Driving Licence
Mar 20th 2007, 6:59 am
#16
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Joined: Oct 2006
Location: West Midlands, ex Granada province
Posts: 2,140
Mar 20th 2007, 12:58 pm
#17
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Joined: Oct 2006
Location: Benalmadena Costa
Posts: 82
Re: Driving Licence
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
Mar 20th 2007, 6:46 pm
#18
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Location: Benalmadena Pueblo,Spain
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Re: Driving Licence
If its a hire car they may not rent it to you.
Last edited by jdr; Mar 20th 2007 at 6:50 pm.
Mar 20th 2007, 7:21 pm
#19
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Location: West Midlands, ex Granada province
Posts: 2,140
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.
If its a hire car they may not rent it to you.
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?
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.
Last edited by scampicat; Mar 20th 2007 at 7:26 pm.
Mar 20th 2007, 7:25 pm
#20
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Joined: Jul 2003
Location: Benalmadena Pueblo,Spain
Posts: 20,156
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?
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?
Mar 21st 2007, 4:15 am
#21
Forum Regular
Joined: Oct 2006
Location: Benalmadena Costa
Posts: 82
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.
If its a hire car they may not rent it to you.
Mar 21st 2007, 4:24 am
#22
Popping in for a chat
Joined: Jun 2006
Location: Back home
Posts: 4,573
Re: 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?
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?
Mar 21st 2007, 4:39 am
#23
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Joined: Jul 2003
Location: Benalmadena Pueblo,Spain
Posts: 20,156
Re: Driving Licence
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.
Mar 21st 2007, 4:53 am
#24
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Joined: Mar 2007
Location: Costa Valencia
Posts: 14,813
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.
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.
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
Mar 21st 2007, 5:16 am
#25
RETIRED ;-))
Joined: Jul 2003
Location: Benalmadena Pueblo,Spain
Posts: 20,156
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
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
Mar 21st 2007, 12:20 pm
#26
Forum Regular
Joined: Oct 2006
Location: Benalmadena Costa
Posts: 82
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.
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.
