# Documents needed when driving in Spain: A valid driver's licence (Driver must be over



## andyviola (Aug 11, 2018)

"Documents needed when driving in Spain:
A valid driver's licence (Driver must be over 21 and been driving for at least 1 year) A valid form of ID (Passport or ID card) Vehicle insurance. Vehicle registration documents"

Bit worried as wife never wants to carry passports or green resident slip. Is photocopy of passport or green slip acceptable? So people really carry passports on every journey?


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

I suspect that list is an old one - insurance doesn't need to be carried (but why wouldn't you?)

The green card/certificate should always be carried if you don't have a Spanish driving licence.

As for passport, after 13 years here, never carried it and never been asked for it when I've been stopped.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Yt?


andyviola said:


> "Documents needed when driving in Spain:
> A valid driver's licence (Driver must be over 21 and been driving for at least 1 year) A valid form of ID (Passport or ID card) Vehicle insurance. Vehicle registration documents"
> 
> Bit worried as wife never wants to carry passports or green resident slip. Is photocopy of passport or green slip acceptable? So people really carry passports on every journey?


The green card/ certificate is not counted as valid ID as ID needs to have a photo, which leads me like snikcpoh to think that the info you have is not from a good source.
Also like snikcpoh, I have never been asked for my passport, but I do live in a different part of the country and I do have a Spanish driving licence which serves almost everywhere as ID


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## andyviola (Aug 11, 2018)

Ok i will stop worrying. We have both applied for our Spanish driving licence. Thanks guys!


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## MataMata (Nov 30, 2008)

"Driver must be over 21 and been driving for at least 1 year"

To do what, certainly not just to drive a car? 

Happy new year.


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## Juan C (Sep 4, 2017)

One should be aware that if the registered owner is not in the vehicle when it is being driven, the driver should have an authorisation signed by the owner, to use the vehicle

Why ? If the police stop a vehicle they need to know the vehicle has not been stolen / is not being used illegally. 

I have a paper in my car, signed by me, authorising the members of my family likely to use the car. It has a copy of my passport, EU citizen registration certificate (green paper ) and a copy of the passport of each person I have authorised to use the car.

PS. I read somewhere one is obliged to carry the ITV test sheet in the vehicle if itbeen ITV tested. To be on the safe side I now do that (can’t have too many bits of paper )


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

Having been stopped once on a check I was asked for licence and insurance papers. Never been asked for passport, never been asked for green card except when dealing with certain departments. Driving licence used to collect parcels as ID everywhere.


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

snikpoh said:


> The green card/certificate should always be carried if you don't have a Spanish driving licence.


This seems like strange advice; if you have a green cert, you are resident, and therefore must have a Spanish licence... If, for some reason, you are driving in Spain with a UK, or other licence, other than Spanish, I certainly wouldn't present a green resident's certificate to the GC / Policia, because you will be demonstrating openly that you are breaking the law, surely?


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## Juan C (Sep 4, 2017)

overandout.

There is a period of grace regarding residents being required to have a spanish DL. Details can be found on the Internet 

In spain a resident is required to carry their green certificate, and legal ID, at all times, albeit that most of us do not

NB The only legal ID a Brit has is their passport or a copy certified by the issuing authority (passport office) or U.K. consulate. We of course know that in most non-legal instances a DL or similar is accepted


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

Juan C said:


> overandout.
> 
> There is a period of grace regarding residents being required to have a spanish DL. Details can be found on the Internet
> 
> ...


with photo, of course. The old UK paper licence is not acceptable.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Overandout said:


> This seems like strange advice; if you have a green cert, you are resident, and therefore must have a Spanish licence...





Juan C said:


> There is a period of grace regarding residents being required to have a spanish DL. Details can be found on the Internet


@Overandout - you are confused. As a Spanish resident a UK d/l does NOT need to be exchanged UNLESS ;

(1) the expiry date is more than 15 years (which UK d/l's aren't)
or
(2) categories C or D are longer than 5 years

@Juan C - There is no such thing as a grace period

This is all documented on the DGT site. /SNIP/


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## MataMata (Nov 30, 2008)

I absolutely refuse to carry my passport with me so have a HQ photocopy in my wallet but if that should ever prove insufficient to convince whomever of my identity then I shall regard the short spell spent in a Spanish jail cell as an interesting extension to my lifes experiences.


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

MataMata said:


> I absolutely refuse to carry my passport with me so have a HQ photocopy in my wallet but if that should ever prove insufficient to convince whomever of my identity then I shall regard the short spell spent in a Spanish jail cell as an interesting extension to my lifes experiences.


