# Have you renewed or exchanged your EU driving licence in Spain?



## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

I'm interested in time frames from when documents were first submitted to receipt of your new licence.

Multiple responses are of course possible, so that we can compare DIY with using an agent

By all means add comments below 

edit - I just realised that the first two options aren't necessary, so feel free to ignore them!


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

I went to Trafico at the La Linea office and picked up the forms. No queue at 10.00.I then went to Gibraltar, did my shopping, filled in the forms over coffee at Morrisons, took them back to the office. I went and had my photo taken in the little shop next door. I had the form from the DVLA in the UK, passport, NIE/Residencia, proof of address, all in three copies.
About a week later a provision licence came in the post. 
Within a month I received an e-mail telling me my licence was available for collection at La Linea Trafico.
Shopping in Gib followed.


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## Williams2 (Sep 15, 2013)

mrypg9 said:


> I went to Trafico at the La Linea office and picked up the forms. No queue at 10.00.I then went to Gibraltar, did my shopping, filled in the forms over coffee at Morrisons, took them back to the office. I went and had my photo taken in the little shop next door. I had the form from the DVLA in the UK, passport, NIE/Residencia, proof of address, all in three copies.
> About a week later a provision licence came in the post.
> Within a month I received an e-mail telling me my licence was available for collection at La Linea Trafico.
> Shopping in Gib followed.


Do you shop in Gib often ?


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## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

I used Gestor because I am lazy but I went for medical, got cert, took that with photos and papers to Gestor (UK card was stolen so I had a cert of entitlement from the UK). They took it to trafico the next day and called me to say they had my temporary one and the real one came in the post after a few weeks, maybe a month. All very simple!


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

Williams2 said:


> Do you shop in Gib often ?


No, not really. We goevery three months or so when friends give us a lift and then only to buy Quorn and rolling tobacco for Sandra, who makes her own rather elegant cigarettes.
I hate the place.


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## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

mrypg9 said:


> No, not really. We goevery three months or so when friends give us a lift and then only to buy Quorn and rolling tobacco for Sandra, who makes her own rather elegant cigarettes.
> I hate the place.


Quorn .. me encanta! I get mine in Iceland but pay a fortune


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## r_aranjuez (Dec 14, 2015)

Mine took about 2 and a half months. Would've been quicker but apparently the DGT has to check with the DVLA to ensure there are no problems with the licence you're exchanging. They said if the DVLA doesn't reply within a certain time (off the top of my head I think it was 6 weeks, but I could be wrong), they just go ahead and exchange it anyway. In my case the DVLA didn't reply to the DGT, so they had to wait the full 6 weeks before issuing my Spanish licence.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

I've only ever had a Spanish licence


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## VFR (Dec 23, 2009)

mrypg9 said:


> No, not really. We goevery three months or so when friends give us a lift and then only to buy Quorn and rolling tobacco for Sandra, who makes her own rather elegant cigarettes.
> I hate the place.


That will be what are known as Roll-Ups then.


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## stevesainty (Jan 7, 2011)

mrypg9 said:


> No, not really. We goevery three months or so when friends give us a lift and then only to buy Quorn and rolling tobacco for Sandra, who makes her own rather elegant cigarettes.
> I hate the place.


I´m sorry but just had this picture in my head of Sandra smoking a rollup made of bacon flavoured quorn. 

I take it the two item are totally separate.


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## Costachick (Apr 22, 2016)

Pesky Wesky said:


> I've only ever had a Spanish licence


Me too


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

VFR said:


> That will be what are known as Roll-Ups then.


That's what she calls them....when smoked, they look like little teeth in the ashtray


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## mrypg9 (Apr 26, 2008)

stevesainty said:


> I´m sorry but just had this picture in my head of Sandra smoking a rollup made of bacon flavoured quorn.
> 
> I take it the two item are totally separate.


Yes..but tobacco is sometimes not the only ingredient


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## goss (May 20, 2016)

I had to renew my UK licence in 2012 in Bilbao. can't remember it being too complicated. I thought I might have to take one of those "examenes psicotecnicos" but it turned out not to be necessary. Now you're obliged to apply for an appointment online or by phone (in Bilbao at least) which is actually much better as you don't then have to queue. 

