British Embassy urges UK driving licence holders in Spain to exchange permits before September 15 cut-off
Any Brits resident in Spain before March 15 have until September 15 to swap their UK driving licences for Spanish ones
On March 15 2023, the UK and Spain reached an agreement on driving licence exchanges which enabled UK licence holders living in Spain to swap their UK licence for a Spanish one without needing to take a practical or theory test.
The agreement gave existing residents who had not yet exchanged their UK licences for a Spanish one six months (until September 15) to do so, during which time they could continue to drive on their UK licences. As for newly arrived residents, the agreement gave them six months from the date they acquired their residency documents to exchange their UK licence. Licences can be exchanged after the six month period, but will no longer be considered valid for driving in Spain.
The British Embassy has been urging UK licence holders to make the exchange before the September 15 deadline. On March 29, the Ambassador hosted a ‘Facebook Live’ to address frequently asked questions, whilst the Embassy has advised that anyone struggling to get an appointment at their local Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT) Office go to the next one over one instead.
Last week, the British Embassy announced that a resolution had been found to an issue which some holders of expired UK licences (typically those over 70) had been experiencing when trying to exchange their licences. Those affected should follow the established process for exchange, requesting their check code via gov.uk.
His Majesty’s Ambassador to Spain, Hugh Elliott said, “It is very important that UK licence holders who lived in Spain prior to March 15, 2023 and want to drive here exchange their licences on or before the September 15. We want this message to reach as many UK licence holders as possible, so please spread the word and refer to our Facebook page and the Living In Spain Guide on gov.uk for more information.”
The process for completing the exchange is run by Spain’s Dirección General de Tráfico.
UK licence holders who moved to Spain before March 16, 2023 and fail to make the exchange by September 15 will no longer be able to drive on their UK licence. If they wish to continue driving in Spain, they will need to go through the licence exchange process. Anyone who misses this 6-month deadline will need to obtain a Spanish driving licence by passing their theory and practical tests in Spain.
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