# UK Driving Licence



## woodpecker9 (Jan 22, 2021)

Is there any truth in the rumours going around that the UK and Spain may do a deal in October allowing UK Nationals resident in Spain to legally drive on a UK driving licence?


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## xicoalc (Apr 20, 2010)

woodpecker9 said:


> Is there any truth in the rumours going around that the UK and Spain may do a deal in October allowing UK Nationals resident in Spain to legally drive on a UK driving licence?


On a UK one? Not that I've e heard although i dont hear everything! I heard they working on a deal for ongoing exchanges. At the moment those who are resident and registered before 1 jan their intent to change licence have the right to do so until October. Those who didn't register or who arrived after have, I believe 6 months.


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## MataMata (Nov 30, 2008)

There has been talk of 'talks' for many months but nothing has come of it, reckon on that not changing anytime soon.


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## woodpecker9 (Jan 22, 2021)

Why do you have to surrender your UK licence to get a Spanish licence? Is there any good reason that I cannot have both like you can in many non EU countries.


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## tarot650 (Sep 30, 2007)

woodpecker9 said:


> Why do you have to surrender your UK licence to get a Spanish licence? Is there any good reason that I cannot have both like you can in many non EU countries.


Because that is the law in Spain.Simple as that.A greeting.


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## MataMata (Nov 30, 2008)

woodpecker9 said:


> Is there any truth in the rumours going around that the UK and Spain may do a deal in October allowing UK Nationals resident in Spain to legally drive on a UK driving licence?


It's not about driving on a UK licence per se, it's about residents being able to exchange a UK licence for a Spanish one which currently those who were not registered with DGT prior to Dec 31st (practically Dec 24th) are no longer able to do.

Absent an exchange agreement there is no bar on holding both a UK licence and a Spanish one which you've obtained by taking a Spanish test however only the Spanish one will be valid for use in Spain.

A UK licence will eventually expire (10 years or age 70) after which there is no legitimate way for a non UK resident to renew it.


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## woodpecker9 (Jan 22, 2021)

Thank you. If there is no bar on holding both licences what good reason do Spain have to take my UK licence? It's mine not theirs, as you say it is an invalid document in Spain.

And yes if that is the law but why? Is someone power mad or collecting UK licences? A UK license is in English the international language of the world and accepted everywhere. When I came to Spain years ago as a tourist and showed my Saudi Arabic driving licence to the car hire company they told me to have sex and travel.


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## kaipa (Aug 3, 2013)

It is to prevent people using a second licence if they are barred from driving.


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## woodpecker9 (Jan 22, 2021)

kaipa said:


> It is to prevent people using a second licence if they are barred from driving.


I don’t follow that.
But as MataMata says you can legally have both but only your Spanish licence is valid in Spain.


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## kaipa (Aug 3, 2013)

woodpecker9 said:


> I don’t follow that.
> But as MataMata says you can legally have both but only your Spanish licence is valid in Spain.


Yes but you could easily rent a car with your UK licence by pretending to be a tourist


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## woodpecker9 (Jan 22, 2021)

kaipa said:


> Yes but you could easily rent a car with your UK licence by pretending to be a tourist


Yes, but if stopped by the police in Spain you would show up as resident in Spain and your UK licence would be invalid. You could be legally prosecuted of obtaining a hire car by deception or fraud.
There is nothing illegal about have a Spanish driving licence and a UK licence provided they are both used legally.


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## kaipa (Aug 3, 2013)

woodpecker9 said:


> Yes, but if stopped by the police in Spain you would show up as resident in Spain and your UK licence would be invalid. You could be legally prosecuted of obtaining a hire car by deception or fraud.
> There is nothing illegal about have a Spanish driving licence and a UK licence provided they are both used legally.


Well if you say so but the law is you can only have one so not sure what your point is


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## woodpecker9 (Jan 22, 2021)

kaipa said:


> Well if you say so but the law is you can only have one so not sure what your point is


Kaipa
What law are you talking about, please give details.
As far as I am aware you can have as many driving licences you want from different countries provided you use them legally. I have a UK licence, a Thailand licence, a Saudi licence and a Spanish licence.
You have entered a discussion you know nothing about and are just making things up.


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## alpinist (Feb 8, 2009)

woodpecker9 said:


> What law are you talking about, please give details.


Read this, it gives you all the background: https://assets.publishing.service.g...Licence_Consultation_Report_February_2015.pdf

Here's a highlight


> The Third Driving Licence Directive (2006/126/EC) (“the Directive”) requires all European Union (EU) member states and European Economic Area (EEA) countries to ensure that national law prohibits anyone from holding more than one driving licence at any given time. In particular, the Directive prohibits drivers from holding more than one EU/EEA driving licence.


