Yes I think I did - someone else posted the link to start with and then I saw it somewhere on the net on a google ad. I don’t want to use their services but was intrigued if anybody had and it had worked out. I have sent it to Brian Deller (he publishes a book on motoring in Spain and writes weekly in the Round Town News) he see what he has to say.

ROB1305 - 08 August 2009 07:15 PM

Yes I think I did - someone else posted the link to start with and then I saw it somewhere on the net on a google ad. I don’t want to use their services but was intrigued if anybody had and it had worked out. I have sent it to Brian Deller (he publishes a book on motoring in Spain and writes weekly in the Round Town News) he see what he has to say.

Good deal - let us know what he says on it…

Cheers;
DSB.

ROB1305 - 08 August 2009 02:39 PM

What does anybody make of this site:

http://genuinedl.com/

??

There disclaimer states it all.

There not responsible for your actions.

Although I suspect they probably are.

I worked with a Spanish guy who had lost his license, he was still driving a company vehicle.

When I joined the company nobody asked for my license.

It is still possible for Spaniards to buy points over the internet.

Santi - 05 August 2009 01:00 PM

This is another document from the Royal Automobile Club Espana.

Non-EU drivers can lead (condition of tourists) 185 days or six months, with the international permit or with your permission source translated into Spanish by an official body. After this period, if you have purchased the normal residence in our country, have a period of 6 months validity of the original permission. At the end of this period, the resident in Spain must either redeem your permission if you have subscribed Spain a bilateral agreement with their country of origin, or to obtain Spanish licence.

Currently, Spain has recognition of driving licence, swaps handled by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Algeria, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Ecuador, Morocco, Peru, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Andorra, Switzerland, Korea South and Japan. Shortly, incorporation of Brazil, Guatemala and the Philippines.

I have a Philippine International Driving license. Can I swap/change it to a Spanish one? How and what should I do? Where can I apply?

nylade,
you cannot swap an international driving license for a spanish one.

This is an issue which has always confused me as I?ve never been able to get a straight answer and I may be about to add to the confusion BUT….....  I am British and have a UK driving licence.  I spoke on Saturday with a Sargeant of the Guardia Civil and he told me that as my licence is European I don?t need to do anything.  No health checks, nothing.  He said that my licence is completely valid here in Spain as it is, even though I am a Spanish resident.

Anyone get any comments on this? Great if it is true!

I visited Trafico in Malaga yesterday to ask the above question and have to admit that I did not get a straight answer. All I was told was that as a resident and being from a member state of the EU I could change my UK license for a Spanish one very easily. I was given a new type form that is entitled “Canje del permiso de conduci?n de paises de la Uni?n Europea, Islandia, Liechtenstein y Noruega” The form does say however that ” Este tr?mite es voluntario”. I really don’t know if that means that one can legally drive on a UK/EU license!

The only documentacion required to obtain a Spanish license is…

Application form
?26.00 payment
Residencia, passport etc
English license
1 photo 32x25mm
Tal?n photo (whatever that is)

Nothing else required unless i have been given the wrong information from trafico. I have decided to change to avoid future hassles.

Yes the EU have ruled that Expats now Spanish resident can drive on a valid (ie not banned, and in date) UK issued Driving licence if it is the ID kind. However just before it expires (if you are resident in Spain) you must then apply for a Spanish DL.

Also note the ID kind only lasts 10 years - unlike some people think it is valid until they are 65. This is because the photo has to be renewed every 10 years and you cannot apply for a UK licence if you are now resident in Spain.

The EU directive also says that the health check can only be applied when you apply for your Spanish licence, however this has (allegedly) been challenged by insurance companies claiming people driving without it it are on an invalid licence.

For me - bottom line . why worry go Spanish you will have to in the end and it doubles as a useful ID card!

Incredible - within 10 minutes of posting the above I picked up a Euro Weekly News and in the letters page someone has written that Spain passed a law on May 8th 2009 that makes UK licences invalid without the support of the health test (Test Psicofisico)

This I find strange because (I believe) it would contradict an EU law which is not supposed to happen, but would probably not be the first time.

So what do you believe - I havn’t a clue!

