For those who have become resident, and those about to

Exchanging your driving licence in Spain

Your foreign licence once you become resident: when you must exchange it, and when not

If your licence was issued outside the European Union, the day you become resident a six-month clock starts, and when it runs out you are driving without a valid licence even though the plastic is in your wallet. If it was issued in the EU or the EEA, becoming resident does not end it: it stays valid while it is in force.

Free guide · PDF

Exchanging your driving licence, and the clock already running

What the DGT table says about your country, the deadline that starts without telling you, and the mistake that closes the short route for good.

Price

€99the file, the medical appointment and the full procedureOrder this option →

+ €0if your country has no agreement: we say so and there is no invoice

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What you get

A check of whether your country has an exchange agreement with Spain, and for which categories.
The complete file, including the certificate from your home authority if it has to be requested.
The appointment at a medical centre for the psychophysical report, near your home.
Filing with the DGT and follow-up until the Spanish licence is issued.
The provisional receipt so you can keep driving while it is processed.

Why this matters now

The DGT publishes the procedure for exchanging foreign licences and the list of countries with an agreement. The expensive mistake is about the calendar, not the paperwork: with a non-EU licence, people think the clock starts when they feel like it, and the six months start when they become resident. An accident while driving on a licence that is no longer valid here is not a fine: it is an argument with your insurer.

What this service is NOT

We are not a driving school or a medical centre. If your country has no exchange agreement with Spain, no exchange is possible and the answer is to sit the test: we tell you on day one, free, instead of selling you a file that cannot succeed. The DGT fee and the medical report are paid separately, each where it is due.

Questions about this service

My licence was issued in an EU country. Do I have to exchange it?

No. The DGT puts it plainly: an EU or EEA licence is valid for driving in Spain while it is in force, and exchanging it is voluntary. There is one compulsory case: if your licence has no expiry date, or is valid for more than 15 years (car and motorcycle), it must be renewed in Spain once you have been normally resident here for two years. And when it expires, you renew it in Spain, not at home.

I am British and I have been here since before Brexit. Does this affect me?

It depends on your residency situation and on the dates, and this is exactly the case where the most contradictory information circulates in neighbourhood groups. We look at it with your real dates before charging you anything.

Can I drive while it is being processed?

With the application receipt, yes, within Spain. Outside Spain is another matter, and if you have a trip planned you should tell us before handing in the old licence.

Do I lose my original licence?

In an exchange the original is surrendered: that is the procedure, not a DGT whim. That is why the first thing we do is scan it fully for you, and why we warn you what that means in your own country before anything is filed.