Then read my post here about emailing the DVLA to ask this very question about going Spain->UK now UK is no longer in the EU:








Update on driving licence exchanges


In a nutshell if you're applying for a licence exchange under the WA but not received it yet then you cannot drive after June 30th. UK DRIVING LICENCES - LONG POST BUT IMPORTANT INFO! There is still such a lot of confusion over the UK driving licences here in Spain so let me try to make things...




www.expatforum.com


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## kaipa (Aug 3, 2013)

woodpecker9 said:


> Kaipa
> What law are you talking about, please give details.
> As far as I am aware you can have as many driving licences you want from different countries provided you use them legally. I have a UK licence, a Thailand licence, a Saudi licence and a Spanish licence.
> You have entered a discussion you know nothing about and are just making things up.


I dont understand what you are saying. If there is no law then you should be able to hold two licences
However, when you apply for a Spanish licence you have to give them your UK licence. As far as I know the UK will not then give you another UK licence. If that is what happens then that is what happens. If it is illegal then maybe you should take the DVLA and DGT to court.


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## Barriej (Jul 23, 2012)

kaipa said:


> I dont understand what you are saying. If there is no law then you should be able to hold two licences
> However, when you apply for a Spanish licence you have to give them your UK licence. As far as I know the UK will not then give you another UK licence. If that is what happens then that is what happens. If it is illegal then maybe you should take the DVLA and DGT to court.


I swapped licences in early December and Ive just checked the DVLA website and it says I still hold a current Uk licence but under it it says 'This licence was returned as the driver now has a licence issued by another authority'
I can still generate a code to give to car hire companies (not that any ever asked for it after it came in).

My daughter swapped a Uk licence for an Australian one a couple of years ago and on the DVLA it states the same as me.

If either of us were to return to the uk to live and once we had a UK address, we could easily swap back. The DVLA will not send a replacement licence to anywhere other than the address they have on file and will not sent it overseas.


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## woodpecker9 (Jan 22, 2021)

kaipa said:


> I dont understand what you are saying. If there is no law then you should be able to hold two licences
> However, when you apply for a Spanish licence you have to give them your UK licence. As far as I know the UK will not then give you another UK licence. If that is what happens then that is what happens. If it is illegal then maybe you should take the DVLA and DGT to court.


The UK is no longer part of the EU and is free to do as it likes as is any other non EU country. Sorry the EU does not rule the world and is not the dictator of who can have what driving licence and in law has no right to take a non EU driving licence.


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## alpinist (Feb 8, 2009)

Barriej said:


> I swapped licences in early December and Ive just checked the DVLA website and it says I still hold a current Uk licence but under it it says 'This licence was returned as the driver now has a licence issued by another authority'


Exactly the same message for me (UK licence exchanged for Spanish in 2018). On the other thread I linked to above, it seems some people may have slipped though the net (in France at least) and don't get this message. Presumably they could try and get their UK one reissued without surrendering their EU one.

It would be interesting if someone who had previously held a UK licence (and receives the message that we get) tried to ask DVLA for another provisional licence to re-take their test in the UK whilst keeping their EU one. Somehow I doubt the computer would allow it.


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## Barriej (Jul 23, 2012)

_Si_ said:


> Exactly the same message for me (UK licence exchanged for Spanish in 2018). On the other thread I linked to above, it seems some people may have slipped though the net (in France at least) and don't get this message. Presumably they could try and get their UK one reissued without surrendering their EU one.


You could maybe, but it would be sent to the Uk address they have on file.
Years ago my FIL swapped his UK for Spanish and for some reason the Uk sent it back to his last known UK address (ours as we were collecting his post). 
We moved house a couple of years later and when he sent it back to get the address changed they refused to reissue it as the system stated he had a Spanish licence.


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## alpinist (Feb 8, 2009)

Barriej said:


> You could maybe, but it would be sent to the Uk address they have on file.
> Years ago my FIL swapped his UK for Spanish and for some reason the Uk sent it back to his last known UK address (ours as we were collecting his post).
> We moved house a couple of years later and when he sent it back to get the address changed they refused to reissue it as the system stated he had a Spanish licence.


Interesting point at the end there, so it just seems they take a long time to catch up perhaps. 
The address on mine is still in the family, so it would have gone to that if anything. I suspect it was just destroyed in Spain after DLVA notified - the idea of still posting these things back and forth seems a bit quaint.


