For those who have become resident, and those about to
Exchanging your driving licence in Spain
Your licence is valid until the day you stop being a tourist
While you are non-resident, your home licence works. The day you register on the padrón and become resident, a clock starts, and when it runs out you are driving without a valid licence even though the plastic is in your wallet.
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: people think the clock starts when they feel like it, and it starts 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 An accident while driving on a licence that is no longer valid here is not a fine — it is an argument with your insurer.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
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.
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This page was last checked on 4 September 2026
Responsible for this content Sullivan Benedetto · Torrevieja (Alicante), España
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