Exchanging a driving licence in Spain: a guide for foreigners

Six months on a foreign licence after getting residence, then an exchange, but only for countries with an agreement. Everyone else takes the tests. Deadlines, documents, costs and what to do with an expired licence.

In detail

The short answer: you can drive in Spain on a foreign licence for six months from the day Spain became your normal residence. After that the licence must be exchanged, but an exchange is possible only for countries that have an agreement with Spain. Without an agreement, a Spanish licence is obtained from scratch: with a theory test and a driving test.

So the first question in Spain is not how to exchange a licence but whether it can be exchanged at all. The answer depends on the country that issued the licence and the date it was obtained. Below, step by step: deadlines, the country list, documents, tests, costs and what to do if your licence has expired.

How long you can drive on a foreign licence in Spain

Licences from outside the EU are valid in Spain for no more than six months from acquiring normal residence, that is, from the moment you became a legal resident. The licence must be in Spanish, follow the Geneva or Vienna Convention model or come with an official translation. The holder must be at least the age required for the equivalent Spanish licence.

The Directorate-General for Traffic advises those whose licences cannot be exchanged to get an international driving permit before the move. It is valid for a year and is carried with the passport and national licence. After six months of living in Spain the foreign licence stops being valid for driving, regardless of the international permit.

Licences from EU and European Economic Area countries remain valid for their whole term and need not be exchanged. Tourists drive on a foreign licence without any exchange.

Who exchanges a licence without tests

Licences from the EU, the European Economic Area and countries with which Spain has an exchange agreement are exchanged for Spanish ones without tests. There are currently 32 such countries:

• Europe: Andorra, Georgia, Moldova, Monaco, North Macedonia, Serbia, Ukraine, the United Kingdom;
• Asia: Japan, the Philippines, South Korea, Turkey;
• Americas: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay;
• Africa and Oceania: Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, New Zealand.

Even for these countries there are conditions. The licence must be valid and obtained before you became a resident of Spain: licences obtained afterwards are not exchanged. The only exception is South Korea. Car and motorcycle categories are exchanged without tests, while tests are usually added for lorries and buses. For some countries a certificate of authenticity and issue date from the issuing authority, with an apostille, is required.

Licences from countries without an agreement

If Spain has no exchange agreement with the issuing country, the licence cannot be exchanged for a Spanish one. During the first six months after obtaining residence you may drive on it with an international driving permit or an official translation. After that you need a Spanish licence obtained from scratch: a medical check, a theory test and a driving test.

A driving school course is not formally compulsory, but the driving test is taken in a dual-control car, which is almost always provided by a driving school. The theory test can be taken not only in Spanish but also in English. Experience on the foreign licence is not counted, and for the first year the Spanish licence is treated as a novice licence with stricter limits.

Documents for exchanging a licence

• an application on the Directorate-General for Traffic form;
• passport and residence card, or an EU citizen registration certificate;
• the valid foreign licence obtained before the move, and a copy;
• a medical report from a driver testing centre, valid for 90 days;
• a 32 by 26 millimetre colour photo;
• for some countries, a certificate of the licence's authenticity and issue date with an apostille;
• a receipt for the fee.

If the country has no agreement, instead of exchange documents you prepare a set for obtaining a Spanish licence: an application, a medical report, a photo and the test fee.

How the exchange works: steps

1. Get your residence card: the six months run from this date.
2. Check whether the issuing country has an agreement with Spain and whether the licence was obtained before the move.
3. Take the medical check at a driver testing centre and pay the fee.
4. Book an appointment at the provincial traffic office and submit the documents in person.
5. Receive a temporary driving permit on the day you apply. The permanent card is sent in about a month and a half.

The foreign licence is handed in during the exchange, and the office sends it to the issuing country. Appointments in large cities can be weeks away, so it pays to start in the first months after receiving your residence permit.

How much exchanging a licence costs in Spain

Exchanging a licence from an agreement country costs from $90 including the medical check. Without an agreement, the test fee and medical check start from $170, and the main cost is the driving school: its lessons and the car for the test are paid at the school's rates.

If your licence has expired

Only a valid licence can be exchanged. If it has expired, it is first renewed in the issuing country, and for the exchange it matters that the original date of obtaining it is earlier than the date of your move to Spain. If renewal is impossible, a Spanish licence is obtained from scratch, with tests. If the licence expires in the coming months, apply for the exchange before that date.

The six months count from obtaining residence. How to get it is covered on the Spain residence permit and Spain digital nomad visa pages, and all grounds for moving are collected in Spain: all programs.

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