# EU Licences Scam or Not???



## dizzy

Has anyone had any experience of a company proclaiming to be able to obtain legal EU driving licences in multiple countries via a loophole in EU law. 

The address is eudriverlicence.com they are talking of a stage 1 and stage 2 licences. The former being available as a full licence and the later used for exchange in the country of residence. 

I am not sure whether this is for real or not and would appreciate advice. 

Also does anyone know enough about driving licences in spain to tell me how i can go about getting a licence. I have an Australian drivers licence which is not recognised in Spain and they say I have to do the entire process but I have been told that I can do onlly the practical and theory tests (in English) and forego the required driver instruction as I have previously held a valid drivers licence. Does anyone have experience of this.

Many Thanks in advance
Kym


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## Stravinsky

dizzy said:


> Has anyone had any experience of a company proclaiming to be able to obtain legal EU driving licences in multiple countries via a loophole in EU law.
> 
> The address is eudriverlicence.com they are talking of a stage 1 and stage 2 licences. The former being available as a full licence and the later used for exchange in the country of residence.
> 
> I am not sure whether this is for real or not and would appreciate advice.
> 
> Also does anyone know enough about driving licences in spain to tell me how i can go about getting a licence. I have an Australian drivers licence which is not recognised in Spain and they say I have to do the entire process but I have been told that I can do onlly the practical and theory tests (in English) and forego the required driver instruction as I have previously held a valid drivers licence. Does anyone have experience of this.
> 
> Many Thanks in advance
> Kym



If you want a Spanish licence you will need to sit a full Spanish driving test afaik. I've never heard of anyone being able to forgo the actual driving test.

Also, and things may have changed recently if what you say is right, the whole test has always been in Spanish


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## chris(madrid)

Dizzy - You NEED to ask the local office of trafico. 

THIS SAID - My guess is that is VERY well possible that the above is NOT a scam LEGALLY - BUT this taken from the site mentioned


> Laws in some E.U countries can lead to a licence becoming invalid, even though the licence does not need to be substituted. An illustration of this fact is that in the UK for example, anyone in possession of a UK licence must inform the DVLA of any changes in name or address by completing the necessary forms along with their licence. If the DVLA is sent a foreign address, rather than updating the address details they send off the necessary paperwork declaring the holder is entitled to a licence, which is then used in order to obtain a French licence.


Contact them and ask?


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## Bevdeforges

My suspicion is that this is a scam of some sort. Back a few years ago, when the EU started standardizing (or should that be "harmonizing") driving licenses, you heard quite a bit about "the new European licenses." In this case, a "European license" referred simply to the standard European format local license - a pink license form, with all the information in a standardized format.

Technically, you can drive on a "European license" from any EU country in any other EU country, though most countries encourage you in one manner or another to exchange your foreign EU license for a local one as soon as possible. (A few countries will allow you to continue driving on a foreign European license, but you have to register that license with the local authorities.) As far as I know, once you have an EU license, you are supposed to be able to make the exchange pretty easily for a local EU license without having to sit the exams and take the road test.

But the standard EU format license is changing yet again (to a plasticized card format) and requirements could be changing for the exchange of licenses. 

In any event, to get an EU license, you normally have to be resident in one of the EU countries, take the classes, pass the tests, etc. The exception is where a country has reciprocity agreements with individual countries or states (in the US) outside the EU. At last check, Spain does not have license reciprocity with any US states.
Cheers,
Bev


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## chris(madrid)

Bevdeforges said:


> In any event, to get an EU license, you normally have to be resident in one of the EU countries, take the classes, pass the tests, etc. The exception is where a country has reciprocity agreements with individual countries or states (in the US) outside the EU. At last check, Spain does not have license reciprocity with any US states.


Thing is - when I still lived in Germany, it was possible to book a deal where you went on holiday to FRANCE for a week - received LESSONS and THE TEST and came home with a certified EU style "pink" French licence - that you (back then) had to swap for a German one. 

AFAIK this is still permissible - you travel to another EU country - pass your test and you're licensed for all the EU.

I'm guessing that in some of the NEWER EU member states the acquisition process is basically one of PAY and RECEIVE rather than TEST, PAY and RECEIVE.