You don't need to carry your passport, nor the green cert with you by law anyway. The GC / Policía Nacional will accept an EU driving licence as ID, and if you can't or refuse to ID yourself, they can only detain you for 6 hours!


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

snikpoh said:


> @Overandout - you are confused. As a Spanish resident a UK d/l does NOT need to be exchanged UNLESS ;
> 
> (1) the expiry date is more than 15 years (which UK d/l's aren't)
> or
> ...


I read this 

There are two different scenarios to which the law applies:



> Holder of an EU/EEA driving licence that never expires or with a validity of 15 years or more for Group 1 (or five years or more for Group 2) and having Spanish residency since 19 January 2013 or before. In this case, you had to renew your driving license as per 19 January 2015.
> 
> Holder of an EU/EEA driving licence that never expires or with a validity of 15 or more for Group 1 (or five years or more for Group 2) and having Spanish residency after 19 January 2013. In this case, you had to renew your driving licence after having Spanish residency for two years or more.


My understanding from my policía was fairly straightforward forward, after two years a Spanish licence is required. In fact, I know of two U.K. nationals who were stopped and warned about this as they were known to be resident 

https://www.expatica.com/es/living/transportation/eu-regulations-drivers-license-473563/


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Megsmum said:


> I read this
> 
> There are two different scenarios to which the law applies:
> 
> ...


Afaik there have been no changes to the law since 2015, when the categories of your licence were all-important - as it says on the link you posted, & the quote. Of course some police officers will ignore that, or not know or care about the 'fine print', & insist that everyone change it.


General advice has always been to just do it anyway, & it's all about to become moot, with holders of a UK issued driving licence having to take a driving test just like all other non-EU citizens.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

This from the DGT

https://sede.dgt.gob.es/es/permisos...os/renovacion-permiso-comunitario/index.shtml




> En los casos en los que el permiso de conducir tenga un plazo de vigencia indefinido (no tenga fecha caducidad), o superior a 15 años para grupo 1 (AM, A1, A2, A, B y BE), y superior a 5 años para grupo 2 (BTP, C1, C1E, C, CE, D1, D1E, D, DE), deberás proceder a su renovación, una vez transcurridos dos años desde que establezcas tu residencia normal en España.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

xabiaxica said:


> This from the DGT
> 
> https://sede.dgt.gob.es/es/permisos...os/renovacion-permiso-comunitario/index.shtml


Which is exactly what I said.

No need to change the licence UNLESS "the expiry date is more than 15 years or categories C or D expire in more than 5 years"

In ALL other cases, the licence is fine (until after the Brexit transition period)


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

snikpoh said:


> Which is exactly what I said.
> 
> No need to change the licence UNLESS "the expiry date is more than 15 years or categories C or D expire in more than 5 years"
> 
> In ALL other cases, the licence is fine (until after the Brexit transition period)


Point taken.

But it is not obligatory to carry the green resident cert with you, whether you are driving or not.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

snikpoh said:


> Which is exactly what I said.
> 
> No need to change the licence UNLESS "the expiry date is more than 15 years or categories C or D expire in more than 5 years"
> 
> In ALL other cases, the licence is fine (until after the Brexit transition period)


Unless you have been resident for two years. Once you have been so, then you must change your licence. 


I imagine that's the 'grace period' to which Juan C referred.


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## MataMata (Nov 30, 2008)

xabiaxica said:


> it's all about to become moot, with holders of a UK issued driving licence having to take a driving test *just like all other non-EU citizens.*


But not ALL non EU citizens do need to take a test, it all depends on whether there is an agreement with Spain in place or not.

For instance licences issued in the following countries (and maybe others) can be exchanged:

Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, the Dominican Republic Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Macedonia, Morocco, Peru, the Philippines, Paraguay, Peru, Serbia, Turkey, Tunisia, Ukraine, Uruguay, Venezuela.

It's all down to the the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic where the problem is that Spain has signed but not not ratified it and it's that which prevents an exchange with UK.

UK similarly had signed but not ratified it but post the referendum apparently foresaw the problem and did so in March 2018, had they not then the issue would have extended EU wide not just in Spain.

Even at this late date Spain could ratify the convention and it's a total mystery to me why they don't or haven't because it would eliminate the entire problem at a stroke. I can't believe it's being done in spite (although I can as a money maker!), or maybe it's as simple as nobody in authority cottoning on to that being the core of the farce.


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

xabiaxica said:


> Unless you have been resident for two years. Once you have been so, then you must change your licence.
> 
> 
> I imagine that's the 'grace period' to which Juan C referred.