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## woodpecker9 (Jan 22, 2021)

The EU preaches freedom but wants to be a dictatorship that is why the UK left. Driving licenses are an example. Support the EU if you wish. One day this Empire will collapse just like the rest before them.


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

Out of interest, can someone post the link to the UK site where you can check your licence status?


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## Barriej (Jul 23, 2012)

Overandout said:


> Out of interest, can someone post the link to the UK site where you can check your licence status?


Just type Dvla licence check into Google and it will come up, I'm on my mobile so can't do a link. 

You will need your Drivers number, NI, and Postcode of the address the licence is registered to. 

Depending on when you exchanged, will depend on the message you will get about your licence. 
My licence is still in date (2026) so technically its still valid.


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## Overandout (Nov 10, 2012)

Thanks, but I don't seem to be able to find my old licence number... I have no copy of my old UK licence and I tried to fnd it usng GOV.UK with my NI number but it says my details are "wrong".... maybe I never updated the address to my last UK home and the postcode doesn't match... Never mind, unlike some people I have no problem using a Spanish licence gven that I live in Spain!


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## Barriej (Jul 23, 2012)

Overandout said:


> Thanks, but I don't seem to be able to find my old licence number... I have no copy of my old UK licence and I tried to fnd it usng GOV.UK with my NI number but it says my details are "wrong".... maybe I never updated the address to my last UK home and the postcode doesn't match... Never mind, unlike some people I have no problem using a Spanish licence gven that I live in Spain!


Same here, we live here now and everything that could be moved here was. I understand that some people want to keep 'ties' with the old country, but to continue to drive on a Uk licence when resident is just asking for trouble.
I don't know if its just the area we live in and its proximity to Benidorm, but Ive been spot checked twice now (admittedly one was during the lockdown the town faced) and we have been ITV checked numerous times.

Not wishing to add fuel to the OP's fire, but if living here is such a nightmare maybe they would be better off in some other place.


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## MataMata (Nov 30, 2008)

kaipa said:


> when you apply for a Spanish licence you have to give them your UK licence.


More accurately when you apply for a licence *EXCHANGE *you have to give them your UK licence, that's what 'exchange' means.

If on the other hand you sit a Spanish test then concurrently holding UK and Spanish licences is perfectly legal and is no business whatsoever of the Spanish.

If that means as a non resident you could drive in Spain whilst disqualified in the UK then so be it, it's fallout from Brexit and no longer the business of Spain.


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## woodpecker9 (Jan 22, 2021)

What would be the validity of an International Driving Permit (IDP) issued from an external country to a Spanish resident who did not have a Spanish driving licence?


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## Barriej (Jul 23, 2012)

woodpecker9 said:


> What would be the validity of an International Driving Permit (IDP) issued from an external country to a Spanish resident who did not have a Spanish driving licence?



NONE. Its not a licence.

All the IDP is in essence is a translation of the Uk licence conditions. If you were driving from France to Spain you would need two of them.









International Driving Permit - Wikipedia







en.wikipedia.org




.

And as a Spanish resident you are not permitted to drive with a third country licence for more than 6 months after your arrival (EU country licences should also be exchanged) but this and other things are not enforced. 
BUT as a LEGAL resident you are obliged to either swap (if there is an agreement) or take the local test.


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## Barriej (Jul 23, 2012)

MataMata said:


> If that means as a non resident you could drive in Spain whilst disqualified in the UK then so be it, it's fallout from Brexit and no longer the business of Spain.


Think this might be incorrect as you can only take the test if resident. You have to supply DNI (if Spanish) or TIE etc when applying.


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## woodpecker9 (Jan 22, 2021)

Barriej said:


> NONE. Its not a licence.
> 
> All the IDP is in essence is a translation of the Uk licence conditions. If you were driving from France to Spain you would need two of them.
> 
> ...


You mention 6 months. When does the 6 months start? Date of arrival in Spain, date of application for residency (is that residency visa application if non EU person) or date of issue of Spain residency?


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## Barriej (Jul 23, 2012)

woodpecker9 said:


> You mention 6 months. When does the 6 months start? Date of arrival in Spain, date of application for residency (is that residency visa application if non EU person) or date of issue of Spain residency?


I have this thing on my computer called a search engine. 









Changing your driving licence for a Spanish one - Guide


This guide is aimed at UK nationals, those who hold UK driving licences, and at others who hold EU licence, who live, or are planning to live in Spain. If you hold a driving licence for another country and want to know more about the regulations for your situation, please do not hesitate to...




www.ageinspain.org






https://www.citizensadvice.org.es/present-situation-for-residents-with-a-uk-driving-licence/




This one is from the DGT so its the LAW....





