Driving Licence
 

Right, can somebody PLEASE tell me the rules on driving licences?

My husband has a UK photo licence, I have the previous green paper one.

We have been told
a) both of them are illegal in Spain and must be replaced.
b) his is legal, mine is not. His must be stamped, mine replaced.
c) Mine must be stamped, his is legal and doesn't have to have anything done to it.
d) both are legal and must both be stampe
e) both are legal and need have nothing done to them.

People tell me it's best to get a Spanish licence 'just in cas' but I don't see why I should if it's perfectly legal!

Does anyone KNOW?

Re: Driving Licence
 

Read the top thread....... last two paragraphs, and "Driving in Spain" and "The Foreigner And The Car".

Re: Driving Licence
 

I've found this.. so presumably this is the answer?

http://www.idealspain.com/pages/Info...ivelicence.htm

Removed because of copyright rules, thats why there are links to the sites where I said.

Your paper one will be illegal, get it changed before you come over.


.

Re: Driving Licence
 

Thanks for the reply, I've read the link.

I've been over for nearly three years! However, I rarely drive.

I still have an address in the UK, so I'll apply for a photo licence.

Thanks!

Re: Driving Licence
 

His legal, yours is not, get yours changed, and NO you don't have to get it stamped, but it can help.

Re: Driving Licence
 

Thanks all for your replies, as I say I still have a UK address so I'll get it changed to a photo licence.

Re: Driving Licence
 

green one !!! Its a wonder it hasnt rotted that must be mega old :rofl:

Think you will find the green one no use .. But the photo one will be fine ..:thumbup:

Re: Driving Licence
 

Hey! It's only from 1991! It's not prehistoric!:p

I think everyone is telling me to get a photo one; will start ball rolling tomorrow!

Thanks all! :thumbup:

Re: Driving Licence
 

You wont have time to play with balls !! You want to get to the post office , get the forms filled and stuff . Then play rolling balls around :thumbup:

Re: Driving Licence
 

I can't go to the Post Office - I'm in Spain!:rofl:

I was hoping I could download the forms, but if not I'll do it in July when I'm in the UK for a month.

Re: Driving Licence
 

:rofl: Oh i see , well in that case get the balls out and roll away to your hearts content you have loads of time :thumbup: :rofl:

Re: Driving Licence
 

Balls are rolling.....

Re: Driving Licence
 

We both have the old green licenses, does anyone know how long it takes to get these new licenses through

Re: Driving Licence
 

It says about three weeks on the website.

Re: Driving Licence
 

Yes, think it took about 3 weeks when I got main BEfORE coming out here as I had done my homework and found that the paper one was illegal here.

Re: Driving Licence
 

We thought we had done OUR homework!

Re: Driving Licence
 

:eek: now I might have a problem, we are off to espana next week for 2 weeks and need our licenses, then when we come back we only have about 3-4 weeks before we make our move to espana, so hope your right and it is only 3 weeks as we could be in deep do do:unsure:

Re: Driving Licence
 

Your licences are not valid in Spain, if you get stopped by a nasty Guardia policeman you could get a serious fine and your car impounded till you show the required paperwork, or he could just tell you to get a real licence, depending on what sort of day he has had.
If its a hire car they may not rent it to you.

Re: Driving Licence
 

Whilst on this topic, would like to mention that a friend of mine was stopped by the Guardia and told that his licence was illegal (it is a photocard one) - he went to Trafico to change it or stamp it and they said he shouldn't have come to them as he didn't have to do anything with it.

He then asked three other Guardia about the status of his licence. One said he had to have a Spanish one, one said he had to have it stamped and the other one didn't know whether it was legal or not!

So, if the Guardia and Trafico don't know the rules, how are us poor foreigners supposed to? :confused: I think they make them up as they go along.

Same with importing the car. We have been told all sorts of conflicting information, even our Gestor wasn't sure of some of the rules. No-one seems to know what taxes we are supposed to be paying. It's difficult to be a law-abiding resident when no-one seems to know the rules.

It is the one thing about Spain that intensely riles me.

Re: Driving Licence
 

That is the problem, but some of them fine you just in case it is illegal, others can`t be bothered with the paperwork. ;-)

Re: Driving Licence
 

As the law changed recently as we were over at xmas and again hired a car with no problem. If it hadn't been for reading about it on here I wouldn't have even known anything about it

Re: Driving Licence
 

Take a look at this site http://www.expatica.com/actual/artic...&story_id=1934

Re: Driving Licence
 

I just talked with mrsjdr who says as long as the licence has the number on it her firm will allow rental.
When the daughter got mrsjdr`s car towed away and the owner of the car has to claim it, the nice policeman said if he caught her with a paper licence again he would keep the car until she returned with a proper licence.
I know for a fact that only card type eu licences are recognized officialy now though, despite the car rental firms recognizing the paper ones still.

Re: Driving Licence
 

At present we both have EU plastic driving licence which has our old English address on.

1) Do we have to change to Spanish driving licence?
2) If not is there something else that needs to be done?
3) If we change to Spanish licence will this be a negative move when hiring a car on UK trips.

Rosemary

Re: Driving Licence
 

Have a look HERE scroll down to DVLA note.

Re: Driving Licence
 

Cheers jdr, will just have to take a chance next week as no time to change them before we go, but will post off for the new ones the day we get back and hopefully get them back before we go again