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## dizzy

Thanks everyone. It does certainly open up a can of worms. I have contacted the company Chris and await their response so when I have one I will let you know. 

Aside from this they appear to be using the newer member countries of the EU such as Lithuania, Poland, etc. Eastern blockers really. 

I will keep you all posted.


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## jack&marie

*eu licence scams*



dizzy said:


> Has anyone had any experience of a company proclaiming to be able to obtain legal EU driving licences in multiple countries via a loophole in EU law
> 
> 
> IT IS DEFINETLY A SCAM. NOT ONLY DO THEY TAKE OFF WITH YOUR MONEY BUT THEY HAVE ALSO "PHISHED" YOUR IDENTITY. THESE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR QUITE A LONG TIME NOW. THEY ARE THE SAME PEOPLE WHO HAVE RUN NUMEROUS WEBSITES ALL OF WHICH USE THE SAME TYPE OF LAYOUT. IF YOUR STUPID ANOUGH TO FALL FOR THIS SCAM ONE COULD SAY THAT YOU DESERVE IT.


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## dizzy

IT IS DEFINETLY A SCAM. NOT ONLY DO THEY TAKE OFF WITH YOUR MONEY BUT THEY HAVE ALSO "PHISHED" YOUR IDENTITY. THESE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR QUITE A LONG TIME NOW. THEY ARE THE SAME PEOPLE WHO HAVE RUN NUMEROUS WEBSITES ALL OF WHICH USE THE SAME TYPE OF LAYOUT. IF YOUR STUPID ANOUGH TO FALL FOR THIS SCAM ONE COULD SAY THAT YOU DESERVE IT.[/QUOTE]

Jack and Marie 

Thankyou for your reply. Might I ask where you got your information regarding this being a scam?

Also please do not shout at me or others in the forum. It is not the way to answer a question neither is insulting people.

Many Thanks


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## jack&marie

*eu licence scams*

Hi, In answer to your question, where did i get my information from..I was a police traffic officer for twenty five years. Also as far as the suggestion that i was/am shouting and offensive..May i suggest that the type of peiople who try to take advantage of this type of thing are allways/usually people who are hoping to avoid doing what the rest of us have to do, which is learn to drive correctey and take and pass a driving test. Any one who does otherwise is nothing less than a criminal and i certainly will not make any appologies to that type of person. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT MY REMARKS ARE INTENDED ONLY IN RESPECT OF PEOPLE WHO ATTEMPT TO DO THIS TYPE OF CRIME, AND I MAKE NO APPOLOGIES WHATSOEVER TO THE SCUM WHO DRIVE WITHOUT A LICENCE, WHO ALSO THEN ARE NOT INSURED. POSSIBLEY KILLING AN INOCENT PERSON.. I DO NOT INTEND TO BE OFFENSIVE IN ANY WAY TO THE INNOCENT FORUM MEMBERS.
Jack Hargreaves,


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## chris(madrid)

jack&marie said:


> Also as far as the suggestion that i was/am shouting and offensive. Jack Hargreaves,


Nobody's having a go Jack - esp not Dizzy, who's a very docile member. 

The use of CAPS-LOCK on internet forums is generally considered as SHOUTING - and as such poor etiquette. It's something moderators often control. 

I cant see how a jocular comment on internet use leads to relating it to DWOL. Still there we go.


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## dizzy

Okay Just for the record my original question was out of curiosity as the ad for this company was found on this forum. I am not a law breaker and as you can see from the bottom half of the first post on this thread I was actually asking for any knowledge of driving tests etc in English as well. I fully intend to take the required legal route for obtainiing a valid driving licence in Spain. Thank you all for your comments, opinions and advice. Jack I would be interested to read more about this type of physhing scam sometime. It is interesting to know how these things work so as not to be taken for a ride.

Dizzy


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## jack&marie

*eu licence scams*



chris(madrid) said:


> Nobody's having a go Jack - esp not Dizzy, who's a very docile member.
> 
> The use of CAPS-LOCK on internet forums is generally considered as SHOUTING - and as such poor etiquette. It's something moderators often control.
> 
> I cant see how a jocular comment on internet use leads to relating it to DWOL.
> Still there we go.