DGT y el Brexit


Dirección General de Tráfico



www.dgt.es





Basically six months from date of arrival (obviously after 1st jan you will have a stamp in your passport) or six months from residency. Now nothing is said about it being either or. 
If you were here (oh lets say for the last 3 years) it would be up to you to prove you haven't been.

Not answering again as Ive more interesting things to do with my retirement. (oh theres a fly on the venus flytrap)


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## woodpecker9 (Jan 22, 2021)

Barriej said:


> I have this thing on my computer called a search engine.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Is it true that negotiations are still ongoing between the UK & EU regarding driving licences and a new agreement may be reached by 31st October 2021 deadline.


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## MataMata (Nov 30, 2008)

De ja vu all over again!


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## MataMata (Nov 30, 2008)

MataMata said:


> If that means as a non resident you could drive in Spain whilst disqualified in the UK then so be it, it's fallout from Brexit and no longer the business of Spain.





Barriej said:


> Think this might be incorrect as you can only take the test if resident. You have to supply DNI (if Spanish) or TIE etc when applying.


As written about non residents it's completely correct.


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## Do28 (Dec 21, 2010)

I have both UK and Spanish Driving licences. My Spanish driving licence is EU test passed. My UK licence is valid and in fact I just renewed it as it came up for the 10 year photo renewal and is registered to my home in the UK and my Spanish one to my home here. When in the UK I drive my UK car on my UK driving licence and in Spain my Spanish car on my Spanish driving licence. I guess there was an advantage to missing the exchange deadline!!


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## T Chica (Sep 22, 2021)

Very interesting reading.
I am planning to move out to Spain permanently at Christmas so can I just swap my UK licence for a Spanish one or do I have to take a test?
If I have to take a test, will it be in English or Spanish?
Has anyone else done this?
Thank you


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

T Chica said:


> Very interesting reading.
> I am planning to move out to Spain permanently at Christmas so can I just swap my UK licence for a Spanish one or do I have to take a test?
> If I have to take a test, will it be in English or Spanish?
> Has anyone else done this?
> Thank you


Currently not at the moment, although it is said that there are ongoing discussions. 


As things stand, you will have 6 months from the date of your TIE in which to take & pass a driving test here in Spain. If you don't do that, you will have to stop driving. 


The written test can be taken in English, but the practical part is in Spanish


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## T Chica (Sep 22, 2021)

xabiaxica said:


> Currently not at the moment, although it is said that there are ongoing discussions.
> 
> 
> As things stand, you will have 6 months from the date of your TIE in which to take & pass a driving test here in Spain. If you don't do that, you will have to stop driving.
> ...


Thank you.
Is it possible to find an English speaking driving instructor and examiner?


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

T Chica said:


> Thank you.
> Is it possible to find an English speaking driving instructor and examiner?


That depends where you'll be living.


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## T Chica (Sep 22, 2021)

xabiaxica said:


> That depends where you'll be living.


We are hoping to move to Huesca northern Spain, (non English speaking) but my parents live just outside Benidorm. (lots of English)


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## Barriej (Jul 23, 2012)

T Chica said:


> We are hoping to move to Huesca northern Spain, (non English speaking) but my parents live just outside Benidorm. (lots of English)


Read this, 








Tips For English Speakers Taking Their Practical Driving Exam in Spain


You can learn with an English-speaking instructor, but your final test will have to be taken in Spanish




rightcasa.com





From what a mate who has just started lessons has said, the practical test is 100% Spanish. 
The school he is with (its mentioned in the link) in benidorm has said they will give him a couple of lessons in English and then start throwing instructions in Spanish so he can learn some of the commands. They also said that the examiner wont talk to you in English unless he (she) has no other choice. (would imagine in an emergency only).


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## T Chica (Sep 22, 2021)

Barriej said:


> Read this,
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thank you thats great.


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## kaipa (Aug 3, 2013)

I still think you would need to have at least an A1 level of Spanish to be able to decipher instructions. Admittedly it seems easy saying they practice saying things to you in Spanish but unless you are familiar with at least basic Spanish your brain want cut up the sounds of a sentence into words let alone words you understand. Besides instructions will be delivered in different ways by different people at different speeds with different tones of voice ( accents). I have, heard people are saying you can arrange to have an instructor who will do the test in English so maybe there is hope that way.


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## Do28 (Dec 21, 2010)

There are English speaking examiners in Cadiz and schools in both Cadiz and Jerez that conduct training in English. A friend of mine did the test recently in English. Apparently the test was really easy they gave him due credit for a life time of driving experience.


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