Answer received today from a Lawyer. A Notarized copy of a Passport Driving Licence or any other document is acceptable anywhere in Spain equal to the original.

Obviously it must be done correctly with the official serially numbered "Sello de Legitimaciones y Legalizaciones with the seal of the Colegios Notariales.

The Notary's wafer seal is needed overstamped with the personal identity stamp of the Notary and signed by him or her. And printed on numbered and watermarked paper .

However I will ask another Lawyer --this is Spain after all and 10 lawyers can give you 15 answers to any single question. And I need something to interest me for a couple of days. But it seems I need not have asked on here about Driving Licences when I could have gone to the Lawyer in the first place. Damn.

I've found that if you don't know what you are talking about it is usually best to say nothing or you could look an idiot.

Referring to your original question and to the above, I'd be interested to hear of anyone's experience in checking in at the airport with such a document. I'm off there next week. Maybe I'll try it. It's an interesting question.

I know what you mean, I think in big cities you are likely to be stopped more often. When we moved to Goya, Salamanca areaof Madrid we were constantly followed for weeks by plain clothed police (radios blaring away give them away) as they do like to know who's living in the area. I've been asked for ID twice in the year or so I've been here yet never once in the 3 years I was in Benidorm.

I had three years in Benidorm too, and I was never once asked for ID. I think it does depend on your appearance and conduct, perhaps tempered by the tremendous problems the police there have with the obvious idiots, thousands of them.

A tiny story: I was in Café Benidorm one night with the entertainer Kane on stage. He was teasing people by comparing different parts of the UK, on this occasion Bradford and Leeds.

I was standing at the bar, amongst the gigolos, and the people in front were complaining that Kane was getting Leeds and Bradford mixed up. After a few San Miguels I lost my sense of perspective and when the next skinhead came up to the bar, I said, “What fxxxxxx difference does it make, they’re both shithole places.”

The skinhead gave me a funny look and went back to his friends. I heard him say, “Do you know what that man just said?”

I fled and hid behind the giant dustbins at the Hotel Orange a couple of doors away. At least a dozen of the Bradford/Leeds mob came out to look for me, but I was well hidden.

lol, the truth hurts eh?


Don´t know what I´m talking about.......I´m from Hull

Sure, they have to justify the money they took of you
Do us all a favour and phone up the Embassy and ask.
(SNIP)

With due respect to your lawyer. He has a vested interest in you paying him for the copy.

I hope I am not being rude, but as a couple people have said here why go to the people you may need to accept the copy and ask, like a Notary or the Guardia or National Police, passport control at an airport etc

I have on a several occasions (over 15 years whilst I have been a voluntary translator) been present at a National Police Station when people have been told they must go back to their home/hotel to collect their original passport before they were allowed to sign a denuncia. Of course some officers are more understanding and sympathetic, especially when the person is a pretty, young female.

I accept it is not logical, particularly when a person who has lost their passport is allowed to sign the denuncia without any ID. I have given up trying to explain this logic to the police when they insist on an original.

I have also been present twice when a Notary also has refused to allow a person to sign without their original ID.


PS as I as posting this, I see JDR has said more or less the same as me.


(Please note this is intended to be constructive, not critical nor sarcastic)

OK enough please.
This is clearly a difference of opinion between a poster that has come on here with a reasonable question, and has now seemingly received legal advice, and those that have experience of what they have seen over the years.

Seems to me that its sensible to assume that its the level you take it to ...... i.e., it might be OK in Carrefour but it probably wont get you through passport control.

Theres clearly a large gulf and neither are able to see the others point of view so I'm closing it before war breaks out.