Want to check out the rainy plains by car? Discover what you need to know about Spanish driving licenses, including costs, tests, and how to apply.
By Jennifer Dixely
If you’re new to Spain and want to explore the country by car, you can use your foreign driving license for up to two years. After that time has passed, you’ll likely need to get a Spanish driver’s license, although some exceptions do apply.
Here’s what you need to know:
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The driving age in Spain is 18 years – and those aged below this are not allowed to drive, even if they have a valid license in their home country.
Everyone over the age of 18 can continue to use their own national driving license to drive a car in Spain for either the first six months after gaining official residency (non-EU citizens) or for the first two years of residence (EU/EEA nationals).
After the specified time period, EU/EEA citizens who are resident in Spain will have to obtain a Spanish driving license either by exchanging their foreign license or renewing their foreign license. Exceptions may also apply depending on the expiration date of your license.
Non-EU/EEA citizens will need to get a Spanish driving license by either exchanging their foreign license or taking a Spanish driving license. The process depends on their nationality or occupation, however, as some countries have agreements with Spain.
If you’re from a European Economic Area (EEA) country (EU plus Iceland, Norway, and Lichtenstein) you are free to drive in Spain using your existing driver’s license for the first two years in Spain. You must also register with the traffic authorities after six months.
You must adhere to the same conditions as Spanish license holders, including the following:
Spanish authorities can also compel a person to obtain a new Spanish license if there are issues with penalty points.
If you don’t obtain a Spanish driver’s license after two years and are caught driving, however, you face a fine of €200.
Additionally, you must register with the traffic authorities within six months of moving to Spain. You can do this at your Central Register of Drivers and Minor Offenders (Registro Central de Conductores e Infractores) of the Provincial Traffic Headquarters (Jefatura Provincial de Tráfico).
Once you register, you must take a medical examination at an Authorized Drivers’ Check Center (Centro de Reconocimiento de Conductores Autorizado). This demonstrates that you are fit to drive.
You can also voluntarily exchange your license for a Spanish one at any time. In similar fashion to registering, this occurs at the Provincial Traffic Headquarters. The local authorities request the following documents:
If you’re from outside the EEA you may drive in Spain using your existing foreign driver’s license for up to six months after you have registered for residency. If your foreign license is not in Spanish, you need an official translation or an International Driving Permit (IDP).
Online translating services, like Translayte, can provide you with an official translation of your driver’s license that’s legally recognized in Spain.
The IDP is a document that provides a translation of a person’s driver’s license into a number of different languages, including Spanish. Carry it at all times as well as the actual driver’s license. The IDP is valid for one year and you must apply outside of Spain.
After six months of residency, your foreign driving license will no longer be valid in Spain and you must get a Spanish driving license. Depending on your nationality, you may be able to exchange your license for a Spanish license. If not, you must take the full Spanish driving test, however.
Non-residents can also use a valid driving license along with an international driving license for one year. If your residency is not approved before the international driving license runs out, then you’ll be driving using an illegal license. But if at any point residency applies, the six-month rule comes into force.
Spain has agreements with more than 20 countries, which allow drivers to directly exchange a foreign driver’s licenses for the equivalent Spanish license. These agreements change, so always check with your home country’s consulate in Spain or the Spanish traffic authority. Certain categories of people, such as diplomats and international staff, can also exchange their licenses regardless of their nationality.
Those from these countries can exchange their driving licenses for a Spanish license and need the following:
People from Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Dominical Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Macedonia, Morocco, Nicaragua, Peru, Panama, Paraguay, Philippines, Serbia, Türkiye, Tunisia, Ukraine, Uruguay, and Venezuela can exchange their driving licenses for a Spanish license and need the following:
Spain allows diplomats and members of international organizations with offices or headquarters in Spain, together with their families, to obtain a Spanish driver’s license without needing to undertake the proficiency testing theory or practice. Submit the following documents:
Requests are sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs who subsequently send the application to the provincial traffic headquarters in Madrid for processing.
Spain exchanges license issues by the above types of organizations under the following conditions:
The following documents are necessary:
Citizens of many countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, will have to take the full Spanish driving test to get a Spanish license.
You must take lessons through a recognized driving school (i.e., a family member does not qualify). Look online or in the Paginas Amarillas (Spain’s Yellow Pages) under ‘autoescuela‘.
The test has two parts: a written theory test (see some test questions) as well as a practical test. Both are usually taken in Spanish although you can take a translator with you and in some areas of Spain there are English-speaking examiners.
If you are driving a car in Spain that has been registered abroad, you must register it with the Spanish authorities after six months.
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