Which is what I posted 




> Holder of an EU/EEA driving licence that never expires or with a validity of 15 or more for Group 1 (or five years or more for Group 2) and having Spanish residency after 19 January 2013. In this case, you had to renew your driving licence after having Spanish residency for two years or more.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

xabiaxica said:


> Unless you have been resident for two years. Once you have been so, then you must change your licence.
> 
> 
> I imagine that's the 'grace period' to which Juan C referred.




No.

That is completely false.

Please look on the DGT site or your "competitors" site for the correct information.

The two years you refer to is a 'grace period' if you fail to meet the expiry deadlines I mentioned


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Megsmum said:


> Which is what I posted


.... but ONLY in those situations - for most of us with a UK d/l, this doesn't apply!


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

snikpoh said:


> No.
> 
> That is completely false.
> 
> ...


The information to which I refer is directly FROM the DGT.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Megsmum said:


> Which is what I posted


Yes, I agree- The 2013 was referring to when the law first changed in 2015, so it was aimed at anyone who had been resident since then.

Since that law change, once you have been resident for two years you need to change your licence.

Whether you have to change it before then comes down to the categories on your licence.


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

snikpoh said:


> .... but ONLY in those situations - for most of us with a UK d/l, this doesn't apply!



Yes it does apply, it’s like many things re residency in recent years ie healthcare post 2012, legislation changes 
I arrived in 2014 and therefore after two years was under an obligation to change my licence. That is the law.




xabiaxica said:


> Yes, I agree- The 2013 was referring to when the law first changed in 2015, so it was aimed at anyone who had been resident since then.
> 
> Since that law change, once you have been resident for two years you need to change your licence.
> 
> Whether you have to change it before then comes down to the categories on your licence.


Exactly. 

For those who have lived here many years rules change, what was the case in your year of arrival is not necessarily what is required now. When giving out advice and when listening to advice it is very important to make sure that the advice given is current with 2020 legislation.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Megsmum said:


> Yes it does apply, it’s like many things re residency in recent years ie healthcare post 2012, legislation changes
> I arrived in 2014 and therefore after two years was under an obligation to change my licence. That is the law.
> 
> 
> ...



Unless you and @Xabiachica can post a link (which the rules suggest you should be doing), then we will choose to differ.

I have just read the DGT web page and it clearly states that the ONLY reason you have to change licence within 2 years is IF the expiry dates are as I previously posted.

The implication being that if the dates are fine, then so is the licence .
/SNIP/


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

snikpoh said:


> Unless you and @Xabiachica can post a link (which the rules suggest you should be doing), then we will choose to differ.
> 
> I have just read the DGT web page and it clearly states that the ONLY reason you have to change licence within 2 years is IF the expiry dates are as I previously posted.
> 
> ...


Since you seem to have missed the link I posted in post #16, here it is again

https://sede.dgt.gob.es/es/permisos-de-conducir/canje-permisos/canje-permisos-extranjeros/canjes-inscripcion-renovacion-sustitucion-permisos/renovacion-permiso-comunitario/index.shtml




> En los casos en los que el permiso de conducir tenga un plazo de vigencia indefinido (no tenga fecha caducidad), o superior a 15 años para grupo 1 (AM, A1, A2, A, B y BE), y superior a 5 años para grupo 2 (BTP, C1, C1E, C, CE, D1, D1E, D, DE), deberás proceder a su renovación, una vez transcurridos dos años desde que establezcas tu residencia normal en España.


All groups appear to be covered in that quote.


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

snikpoh said:


> Unless you and @Xabiachica can post a link (which the rules suggest you should be doing), then we will choose to differ.
> 
> I have just read the DGT web page and it clearly states that the ONLY reason you have to change licence within 2 years is IF the expiry dates are as I previously posted.
> 
> ...


I am unsure how you can differ with the law, but hey ho


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

xabiaxica said:


> Since you seem to have missed the link I posted in post #16, here it is again
> 
> https://sede.dgt.gob.es/es/permisos-de-conducir/canje-permisos/canje-permisos-extranjeros/canjes-inscripcion-renovacion-sustitucion-permisos/renovacion-permiso-comunitario/index.shtml
> 
> ...


Please read it again - it is VERY clear.

If your licence expires more than 15 years in the future or categories C or D (and BTP) are longer than 5 years then the two year rule kicks in.


OTHERWISE (which is the case for most UK d/l's), the licence does NOT have to be changed.


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## Megsmum (Sep 9, 2012)

Deletes as I couldn’t be bothered


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

:closed_2:

Asked & answered & then veered wildly off topic.


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