Hi Chris, In reply to your comment.. I was not aware that the use of higher-case letters constituted shouting or having a go. It was not and indeed will never be my intention to be offensive to any forum member or indeed anyone i converse with on or off the internet. Having said that i do not have any consideration for any criminal elements.Im sorry that dizzy felt that i have been offensive to her/him and if so so i give my unreserved apology..By the way i am still quite new to internet language, what does DWOL mean?. Wishing you all the best, Jack


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## jack&marie

*eu licence scams*



dizzy said:


> Okay Just for the record my original question was out of curiosity as the ad for this company was found on this forum. I am not a law breaker and as you can see from the bottom half of the first post on this thread I was actually asking for any knowledge of driving tests etc in English as well. I fully intend to take the required legal route for obtainiing a valid driving licence in Spain. Thank you all for your comments, opinions and advice. Jack I would be interested to read more about this type of physhing scam sometime. It is interesting to know how these things work so as not to be taken for a ride.
> 
> Dizzy


Hi Dizzy, If i have insulted you or offended you in any way or manner please except my sincere apologies, I can assure you it is/was not my intention to cause offence in any way shape or form any forum member, I read and intend to use this forum to increase my knowledge and hopefully receive help and advice for when we find a suitable property. I was also not aware that the use of higher-case constituted shouting?. I am a relatively new user of the internet so it would seem that i have a lot to learn. You mentioned an interest in identity fraud, Well Dizzy im afraid its a lot more common than people relise, My own daughter has been a victim of it to the tune of £27,000, She is by the way a serving police officer..
May i wish you all the best, Jack


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## chris(madrid)

jack&marie said:


> Hi Chris, In reply to your comment.. I was not aware that the use of higher-case letters constituted shouting or having a go. It was not and indeed will never be my intention to be offensive to any forum member or indeed anyone i converse with on or off the internet. Having said that i do not have any consideration for any criminal elements.Im sorry that dizzy felt that i have been offensive to her/him and if so so i give my unreserved apology..By the way i am still quite new to internet language, what does DWOL mean?. Wishing you all the best, Jack


DWOL - *D*riving *W*ith*O*ut a *L*icence. Mnemonics is a habit born of 30years in IT.


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## dizzy

Jack 

Apology accepted. I am also sorry to hear about your daughter.. I am one of those people that believes the best way to arm yourself against the criminal elements of this world is knowledge. Knowledge of their practices and among other things their motives, as such I love to watch the TV shows which attempt to expose or entertain based on these types of crimes. Welcome to the forum. you will find most people on here are pleasant and willing to help, me included. If you have any questions feel free to ask them. 

Dizzy


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## Rofa

dizzy said:


> Has anyone had any experience of a company proclaiming to be able to obtain legal EU driving licences in multiple countries via a loophole in EU law.
> 
> The address is eudriverlicence.com they are talking of a stage 1 and stage 2 licences. The former being available as a full licence and the later used for exchange in the country of residence.
> 
> I am not sure whether this is for real or not and would appreciate advice.
> 
> Also does anyone know enough about driving licences in spain to tell me how i can go about getting a licence. I have an Australian drivers licence which is not recognised in Spain and they say I have to do the entire process but I have been told that I can do onlly the practical and theory tests (in English) and forego the required driver instruction as I have previously held a valid drivers licence. Does anyone have experience of this.
> 
> Many Thanks in advance
> Kym


I believe it is easy to transfer an Australian license to a UK one - something to do with colonies
You will of course need a UK address and maybe more ....maybe worth checking out depending on your own circumstances. Mind you if you have not driven for a long time then a test might be appropriate????????


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## jockm

I swapped my Australian licence for a UK one with no problems whatsoever. I think (it was a while ago) I had to give over my Australian licence in exchange, but I just then applied again for a replacement licence in Australia (i.e. as though I had "lost" my licence).

I no longer live in the UK but still have the UK licence. It is useful when in Europe for credit card ID, so I don't have to carry my passport. 

That might be the easier way? Then you can just swap over to a Spanish licence?