I had to take out an International Licence to be able to hire a car in Qatar last year - total time from entering the building to leaving with the licence in my hand approx 30 mins. couldn't have been easier.


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## Simon22 (May 22, 2015)

I live here so want a Spanish licence, can't see why I would keep a UK one. Just waiting on the new licence now.


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## Helenameva (Aug 15, 2014)

Could somebody explain when it's necessary to change licences? I'm still using my GB one, I've been here nearly two years, is it something I need to do? Does it help at all when buying a car? Or cheaper insurance? I'm of the mind, if it ain't broke don't fix it, unless there's a good reason.


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Helenameva said:


> Could somebody explain when it's necessary to change licences? I'm still using my GB one, I've been here nearly two years, is it something I need to do? Does it help at all when buying a car? Or cheaper insurance? I'm of the mind, if it ain't broke don't fix it, unless there's a good reason.


It depends on the categories on your licence. It's explained here

DO I HAVE TO EXCHANGE / RENEW MY EU DRIVING LICENCE?


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## Williams2 (Sep 15, 2013)

Pesky Wesky said:


> I've only ever had a Spanish licence


Tell me - just out of interest - how do the hire car companies check out a Spanish drivers endorsements ( points off their license,
speeding offences, etc )
Is it like the new UK rules ( since the paper counterpart was axed last year ) where you have to logon to Gov.uk to get
a shared access code to give to the Avis, Hertz or other hire car company booking in clerk - in order to view your
driving license online, including any endorsements.


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## Williams2 (Sep 15, 2013)

mrypg9 said:


> No, not really. We goevery three months or so when friends give us a lift and then only to buy Quorn and rolling tobacco for Sandra, who makes her own rather elegant cigarettes.
> I hate the place.


Is there any Marmite in Gib ??


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Williams2 said:


> Tell me - just out of interest - how do the hire car companies check out a Spanish drivers endorsements ( points off their license,
> speeding offences, etc )
> Is it like the new UK rules ( since the paper counterpart was axed last year ) where you have to logon to Gov.uk to get
> a shared access code to give to the Avis, Hertz or other hire car company booking in clerk - in order to view your
> driving license online, including any endorsements.


They don't check - why should they care?

So you've got points, so what?


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Williams2 said:


> Tell me - just out of interest - how do the hire car companies check out a Spanish drivers endorsements ( points off their license,
> speeding offences, etc )
> Is it like the new UK rules ( since the paper counterpart was axed last year ) where you have to logon to Gov.uk to get
> a shared access code to give to the Avis, Hertz or other hire car company booking in clerk - in order to view your
> driving license online, including any endorsements.


I've never hired a car...


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## goss (May 20, 2016)

I was told that when my UK licence expired, that it was obligatory to take out a spanish one. According to the information I was given, it depends on your country of residence. I couldn't have renewed by british licence even if i wanted to.


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## goss (May 20, 2016)

I have hired cars using my uk licence and then later my spanish licence. i was not even aware that they checked out endorsements/points etc. I certainly didn't have to do anything about it.


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## Terdave (Dec 19, 2014)

xabiachica said:


> I'm interested in time frames from when documents were first submitted to receipt of your new licence.
> 
> Multiple responses are of course possible, so that we can compare DIY with using an agent
> 
> ...


I used a agent to apply for a Spanish Driving Licence on February 12th and still waiting for it to arrive


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

goss_architect said:


> I was told that when my UK licence expired, that it was obligatory to take out a spanish one. According to the information I was given, it depends on your country of residence. I couldn't have renewed by british licence even if i wanted to.


Yes that's correct. You can only renew your EU driving licence in your country of residence. It doesn't matter where it was originally issued.


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

I exchanged my UK licence (paper version) for a Spanish one almost as soon as I arrived because it was much easier to get insurance on a high powered motorbike with a Spanish licence. That was nearly 12 years ago and I really can´t recall how long it took, but I´m sure it was less that 3 months.

Then, because the Spanish licence was going to expire during my time out of Spain, I voluntarily chose to renew it before it expired about three years ago.

If I remember correctly, this is not possible unless some categories have expired but for some reason they had given me entitlement to the SP categories when converting from the UK licence and they expire earlier, so I was able to renew before 10 years.

The psico-técnico that I did in a place near DGT Madrid was incredibly difficult! I only just passed the bit with the two red dots on the screen...


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