# Driving Licence change voluntary



## Javea (Feb 13, 2013)

A month or so ago I came across a link on this site (in Spanish) indicating that changing a UK driving licence to a Spanish one was voluntary. I've searched for hours to find it again, with no success. Can anyone help?

It would be such a useful thing to print out and have in the car in case of being stopped by trafico.


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## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

Our Gestor says that as long as your UK licence is valid you do not need to change it to a Spanish licence. We had this confirmed by Trafico in Malaga. If it expires you need to change to a Spanish licence and this is not voluntary but a must because you live here and are resident, for example...


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## Javea (Feb 13, 2013)

Yes, thanks, I do know that. However, so many folk are stopped and fined despite being legal with UK licence. So it would be good to have it in the car in Spanish to show them.


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## thrax (Nov 13, 2008)

I know people who have been fined driving Spanish plated cars with UK driving licence and have been fined as much as €2000. However, this practice is illegal and all of them have had their money returned via the courts.


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## Javea (Feb 13, 2013)

Yes, that's exactly why I'd like to have a print out of the document that's lurking somewhere in this forum!


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

As I understand it, it is only legal to use a PLASTIC UK driving licence in Spain.

If you still have the old paper one then this needs changing pretty sharpish - could this be the issue?


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Javea said:


> Yes, that's exactly why I'd like to have a print out of the document that's lurking somewhere in this forum!


here you go - from the DGT website in our FAQs thread

http://www.dgt.es/was6/portal/conte...UROPEA,_ISLANDIA,_LIECHTENSTEIN_Y_NORUEGA.pdf


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## Javea (Feb 13, 2013)

Thanks Xabiachica,

Now I wish I'd kept up those Spanish classes! So what does it say - more or less?


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## Javea (Feb 13, 2013)

No, I have the plastic one. It's as I said - that trafico seem to fine even though the UK licence is completely legal until it expires.


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

Javea said:


> Thanks Xabiachica,
> 
> Now I wish I'd kept up those Spanish classes! So what does it say - more or less?


The important bit is the long, underlined text just above "DOCUMENTACIÓN" which says:

This procedure is volutary and can be carried out in any provincial head office of Tráfico.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Overandout said:


> The important bit is the long, underlined text just above "DOCUMENTACIÓN" which says:
> 
> This procedure is volutary and can be carried out in any provincial head office of Tráfico.


exactly - this bit 


> ESTE TRÁMITE ES VOLUNTARIO






means _THIS PROCEDURE IS VOLUNTARY_ 



Javea said:


> Thanks Xabiachica,
> 
> Now I wish I'd kept up those Spanish classes! So what does it say - more or less?


 you're not so far away - you could come back, I'm sure there are still some familiar faces


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## BrianWA (Apr 10, 2013)

Javea - The www dot gov dot uk site has info on this and many other subjects.

Many years ago we had to register the UK licence with Traffico - It took longer than when I eventually changed it to a Spanish one 
Not sure if you still need to do that, it may be why some people got fined.


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## Stravinsky (Aug 12, 2007)

BrianWA said:


> Javea - The www dot gov dot uk site has info on this and many other subjects.
> 
> Many years ago we had to register the UK licence with Traffico - It took longer than when I eventually changed it to a Spanish one
> Not sure if you still need to do that, it may be why some people got fined.


No its not a requirement now


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## gus-lopez (Jan 4, 2010)

post'97 pink coloured paper ones are legal on their own. All the other paper ones need a International Drivers Permit from AA/RAC etc.
As from 2015 all UK paper ones will become illegal in the UK. You've got to change to a plastic one.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

gus-lopez said:


> post'97 pink coloured paper ones are legal on their own. All the other paper ones need a International Drivers Permit from AA/RAC etc.
> As from 2015 all UK paper ones will become illegal in the UK. You've got to change to a plastic one.


.... and therefore illegal here in Spain (or anywhere else).


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## Javea (Feb 13, 2013)

Thanks so much. Got it printed out for the car now.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Javea said:


> Thanks so much. Got it printed out for the car now.


let us know what happens if you ever need to show it


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

xabiachica said:


> let us know what happens if you ever need to show it


Yes, I totally understand why the OP wants this, but I'm not sure a photocopy pulled out by a guiri will cut much ice with the Guardia Civil. Will be interested to know what happens.

BTW a couple of months ago I wrote that after getting my licence in Spain in1992 I had never been stopped... Well a few days after that I was stopped, 2 mins from my house. The GC asked for my licence, checked it, asked if I'd had anything to drink and when I said no, he told me to drive on!!


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## azulene (Apr 11, 2013)

gus-lopez said:


> As from 2015 all UK paper ones will become illegal in the UK. You've got to change to a plastic one.


That's not true. They want to get rid of the _paper counterpart_ to the plastic licence, not the pre-2000 paper licence. redtapechallenge.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/2011/12/road-transport-announcement (won't let me post links yet)

The EU 3rd Directive that came into effect on 19th January this year explicitly says that all old-style licences (including the entirely paper ones) remain valid until 18th January *2033*. 

europa.eu/rapid/press-release_MEMO-13-10_en.htm (search the page for "2033" )

If Spanish police are refusing to accept them as valid, they are being naughty. Undermines a fundamental concept of this European Union we find ourselves in.

The UK government may decide to recall paper licences before then, but that's not what they're talking about right now.


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