Good luck,
Jockm


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## Yozhik

jack&marie said:


> I MAKE NO APPOLOGIES WHATSOEVER TO THE SCUM WHO DRIVE WITHOUT A LICENCE, WHO ALSO THEN ARE NOT INSURED. POSSIBLEY KILLING AN INOCENT PERSON.
> Jack Hargreaves,


:deadhorse:

He he he ... love it ... always brings a smile to my face, to see someone defend 'the system', so vehemently.

Different topic, different forum ... but couldn't pass without comment.

:behindsofa:


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## charliebacca

*EU Driving Licence NOT A SCAM!*

Me and my wife was looking at this for a while and thought that it was a scam as everyone said. But after contacting them i decided to go and order and we got my licence about 11 months ago, i know that they are closing the way down how they get them. But No its not a scam, i received my licence no problem, but i dont know the other sites are scams or not and i cant vouch for them.


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## jojo

charliebacca said:


> Me and my wife was looking at this for a while and thought that it was a scam as everyone said. But after contacting them i decided to go and order and we got my licence about 11 months ago, i know that they are closing the way down how they get them. But No its not a scam, i received my licence no problem, but i dont know the other sites are scams or not and i cant vouch for them.


Sorry, I've not kept up with this thread, so I may be misunderstanding you, but surely if you're from the EU/British citizen you dont need a change of licence??? Thru any other channels than the official ones - if then???

Jo xxx


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## Stravinsky

charliebacca said:


> Me and my wife was looking at this for a while and thought that it was a scam as everyone said. But after contacting them i decided to go and order and we got my licence about 11 months ago, i know that they are closing the way down how they get them. But No its not a scam, i received my licence no problem, but i dont know the other sites are scams or not and i cant vouch for them.


Well, I hope you didnt pay for it. As JoJo says, if you are a UK / EU resident then you dont have to change your UK photo licence. Its an EU licence. It can be used in Europe.

If you DO decide to change then you go to the licencing authority of the country in question and they exchange it


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## mrypg9

Surely one would research this before leaving the UK...
Your UK licence is valid for all EU states.
It is valid in most countries in the world but I'm not sure how residency would affect this.
But a quick google would tell me..

Two minutes later...

I googled and you can drive in all EU member states just as I thought.
Some non -EU countries require an International Driving Permit which is basically a translation of your UK or whatever licence and requires no further test..
It costs £5.50.


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## thrax

My in-laws decided that they would exchange their UK licences for Spanish licences. They did not have to take a Spanish driving test just fill in a large amount of paperwork. Now, because of their age, they have to sit a test every three years. This is in fact a simulator test looking for their reaction times.


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## leedsutdgem

A friend of mine (guardia civil trafico) advised me to change mine over to a spanish on 9 years ago when i first came over here. Reason being was if i was stopped for commiting an offence i wouldnt be made to pay on the spot. If i had my uk licence then i would have had to.


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## jojo

leedsutdgem said:


> A friend of mine (guardia civil trafico) advised me to change mine over to a spanish on 9 years ago when i first came over here. Reason being was if i was stopped for commiting an offence i wouldnt be made to pay on the spot. If i had my uk licence then i would have had to.


In the end, for a licence to be legal it has to have your home address on it - now if thats in Spain........

Jo xxx


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## Beachcomber

There is, as yet, no such thing as a 'European driving licence' just national driving licences issued by EU member states. However, that may change in 2013:

EU driving licence


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## VFR

Beachcomber said:


> There is, as yet, no such thing as a 'European driving licence' just national driving licences issued by EU member states. However, that may change in 2013:
> 
> EU driving licence


Yes that makes a lot of sense in these times as we all move around a good deal more.

For me I changed mine to a Spaish one a while back as it was a no brainer.
The 10 year photo was due for its change.
My HGV was also due for a new medical & all this was a fraction of the cost that it would have been in the UK, and as someone else said if stopped the Guardia will put any fines through the normal Spanish system rather than demanding payment on the spot.


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## Pesky Wesky

playamonte said:


> Yes that makes a lot of sense in these times as we all move around a good deal more.
> 
> For me I changed mine to a Spaish one a while back as it was a no brainer.
> The 10 year photo was due for its change.
> My HGV was also due for a new medical & all this was a fraction of the cost that it would have been in the UK, and as someone else said if stopped the Guardia will put any fines through the normal Spanish system rather than demanding payment on the spot.


