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Driving licence exchange, latest news....

Driving licence exchange, latest news....

Old Jun 14th 2022, 8:01 am
  #76  
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Default Re: Driving licence exchange, latest news....

It's not often I'll defend many people on here but.... you need to read the posts properly. I was the person who went yesterday and I converted my UK license to an Italian license as a former Italian resident and current Spanish resident. Our good friend Mr. Chips only wrote the part about not applying for residency etc.

If you see below you will see that it is indeed possible to make an appointment on a Friday, attend on a Monday and have the temporary license the next morning. In fact it would have been the same day if their system was up and running.



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Old Jun 14th 2022, 8:07 am
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Default Re: Driving licence exchange, latest news....

Originally Posted by Barriej
That's interesting so what in effect anyone who exchanged a UK licence while the uk was still in the EU could then make another exchange if they moved to another EU country...
.
Fingers crossed, yes. On the temporary license they observe that it's being converted from an Italian license. The Italian license showed my old UK license number on the back. Time will tell and it may be more luck of how the person processing it interprets the rules.
Bomber quoted this, so I guess it's the correct interpretation:
Where a Member State exchanges a driving licence issued by a third country for a Community model driving licence, such exchange shall be recorded on the Community model driving licence as shall any subsequent renewal or replacement.Such an exchange may occur only if the licence issued by the third country has been surrendered to the competent authorities of the Member State making the exchange. If the holder of this licence transfers his normal residence to another Member State, the latter need not apply the principle of mutual recognition set out in Article 2.
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Old Jun 14th 2022, 8:16 am
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Default Re: Driving licence exchange, latest news....

Originally Posted by Stingychips
Sorry to break it to you but the only post I made was about me not applying for residency. Lol
Apologies, editied.
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Old Jun 15th 2022, 2:08 pm
  #79  
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Default Re: Driving licence exchange, latest news....

We are looking to move to Spain as soon as our house sale goes through. I am deeply concerned about the driving licence situation. We are in our 60's and would not want to take a Spanish driving test. What is the general feeling about new residents coming to Spain and exchanging licences. Will the Spanish government agree to this again? All the info I can find is referring to the awful situation that expats are facing at the moment regarding their licences no longer being valid.

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Old Jun 15th 2022, 2:11 pm
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Default Re: Driving licence exchange, latest news....

Originally Posted by Dahab
We are looking to move to Spain as soon as our house sale goes through. I am deeply concerned about the driving licence situation. We are in our 60's and would not want to take a Spanish driving test. What is the general feeling about new residents coming to Spain and exchanging licences. Will the Spanish government agree to this again? All the info I can find is referring to the awful situation that expats are facing at the moment regarding their licences no longer being valid.
No-one can say at the moment. I put the latest from the embassy in post 59.

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Old Jun 16th 2022, 5:32 am
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Default Re: Driving licence exchange, latest news....

Originally Posted by Dahab
We are looking to move to Spain as soon as our house sale goes through. I am deeply concerned about the driving licence situation. We are in our 60's and would not want to take a Spanish driving test. What is the general feeling about new residents coming to Spain and exchanging licences. Will the Spanish government agree to this again? All the info I can find is referring to the awful situation that expats are facing at the moment regarding their licences no longer being valid.
Depending on where you wish to live I would be inclined to wait. If you intend to buy a villa away from a town with no bus routes or walking to shops, banks etc not having a car would be impossible. If its a flat near shops etc not so bad. Without a car you will in all respects not really be able to live in spain. It is impossible to know what is happening. The UK government keep stressing how difficult the situation is but in reality they have had over 2 years to deal with this so we can assume there are more things going on that they dont want us to know. I think they will definitely announce a deal soon but it may just be another grace period for those who missed the first one but were considered to be legally living in Spain before Brexit. The UK government will then try and say this is a successful resolution but will ignore the fact that post brexit arrivals will not be able to exchange. I say this as the last bulletin seemed to be couched in this manner. That is just my opinion though and as Rosemary says no one knows so I would wait.
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Old Jun 16th 2022, 7:23 am
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Default Re: Driving licence exchange, latest news....

