ARCHIVED - Brits back on the road in Spain by the end of July
Hugh Elliott confirms that an agreement on UK driving licence exchange is being finalised with Spain
This weekend brought some long-awaited good news for British expats living in Spain as the UK ambassador Hugh Elliott confirmed on Friday June 17 that an agreement is finally being reached with the Spanish government to allow Britons to exchange their driving licences for a Spanish one and get back on the road, possibly by the end of July.
Mr Elliott explained to anxious Brits that the UK and Spain “are now in agreement on the core issues that have been problematic” and that they are now very close to finalising a new international treaty. However, he advised that some procedures are unavoidable, and so has given the end of next month as the goal date for allowing expats with UK licences back on the road; this, however, is still not guaranteed.
“Our best estimate is that we’re looking at a date of having you back on the road around the end of July,” he said.
Because the agreement has taken so long to be reached, thousands of Brits who are resident in Spain and holders of UK licences have been banned from driving since May 1 this year, meaning that if Mr Elliott’s dates are accurate, many motorists will have been off the road for three months before the issue is resolved.
As several Twitter users pointed out, this has cost hundreds or even thousands in car rental and taxi costs. The heatwave of last week hasn’t helped matters, with many people complaining that it simply wasn’t possible to walk.
What wasn’t very clear in the ambassador’s address are the details of the agreement and what they mean for British drivers on a practical level.
Mr Elliott later explained that “the agreement will provide for the ability for residents to exchange a UK licence for a Spanish one without having to take a Spanish test. Once things are finalised we will be able to give more precise guidance”.
My latest update on the driving licence negotiations ⬇ï¸. Also on https://t.co/bpDnEXZhOz pic.twitter.com/VDgZl002Fp
— Hugh Elliott (@HughElliottUK) June 17, 2022
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