Although, you get a hefty discount if you pay on the spot I believe.

I must say, and this is not a criticism directed at anyone personally, that I find it strange that the form for paying your fines should influence whether you get this or that license... Surely it would be better to not get the fine in the first place, ie drive according to the rules? Perhaps I'm just too tightfisted, but the thought of having to pay out 100€ just for not parking in the right place or doing I don't know what, makes me :wacko:


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## Stravinsky

Pesky Wesky said:


> Perhaps I'm just too tightfisted, but the thought of having to pay out 100€ just for not parking in the right place or doing I don't know what, makes me :wacko:


Sometimes it's a mystery though
I had one fine since Ive been here ... for parking

I parked in diagonal spaces in amongst a number of other cars. When I got back there was a ticket just on *my* car which had been placed literally a minute or so after we left it.

On the licence thing ... as said, the UK photo licence is acceptable in most EU countries. However if you are a resident in a country *outside* the EU then it's acceptability is limited in time. It depends on the licence agreements between UK and other countries, but in many you are only allowed to keep the licence for 6 months before exchanging / taking a local test.


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## Nignoy

You should have no problem swapping an aussie licence for a european licence, which is valid in spain


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## mrypg9

Nignoy said:


> You should have no problem swapping an aussie licence for a european licence, which is valid in spain


As Beachcomber has pointed out, there is currently no such thing as a European Driving Licence.
The EU Directive relating to this was issued in 2006 but will not be implemented until at least 2013.
Until then, non-EU nationals must apply for a licence of the EU state in which they wish to reside.


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## JoCatalunya

If anyone needs an address in the UK I found a company offering folk an address of convenience to which you can have your UK licence posted etc, etc. It is apparently perfectly legal and what is more your licence can have the address of the company on it and any fines (should you be unfortunate to run foul of the law) will be sent to the address and then forwarded to you (by the company) all within the cost of the years rental. It isn't that expensive, so it might be an idea for our Aussie cousin should he/she wish to exchange his/her aussie licence for a UK one.


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## MaidenScotland

Nignoy said:


> You should have no problem swapping an aussie licence for a european licence, which is valid in spain




I am pretty sure my cousin could only drive on her Oz licence for two years then she had to take a test.. I could be wrong but I do remember her going back for a holiday when the two years was almost up and she told me that would allow her to drive again for another 2 years on the Oz licence.. this was in the 90s


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## Nignoy

There are no problems changing Australian and english driving licences, english or british drivers holding the new ID card type licence, are legal to drive anywhere in the European Community, if you are a permanent resident outside of UK, you can change your driving licence but do not have too, the 2013 license agreement has been in preparation for about 5 years and UK ID card type licences have the EU sign around the letters UK in the upper left hand corner, notifying that these are in fact valid anywhere, in earlier threads I mentioned we were thinking of moving to spain, in june this year we went to an immigration information seminar in madrid, the question of foreign driving licences and retaking of tests, we were informed a change of licence would not be neccessary as the UK id card licence is recognised as a european driving permit, but some of the newer EU members still do not recognise it,


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## vinayshete

charliebacca said:


> Me and my wife was looking at this for a while and thought that it was a scam as everyone said. But after contacting them i decided to go and order and we got my licence about 11 months ago, i know that they are closing the way down how they get them. But No its not a scam, i received my licence no problem, but i dont know the other sites are scams or not and i cant vouch for them.


I am in london and looking to get the EU driving licence without test so i can drive the car in UK so if you have contact email id then pl pass it to me so i wi go with them.How much u paid to them?


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## vinayshete

I am in london and looking to get the EU driving licence without any test and going there so anyone knows how to get it?I am from india and now in london and holding a british passport.


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## xabiaxica

vinayshete said:


> I am in london and looking to get the EU driving licence without any test and going there so anyone knows how to get it?I am from india and now in london and holding a british passport.


if there is no agreement between the country where your licence is from & the UK to exchange licences without doing a test, then anything else would be illegal

therefore I'm closing this thread 

:lock1:


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