countryboy

Does anyone know if the Blue Badge (disabled badge) is legal here in Spain? I havw a blue Badge and was told recently that I should get a Spanish one in Exchange for my EU one.

Is this true?
Thanks

svenskidoo

It is legal, thats why the UK went to blue and dropped the old orange ones.

There are implications for changing over and registering as disabled in Spain, mostly to do with making things easier when it comes to form filling, pen pushing etc.

countryboy

I have now found out that this law about Blue Badge parking is a local thing, I have to apply to my town hall and exchange my Badge for a local Spanish one to be able to take advantage of the Disabled parking here in the town of Sax.

This law is rife on the Costa Blanca, and is causing a lot of conflict between the local and Ex Pats in the area, still I shall comply with the law and exchange my BB for a local one and ask to keep my UK issued one so that can be used in the UK as I dont think the Spanish one would be leagl over there.

svenskidoo

countryboy, thanks for the clarification.

My uncle, who is disabled, has lived in Spain for quite some time and before that used to drive across the country on holiday quite a bit and has never had a problem apart from getting entitlement to certain things.

You have to be registered disabled in Spain, apparently, to benefit from IVA and import duty exemption on certain things. After a tussle with customs over a wheelchair from the US, customs agreed a reduced import duty (not sure HM customs & excise would do that) but obviously he still had to pay something, where with a spanish registration he'd have paid nothing.

It is a bit saddening that an EU wide badge scheme is being exploited and ignored by local councils.

Good luck.