Driving in Spain - Expat Solutions

At the moment, as a citizen of the EU, in order to drive a foreign plated vehicle in Spain you must have with you at all times:

Your passport, current until after your return home
A current valid driving licence, preferably the EU type with the photo card
Insurance documents
A valid insurance certificate and green card (if applicable) although many insurance companies cover you for a set period on mainland Europe
All vehicle documents relating to the car (legally certified copies that carry a stamp are acceptable)
Two EU approved red warning triangles
An approved reflective jacket that must be worn by the driver and any passengers outside of the car on a public highway either during the day or at night (the jackets must be kept inside of the car so they can be put on before getting out and also must be visible from outside the car to any traffic police)
Set of spare lamps/bulbs for all lights on your car and the tool/s to change them although this is no longer a legal requirement but a recommendation.
If you wear glasses for driving you must carry a spare set in the car
Your number plate should be an EU type with the ring of stars containing your country code, or a small plate/sticker with your country code which should be secured to the rear of the car.

As of mid-2009, Spanish insured cars no longer need to carry the proof of payment for their insurance in the vehicle.

If you are driving in Spain and you are from outside of the EU you will need an International Driving Licence issued by the correct authority in your home country. It must also have one page of information in Spanish.

Driving Offences in Spain

Fines – As a way of speeding up the payments of fines, a new law has been passed which will provide a 50% discount to offenders who pay within 20 days. Please note that if you appeal the fine you lose the right to the 50% discount.
Licence Removal – Serious driving offences in Spain used to result in the confiscation of a driving licence for between 1 and 3 months. However, the new laws have abolished the removal and there will now be a 500 euro fine and the loss of 4 points.
Fixed Fines – There is now a country-wide set of fines as opposed to the regional variations that used to exist. Now small offences are 100 euros, 200 for serious and 500 for very serious. Please note that if you are caught with a radar inhibitor you will be fined 6,000 euros as well as the speeding fines.
Points – Some offences that resulted in the loss of points on a licence have been removed such as parking in a bus lane or up on the kerb, driving without lights, using a prohibited vehicle on the motorway, driving without due care and attention.
New serious offences – Programming a GPS while driving is now an offence, as is talking on your mobile without hands free, as is parking in a disabled space and having an unreadable number plate. Please note if you manipulate a number plate you can be fined 6,000 euros.

EU Driving Licenses

If you become resident in Spain you are expected to change your current driving licence over to a Spanish one within two years of becoming a resident. Holding an EU licence makes this process quite simple and it is just a case of applying for a “canje” at Trafico who will then contact DVLA to verify that the licence can be changed over, i.e. it doesn’t have points and hasn’t been suspended.

If you change your address it is a legal requirement that Trafico be notified and is important to make sure it is always up to date in case you have a notification which needs to be actioned.

Driving License Application Checklist (PDF, 271.28 KB)

Driving License Adress Change Chklst (PDF, 269.35 KB)

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Road Classification

Autopista (motorway) – A or E – prefix to road number
Toll roads will usually carry an additional prefix of P (peajes), maximum speed 120 kph (73 mph) unless otherwise stated
Autovia – dual carriageway, speed limits vary from 80 to 120 kph
Carretera Nacional – N or CN – prefix to road number, speed limits vary between 60 and 100 kph
Carretera Comarcal – C – prefix to road number (country roads), speed limits vary between 60 and 100 kph
Carretera Local – highway, speed limits are as sign posted but do not generally exceed 100 kph

Theory Test
Practical Test

First you need to decide whether you prefer to pass your theory test with a driving school as part of a full package including practical classes or whether you’d rather simply study on your own and then when you’re ready, book the theory test with the DGT (official traffic company in Spain) yourself. The DGT does offer theory exams in English.

What you need to pass your theory driving test:

Passport
Spanish residencia
2 passport photos
Medical test (around 40€ or included in a package)
Theory test (can cost around 60€ or included in package)

A set number of hours of training must be completed with a driving school. The practical test is taken in Spanish and a translator may accompany the person being examined. Some areas have English-speaking driving examiners – enquire if this is possible when first making an application to take the test.

The practical test is taken in a driving school (dual control) car and the driving instructor accompanies the examiner and person being tested. The examiner gives instructions in Spanish (or English if it’s been arranged in advance) to the driving student.

Even experienced drivers can find taking the Spanish driving test a frustrating and costly experience, years of bad driving habits have to be tucked into the glove box whilst you remember mirror, signal, manoeuvre!

Theory Test

What you need to pass your theory driving test:

Passport
Spanish residencia
2 passport photos
Medical test (around 40€ or included in a package)
Theory test (can cost around 60€ or included in package)

Practical Test

Driving Offences in Spain

Fines – As a way of speeding up the payments of fines, a new law has been passed which will provide a 50% discount to offenders who pay within 20 days. Please note that if you appeal the fine you lose the right to the 50% discount.
Licence Removal – Serious driving offences in Spain used to result in the confiscation of a driving licence for between 1 and 3 months. However, the new laws have abolished the removal and there will now be a 500 euro fine and the loss of 4 points.
Fixed Fines – There is now a country-wide set of fines as opposed to the regional variations that used to exist. Now small offences are 100 euros, 200 for serious and 500 for very serious. Please note that if you are caught with a radar inhibitor you will be fined 6,000 euros as well as the speeding fines.
Points – Some offences that resulted in the loss of points on a licence have been removed such as parking in a bus lane or up on the kerb, driving without lights, using a prohibited vehicle on the motorway, driving without due care and attention.
New serious offences – Programming a GPS while driving is now an offence, as is talking on your mobile without hands free, as is parking in a disabled space and having an unreadable number plate. Please note if you manipulate a number plate you can be fined 6,000 euros.

Road Classification

The roads in Spain can vary in quality although the majority are now very good as a direct result of EU funding. Some useful guidelines to the different road types are:

Autopista (motorway) – A or E – prefix to road number
Toll roads will usually carry an additional prefix of P (peajes), maximum speed 120 kph (73 mph) unless otherwise stated
Autovia – dual carriageway, speed limits vary from 80 to 120 kph
Carretera Nacional – N or CN – prefix to road number, speed limits vary between 60 and 100 kph
Carretera Comarcal – C – prefix to road number (country roads), speed limits vary between 60 and 100 kph
Carretera Local – highway, speed limits are as sign posted but do not generally exceed 100 kph