Driving licence in Spain: using and exchanging a foreign licence

EU and EEA licences stay valid in Spain until they expire. A UK licence must be exchanged within 6 months of becoming resident, with no tests. US, Canadian and most other licences stop being valid 6 months after you become resident and cannot be exchanged: you take the Spanish tests.

dgt.es · sede.dgt.gob.es · interior.gob.es

In short

Can I keep driving on my EU licence?
Yes, while it is valid; exchanging it is optional. A licence with no expiry date, or valid for more than 15 years (cars and motorbikes), must be renewed in Spain 2 years after you become resident.
What about a UK licence?
Spain and the UK have had an exchange agreement since 16.03.2023: no tests. As a resident you can drive on it for 6 months - apply before they are up. You need a DVLA or DVA check code. Fee €28.87.
And a US or Canadian licence?
Neither country, nor any US state or Canadian province, is on the DGT exchange list. Six months after you become resident it is no longer valid in Spain: you need a Spanish licence, with theory and practical tests.

Who this is for

  • Visitors and new arrivals. Until you are resident, you can drive on a valid national licence that follows the Geneva or Vienna Convention model or comes with an official translation, if you are old enough for that category in Spain. DGT advises getting an International Driving Permit at home and carrying it with your passport and licence; the US State Department says you need one to rent a car.
  • EU and EEA licence holders. Your licence is valid as long as it is in force, and you can exchange it at any time if you wish. If it has no expiry date or is valid for more than 15 years (AM, A1, A2, A, B, B+E), you must renew it in Spain once you have been resident for 2 years.
  • UK licence holders. Exchange it at DGT without tests, ideally before your first 6 months of residence end - after that you cannot drive on it. A licence issued after you became resident is only exchanged if it was issued where you lived legally. Jersey, Guernsey and Isle of Man licences cannot be exchanged.
  • US, Canadian and other licences with no agreement. They are valid only for your first 6 months as a resident. Then you start from scratch: a medical at a CRC, the DGT theory test and the practical test, through a driving school (autoescuela) or on your own. An International Driving Permit does not extend the 6 months.

What you need

  • Application form Mod.03-ES, or the online form on the DGT Sede Electrónica
  • Valid passport or other identity document - original
  • Proof of residence: TIE card, or the green EU registration certificate
  • Proof you got the licence before moving here: TIE, student card or a certificate from the foreigners' register
  • UK licences: a check code from the DVLA (Great Britain) or DVA (Northern Ireland)
  • Your original, valid foreign licence - you hand it in
  • Medical fitness report (informe de aptitud psicofísica) from a Centro de Reconocimiento de Conductores, no older than 90 days
  • Fee: tasa 2.3 - €28.87 (no tests) or tasa 2.1 - €94.05 (with tests); card only at the office
  • Appointment confirmation (justificante de cita previa) for the Jefatura
  • If someone applies for you: form Mod.24 or a power of attorney in the REA register

Where to apply - by town

Where to go
Jefatura Provincial de Tráfico de Alicante/Alacant
Address
C/ Ferré Vidiella, 4 (esquina C/ San Juan Bosco, 12), 03071 Alicante
Hours
Mon-Wed and Fri 8:30-14:30, Thu 8:30-14:30 and 15:30-17:30; summer (16 June - 15 September) Mon-Fri 8:30-14:00
Appointment
sede.dgt.gob.es
Official page
dgt.es
Tip
DGT's main office in the province. Licence exchanges by appointment only, including for over-65s. Anyone in the province can choose the Elche office instead.

Alicante news

Step by step

  1. Check whether your country has an agreement Open the DGT list "Países con convenio de canjes". EU and EEA licences need no exchange; the UK is on the list; the US and Canada are not. A licence you got after becoming resident in Spain is not exchanged either.
  2. Get a medical at a CRC A Centro de Reconocimiento de Conductores is a private clinic authorised by DGT: eyesight, hearing, general health and a psychotechnical test. Say it is for an exchange (canje) and name the category. The report is valid for 90 days.
  3. Apply online or book an appointment Online on the DGT Sede Electrónica with Cl@ve or a digital certificate: licence details, scans, office and fee. In person: book a cita previa on the website, in the miDGT app or by calling 060, section "Canjes".
  4. Pay the fee Exchange without tests: tasa 2.3 (€28.87). With tests for C and D: tasa 2.1 (€94.05, two attempts). Pay online when applying or by card at the office - cash is not accepted.
  5. Go to the office with your originals DGT checks an online application first, then invites you in. You hand in your foreign licence and get a temporary Spanish permit the same day, valid for 6 months and in Spain only.
  6. No agreement? Take the Spanish tests Get the medical, then sit the DGT theory test and the practical driving test - with a driving school (autoescuela) or by registering yourself. Tasa 2.1 (€94.05) covers two attempts.
  7. Wait for the plastic card The Spanish licence arrives by post, usually in about six weeks. If it is late, contact the office that handled your exchange.

Fees and times

Exchange without tests (tasa 2.3)
€28.87 - EU/EEA and agreement countries, incl. UK, cars and motorbikes (DGT)
Tests or exchange with tests (tasa 2.1)
€94.05 - two attempts; pay again after two fails (DGT)
Non-EU licence (US, Canada, UK...) for residents
Valid up to 6 months from becoming resident (Reglamento General de Conductores, art. 21)
UK licence exchange
Apply before your 6 months as a resident are up; DVLA/DVA check code needed (GOV.UK)
EU licences with no expiry or over 15 years (A, B)
Renew in Spain after 2 years of residence (DGT)
CRC medical report
Valid 90 days; the clinic sets the price - DGT publishes no single amount
Temporary permit after an exchange
Given on the day you hand in your licence; valid 6 months, in Spain only
Plastic card
Usually about six weeks, by post
International Driving Permit
Valid one year; a complement to your licence, not a replacement (DGT)

Common mistakes

  • Driving on a US, Canadian or UK licence more than 6 months after becoming resident: from then on it is not valid in Spain.
  • Thinking an International Driving Permit lets you keep driving as a resident: it only accompanies your licence, and the 6-month limit still applies.
  • Getting or renewing a licence back home after becoming resident here: a licence issued after you moved is not exchanged under the agreements.
  • Getting the medical too early: the CRC report is valid for 90 days only.
  • Cancelling your exchange appointment: the procedure starts again and DGT re-checks your licence with the issuing country.
  • Paying websites that promise a Spanish licence "without tests": DGT warns that this is fraud.

This is a general guide, not legal advice. If your case is unusual, check with the office or a gestor.

Checked against

History of changes

  • - Checked against official sources and published.

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