Back to my point above - if you are resident in Spain probably best to get a a Spanish licence

Here is the DGT link of places to go for the test:

Driving Health Check locations:
Centros de Reconocimiento de Conductores
http://www.dgt.es/portal/es/oficina_virtual/dir_telefonos/centros_rec_conductores/?tit=?D?nde se puede solicitar?

Hi Robi. I am off to Trafico in Malaga next week to change my UK license for a Spanish one. As I wrote above I visited them this week to get the required papers but have two questions.

I will be 71 this month and will present my papers before my 71st birthday. Do I need to get a medical before, so that I can present the certificate at the same time?

On the application form for the license change n? 6 says “Tal?n foto: cumplimentado y firmado dentro del recuadro correspondiente”. Can someone please explain what this means. Duly signed where?

Hola mi amigo - Yes you need to take the certificate for the health check with you as issued by your Centro de reconocimiento de conductores duly stamped by them etc.

My Spanish wife has read your post and cannot explain where you have to sign from that sentence and without actually seeing the papers - the Spanish which as you say just means, properly filled out and signed, usually there is a box for the ‘firma’ but don’t worry - just take it all with you and sign it in front of them where they ask you to.

Good luck.

ROB1305 - 02 October 2009 11:51 AM

Incredible - within 10 minutes of posting the above I picked up a Euro Weekly News and in the letters page someone has written that Spain passed a law on May 8th 2009 that makes UK licences invalid without the support of the health test (Test Psicofisico)

This I find strange because (I believe) it would contradict an EU law which is not supposed to happen, but would probably not be the first time.

So what do you believe - I havn’t a clue!

I recall hearing / reading about a Brit driver in Spain that had their Insurance deny a claim as the person did not have a health check paper or recent. They only found this out when they were making a claim..

DSB.

donkeyoatay - 02 October 2009 12:21 PM

Hi Robi. I am off to Trafico in Malaga next week to change my UK license for a Spanish one. As I wrote above I visited them this week to get the required papers but have two questions.

I will be 71 this month and will present my papers before my 71st birthday. Do I need to get a medical before, so that I can present the certificate at the same time?

On the application form for the license change n? 6 says “Tal?n foto: cumplimentado y firmado dentro del recuadro correspondiente”. Can someone please explain what this means. Duly signed where?

OK. As I said above I have decided to go for a Spanish license. I have the papers from Trafico. I paid ?25:00 for a medical certificate without seeing a doctor and was able to get some fotos done. Trafico require size 32x25mm but I could not find any photographer who did this size on their automatic printers. I have had to settle for a larger size that has to be cut down.

Now that I am ready to present everything to Trafico in Malaga, I have been reliably informed, that when my new Spanish license is ready for posting back to me, the address on my Residencia has to be used. No apartado postal is accepted. What am I supposed to do. I live in the campo where there is no mail delivery and therefore must use an AP address to get my mail. In the case of my residencia the address used was that on my empadronamiento and I collected in person the card from the main police in Malaga. The address therefore on my residencia means very little as it is for a plot number in a zone in the municiplity where I live.

Has anyone been successful in changing their UK license and having the new Spanish license returned to an apartado postal address. If this new information is in fact the case, I will have to hang on to my UK license or I will be without one. I will however, re visit Trafico in Malaga tomorrow to see exactly what is the current situation re. addresses. I will post back when I have some more information

That expalins why so many farmers don`t have licenses.

As for EU rules, the Spanish was fined in or around 2004 for ignoring EU regulations regarding driving rules.

The Spanish have under Royal Decree declared that the clause in allowing local regulations to over rule EU Directives is to be extended.

Or something to that effect.

Its difficult to get any correct written in stone explination, I guess there earning enough in fines.

All the info on the net states that EU licenses have to follow Spanish local laws to be valid, problem is that a UK license does not require a medical and is valid longer than 10 yrs.

Whereas a Spanish license becomes invalid if no medical and older than 10 yrs, so by Spanish rules a UK license is both valid and invalid.

Unless your a Guardia Traffico whos been informed to ticket all UK license holders resident in Spain.

A lot of sites state that a Non Spaniard has to gain a Spanish no later than 6 months of becoming resident within Spain.

I guess its just easier to get a Spanish license, as they say when in Rome.