,d1,d1e,fklnp
> ...


so you can still drive the same vehicles, although the names of the categories are different


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Since the vehicle groups have now been made the same throughout the EU, you will normally get the same groups unless you ask otherwise. I had PCV on my previous licence and declined it since I have no intention of driving buses here (saves on having to have more intense and more frequent medicals). I also declined C and C1 since I have no intention of driving lorries. 

Keep a close eye on your dates of expiry because some groups, the Spaniards do not license for the full period of the licence.

Once you get to 70, your licence will only be valid for three years but renewal is usually quite simple and straightforward BUT is subject to a simple medical. The medical may also be necessary if you are under 70 as well, I wouldn't know since the only renewal was over 70. My initial switch to a Spanish licence was just before my 70th and I was not required to have a medical.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

baldilocks said:


> Since the vehicle groups have now been made the same throughout the EU, you will normally get the same groups unless you ask otherwise. I had PCV on my previous licence and declined it since I have no intention of driving buses here (saves on having to have more intense and more frequent medicals). I also declined C and C1 since I have no intention of driving lorries.
> 
> Keep a close eye on your dates of expiry because some groups, the Spaniards do not license for the full period of the licence.
> 
> Once you get to 70, your licence will only be valid for three years but renewal is usually quite simple and straightforward BUT is subject to a simple medical. The medical may also be necessary if you are under 70 as well, I wouldn't know since the only renewal was over 70. My initial switch to a Spanish licence was just before my 70th and I was not required to have a medical.


everyone now has to have a medical when renewing their licence

https://sede.dgt.gob.es/es/tramites-y-multas/permiso-de-conduccion/renovacion-permiso-conduccion/

https://sede.dgt.gob.es/Galerias/tr...Renovacion-permiso-comunitario-Castellano.pdf


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

Williams2 said:


> *Thank you !*


What you should do though is photocopy it to ensure that nothing is left off accidentally , the same as any sane person does when dealing withe the DVLA: that way you can get it corrected.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

gus-lopez said:


> What you should do though is photocopy it to ensure that nothing is left off accidentally , the same as any sane person does when dealing withe the DVLA: that way you can get it corrected.


Totally agree.

When I exchanged mine, the new Spanish licence didn't show my motorbike classes.

I pointed this out and it was duly corrected - but you must check carefully.


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## r_aranjuez (Dec 14, 2015)

xabiachica said:


> everyone now has to have a medical when renewing their licence


My understanding was that the medical was required if you were renewing/exchanging a licence which was about to expire. I don't know whether the rules have maybe changed since then, but I exchanged my UK licence for a Spanish one last summer and didn't have to undergo a medical (I had 30+ years still left for all categories on my UK licence, although the photocard part was due for renewal 6 months or so after the time I exchanged).


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

r_aranjuez said:


> My understanding was that the medical was required if you were renewing/exchanging a licence which was about to expire. I don't know whether the rules have maybe changed since then, but I exchanged my UK licence for a Spanish one last summer and didn't have to undergo a medical (I had 30+ years still left for all categories on my UK licence, although the photocard part was due for renewal 6 months or so after the time I exchanged).


De careful of terminology - @xabiachica mentioned renewing which is different to exchanging.


In theory, when exchanging a UK licence for a Spanish one, you don't need a medical but some some places will insist that you do. I had to do one for example.


When renewing, you will always need a medical now.


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## Pone1 (Jan 13, 2016)

Hi,
On my soon to expire UK license it says I can drive a car ( category B) and a vehicle up to 3,500 Kilos (Category B1)

After changing my UK license to a Spanish license, will I be losing the "right" to drive a vehicle up to 3,500 kilo???


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## tonymar (Jan 29, 2015)

Pone1 said:


> Hi,
> On my soon to expire UK license it says I can drive a car ( category B) and a vehicle up to 3,500 Kilos (Category B1)
> 
> After changing my UK license to a Spanish license, will I be losing the "right" to drive a vehicle up to 3,500 kilo???


I have just changed my licence to Spanish now just has B 

but when I googled it seems that most sites seem to say B is ok up to 3500kg and up to 8 passengers


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