# Driving license



## Aussie 1 (Oct 20, 2016)

My wife and I will be moving to Spain (Javea) early next year. We both have US and Australian driving licenses. We know that you can exchange a UK one for Spanish but wanted to know if there was anything we can do with ours. I passed my test, many years ago, in the Uk and we are both born and bred in the UK. My old license expired in the nineties when we were resident in Aus. My wife got hers in Aus.We would appreciate your help. Thanks.


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## bob_bob (Jan 5, 2011)

IIRC you can use your auz license for six months but would need to take a Spanish theory and practical test after that...I may be wrong.


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## Aussie 1 (Oct 20, 2016)

Thanks Bob, don't mind doing a test but the language thing would be a big problem. If anyone is reading this and is in Javea I'd love to know if it is possible to do both in English.


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## davexf (Jan 26, 2009)

Hola 

I'm not sure how far back the DVLC in Swansea goes but worth asking the question as you had a UK licence 

Davexf


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Aussie 1 said:


> My wife and I will be moving to Spain (Javea) early next year. We both have US and Australian driving licenses. We know that you can exchange a UK one for Spanish but wanted to know if there was anything we can do with ours. I passed my test, many years ago, in the Uk and we are both born and bred in the UK. My old license expired in the nineties when we were resident in Aus. My wife got hers in Aus.We would appreciate your help. Thanks.


:welcome:

You should contact the DVLA - you might be able to get a renewal of your UK issued EU driving licence. That will be fine in Spain until it expires under Spanish law & then you can just renew it & get a Spanish issued EU licence. 

Your wife will definitely have to take the driving test though. I believe that the Australian one is OK for 6 months.

The written test is available in English, but the practical is only in Spanish.


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## Pazcat (Mar 24, 2010)

And it is a complete faff, expensive and unnecessary one at that but it must be done.
Can't help in your region though.


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## Madliz (Feb 4, 2011)

xabiachica said:


> :welcome:
> 
> You should contact the DVLA - you might be able to get a renewal of your UK issued EU driving licence. That will be fine in Spain until it expires under Spanish law & then you can just renew it & get a Spanish issued EU licence.
> 
> ...


Does one not have to be resident in the UK to renew one's licence there? Giving a false address would surely be fraud.


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## 95995 (May 16, 2010)

The Aussie licence is only OK for 6 months in Spain, as there is no agreement between Spain and Australia - Driving in Spain. I suspect you may be able to find a way of doing the test in English, possibly through a driving school (others may know) if you are unable to renew your UK licences.


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## Madliz (Feb 4, 2011)

The theory test is available in English and all the tuition for both tests can be done in English in most areas where there is a need, but the practical is in Spanish only. I know a British girl who got as far as her practical, then failed because hadn't learnt what a _semaforo_ was. 

The Spanish 'highway code' is about three times as thick (literally) as the British one. Even the Spanish tend to do endless online tests in order to memorise questions and answers, because the questions are illogical and ambiguous, with often two answers being seemingly correct. The total course runs at around €500.


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## 95995 (May 16, 2010)

Madliz said:


> The theory test is available in English and all the tuition for both tests can be done in English in most areas where there is a need, but the practical is in Spanish only. I know a British girl who got as far as her practical, then failed because hadn't learnt what a _semaforo_ was.
> 
> The Spanish 'highway code' is about three times as thick (literally) as the British one. Even the Spanish tend to do endless online tests in order to memorise questions and answers, because the questions are illogical and ambiguous, with often two answers being seemingly correct. The total course runs at around €500.


The French highway code is also thick and AFAIK, whilst the questions are multiple choice, the choices can be confusing - but at least it's good to know that it can be done in English.

As for the practical test - it's one of the very many reasons expats should endeavour to get a good grasp of the language of their host country. Those anglophones who choose to be expats in Spain are actually at a significant advantage - living in France, for example, can become extremely difficult, and even something of a nightmare, if you don't have a grasp of the language, especially administratively.


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## MataMata (Nov 30, 2008)

Madliz said:


> Does one not have to be resident in the UK to renew one's licence there? Giving a false address would surely be fraud.


Against the rules perhaps but fraud, I think not.

If you passed your test in UK then you are entitled to hold a UK licence that's the long and the short of it.

The fact that the rules say that you must be UK resident when applying for a renewal is a technicality and very far removed from fraud. In that circumstance DVLA will issue you with a certificate of entitlement which opens up a possible avenue for you.

When exchanging a UK licence for a Spanish one your local DGT office are supposed to check your entitlement with DVLA - having an in date and ostensibly valid UK licence in your possession does not always mean that you're entitled to be holding it !

You can obtain a certificate of entitlement from DVLA yourself (by phone and on payment of £5) and if you then present that with your application for a Spanish licence they _may_ if you're lucky accept it prima facia but if not it should prompt them to do their own check with DVLA and effectively bypass your OZ licence completely.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Someone we know, who is permanently resident in Spain, has just gone back to the UK, passed their test, and are now driving here in Spain.

Definitely FRAUD (IMHO) !!


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

snikpoh said:


> Someone we know, who is permanently resident in Spain, has just gone back to the UK, passed their test, and are now driving here in Spain.
> 
> Definitely FRAUD (IMHO) !!


Definitely fraud.

That person would have had to lie about his country of residence in order to take the test.

Various legal dictionaries give the definition of fraud as 'intentional misrepresentation', which is exactly what that person did.


So essentially, they are driving with an invalid licence.


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