As a Non-Resident, do I need to change my driving licence?
Not necessarily. As a Non-Resident, you may drive on your national driving licence for up to six months while in Spain, if you are driving either your own car (from your own country) or a Spanish hire car. You must carry with you your driving licence, passport, insurance documents and vehicle registration document so that you can produce them on the spot if asked.
However, if you own and drive a Spanish-registered car you will also need one of the following (or you may be fined):
- An International Driving Licence.
- An official Spanish translation of your driving licence (see the Spanish Consulate in your home country).
- A Certificate of Equivalence (Certificado de Equivalencia) from Spain's Royal Automobile Club (RACE).
As a Resident, do I need to change my driving licence?
A licence from any European country is accepted by the police, provided that it has been registered with and stamped by the traffic authorities (Jefatura de Tráfico) and given a Spanish reference number. You and your details will then be traceable on their computer. This, of course, is only possible on a paper licence and not on the newer credit card style licences, so these do create a problem for the police, who may not accept them. Bear in mind also that problems will occur when your non-Spanish licence expires, as the issuing authority in your home country will not be able to renew it because you do not live in that country - and the Spanish authorities cannot renew a licence from another country. To avoid all these unnecessary problems, it's advisable to change your licence for a Spanish one when you become a Resident.
We will be happy to advise you on the best way to do this.
