# Ex British Expat who held a Spanish driving license



## Williams2 (Sep 15, 2013)

A friend of mine who used to live and work in Spain back in the 2000's
is asking whether he will be allowed to exchange his British Driving licence
for a Spanish driving licence by providing proof that he was a former
Spanish driving licence holder without the need to take a Spanish driving
test after Brexit.

Now he's thinking of retiring to Spain sometime after Brexit.

He says he's retained all documentary evidence including photocopies
of his Spanish driving licence when he exchanged his UK license in
the past. Of course he has long since exchanged his Spanish driving
licence for a British DVLA driving licence after returning to the 
UK in 2011.

Maybe there are instances where the DGT have waived through driving
license exchanges for those that have held Spanish driving licenses
in the past.


----------



## davexf (Jan 26, 2009)

Hola 

A long time ago I swapped my British driving licence for a Spanish one with no problems. As soon as the Brexit vote was announced I recommended all residents swap their British driving licence to a Spanish one as a non-European friend of mine had to pass the whole driving test in Spanish because ehis American licence was not acceptable here 

Davexf


----------



## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Williams2 said:


> A friend of mine who used to live and work in Spain back in the 2000's
> is asking whether he will be allowed to exchange his British Driving licence
> for a Spanish driving licence by providing proof that he was a former
> Spanish driving licence holder without the need to take a Spanish driving
> ...


Now there's an interesting question!


----------



## alpinist (Feb 8, 2009)

The UK government have recently said that people with British licences who gave them up for EU ones will be able to re-apply for British ones with the DVLA if they move back to the UK. 

See lower down in this BBC article (scant on detail, but supports the claim): https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-46865094


----------



## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

Williams2 said:


> A friend of mine who used to live and work in Spain back in the 2000's
> is asking whether he will be allowed to exchange his British Driving licence
> for a Spanish driving licence by providing proof that he was a former
> Spanish driving licence holder without the need to take a Spanish driving
> ...


Thinking about this, I wonder if the DGT will even know that he exchanged his Spanish permit for a UK one? There seems to be little exchange of info.

Maybe as a first attempt he could simply apply to the DGT for a replacement of the Spanish permit on the basis that he "lost" the original?


----------



## Williams2 (Sep 15, 2013)

Overandout said:


> Thinking about this, I wonder if the DGT will even know that he exchanged his Spanish permit for a UK one? There seems to be little exchange of info.
> 
> Maybe as a first attempt he could simply apply to the DGT for a replacement of the Spanish permit on the basis that he "lost" the original?


He could try that - although he would have to be sure to surrender his British driving license to DVLA before he gets his
hands on a Spanish driving license.
In order to avoid breaking the Law of not being in possession of 2 or more driving licenses from 2 or more countries.


----------



## davexf (Jan 26, 2009)

Williams2 said:


> He could try that - although he would have to be sure to surrender his British driving license to DVLA before he gets his
> hands on a Spanish driving license.
> In order to avoid breaking the Law of not being in possession of 2 or more driving licenses from 2 or more countries.


Hola 

No that won't work; to get a licence when you have "lost" your licence, you have to get a piece of paper from the issuing authority saying what licence you had. 

When you EXCHANGE a licence then Trafico keep your British licence 

Davexf


----------



## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

_Si_ said:


> The UK government have recently said that people with British licences who gave them up for EU ones will be able to re-apply for British ones with the DVLA if they move back to the UK.
> 
> See lower down in this BBC article (scant on detail, but supports the claim): https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-46865094


That has always been the case, & it's good & only right that it should continue - I'm I'm guessing that they have records of those who originally passed their test in the UK.

But this person has already changed back to a UK issued EU licence & is planning to return to Spain & is wondering if he'll be able to swap back to a Spanish one, or if he'll have to take a test like most other 3rd country licence holders after Brexit - or whether there will be a record of him having had a Spanish licence, since no test would have been required.


----------



## Juan C (Sep 4, 2017)

Sorry if I have missed something

The holder of a U.K. DL can exchange it for a spanish one if they move to Spain After a set time they must exchange it 

D/L s. from certain other can be exchanged too. A very simple process


----------



## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Juan C said:


> Sorry if I have missed something
> 
> The holder of a U.K. DL can exchange it for a spanish one if they move to Spain After a set time they must exchange it
> 
> D/L s. from certain other can be exchanged too. A very simple process


Yes you've missed something- 

We're talking post-Braxit when unless some kind of deal is reached (  ), UK citizens will have to take a driving test like almost all other 3rd country citizens.


----------



## Williams2 (Sep 15, 2013)

xabiaxica said:


> Yes you've missed something-
> 
> We're talking post-Braxit when unless some kind of deal is reached (  ), UK citizens will have to take a driving test like almost all other 3rd country citizens.


To my mind if my friend retires to Spain, as he plans to do in the mid 2020's ( way after the UK has left the EU )
and he can prove he had a Spanish driving licence with photocopies & DGT receipt for the original
licence exchange, etc from when he was living and working over here back in the 2000's. 
Then DGT would be hard put to tell him that you have to take a Spanish driving test, if he held a Spanish
driving licence in the past, regardless of it being exchanged for a UK driving licence when he returned
to live and work in the UK again in 2011.


----------



## Juan C (Sep 4, 2017)

Thanks I did miss the after Brexit bit, however Brexit may not mean U.K. DLs will not be exchangeable. They may be included in the list:

Citizens of Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Dominical Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Macedonia, Morocco, Nicaragua, Peru, Panama, Paraguay, Philippines, Serbia, Turkey, Tunisia, Ukraine, Uruguay and Venezuela can exchange their driving licences for a Spanish licence


----------



## Williams2 (Sep 15, 2013)

Must say it's so much better having a Spanish EU compliant driving license than
the European Continent devalued ( thanks to Brexit ) British driving license, 
particularly when your photos back in colour again instead of the harking back
to the past, black and white photos that adorn current British driving licenses.

It comes to something when even the HMG Gov.uk, living abroad in a European
country. like Spain guidance is to ditch your British driving license as soon as
possible and before the 29th March 2019 for a Spanish driving license.

My only question is will the new post Brexit - British passports require British
Expats and immigrants living in Spain, to provide black and white passport
sized photos of themselves and will the British Post Office or selected outlets
in the UK have Black and White photo booths ready in time, for those British
citizens who will be renewing their passports after Brexit ?


----------