I really appreciate your replies they are very helpful. We will definitely put spain on the back burner until there is a proper resolution.
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Old Jun 16th 2022, 7:25 am
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Default Re: Driving licence exchange, latest news....

Originally Posted by astera
Is it possible to stay in Ireland for a while and convert to that one first? That should then make it easier to convert to a Spanish one...

P.S. I bet you might possibly even get an Australian one converted since Australia will convert a Spanish one without any tests...
In Aus you still have to do a written test to convert your overseas licence and there is a cost to do this.
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Old Jun 16th 2022, 7:54 am
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Default Re: Driving licence exchange, latest news....

The situation is entirely of UK's making and could be remedied more or less at the stroke of a pen.

The fact that, even in the face of Spain's refusal to grant yet another extension at the end of April, agreement has still not been reached does not bode well for it happening anytime soon if at all. The offer from Spain to immediately restore driving privileges should an agreement be reached again demonstrates a desire to help resolve the problem rather than hinder it as some sort of punishment for leaving the EU as some frivolously suggest.

Personally I'm not as optimistic as Ronnieone and I've heard from other sources that exchanges for some who registered in 2020 have in fact been been taking place albeit glacially slowly. If that is so then no deal is necessary on that front so if one is on the cards it's going to have to be all or nothing and that as I said could be brought about almost instantly - if there were the will.

https://questions-statements.parliam...022-05-25/8969

https://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans...3285.h&s=spain
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Old Jun 16th 2022, 10:42 am
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Default Re: Driving licence exchange, latest news....

Agreed. There's more to this than meets the eye, but why maintain the secrecy?
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Old Jun 16th 2022, 10:44 am
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This is of course the UK who caused the problem and it irks me to read Murdoch's loathsome uk papers now trying to pretend the uk are innocent victims of a vindictive EU. I too am convinced that this could have be solved over 2 years ago but what we do know is that the UK doesn't want Spain to be able to track down UK drivers who are responsible for traffic infringements in Spain. And they don't want this because it is at the core of Brexit- that the UK wants complete control over everything. Allowing Spain to access uk citizens data gets Brexiteers in a real fuming rage and they are the ones controlling all these stupid attempts to fix deals.
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Old Jun 16th 2022, 12:02 pm
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Default Re: Driving licence exchange, latest news....

Not only Murdoch. A publication in Spain (named after a piece of machinery designed to extract oil from a fruit) had an item about on their front page. It included quotes from one of their staff who was listed as one of the "victims" who had fallen foul, not able to drive in Spain now despite having lived here 20+ years!
Not that I would expect much different, but hypocrisy at it's best.
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Old Jun 16th 2022, 12:57 pm
  #88  
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Default Re: Driving licence exchange, latest news....

Originally Posted by VEDShappy
Not only Murdoch. A publication in Spain (named after a piece of machinery designed to extract oil from a fruit) had an item about on their front page. It included quotes from one of their staff who was listed as one of the "victims" who had fallen foul, not able to drive in Spain now despite having lived here 20+ years!
Not that I would expect much different, but hypocrisy at it's best.
Strange that they highlighted someone who should have had a Spanish licence for all of those years.

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Old Jun 16th 2022, 1:05 pm
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Default Re: Driving licence exchange, latest news....

I read that article and could scarcely believe them naming a member of their own staff who supposedly has been living in Spain for 23 years.

If you think about that for a moment that has to mean that she's illegally renewed her UK licence with a bogus address at least 3 times, some example!
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Old Jun 16th 2022, 1:05 pm
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Default Re: Driving licence exchange, latest news....

Yes and even more so given that it's one of their staff.
I did email and suggest that they do a feature where she could explain why she didn't comply with the law and why she (and others) should now receive our sympathy and special treatment.
Needless to say I haven't had a reply.
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