hi all,

my OH is Gibraltarian, we are looking to buy a Spanish plated car, can he drive it without problems on a Gibraltar driving license?

thanks
Em

Quote:
[B]If you are a Spanish resident, no.
Except in special circumstances. Example taking it for a test drive, picking up someone from the airport when the owner can't drive for some reason, but in general the answer is as Valenciatim said, NO

That would also apply to anyone if they are Resident even if they have a foreign DL.

I copied the above from a duplicate post by Emma

errrr - no

the other question was not as on this thread

Hi,

Sorry the post wasn't an exact duplicate....

The first asks if he can drive a Spanish car with a Gib license...

The second asks if I can drive a Gib car with a Spanish license.....

I thought that differnet people may know the different answers, hence why 2 posts!

As a couple that are thinking of downsizing to 1 car (as the OH also has a bike that he regularly drives to work in Gib) it is difficult trying to work out what would be legal for both of us to drive!

I suspect the answer is pretty much the same to both though

do I remember rightly that you have a spanish driving license?

if so, then no, if you're resident in Spain you can't long-term drive a car plated anywhere else

I have no idea though about Gib nationals/residents though driving Spanish plated cars in Spain - is that more or less the same as British?

It's all soooo confusing!

Looks like we won't be able to share a car afterall!

does he live in Spain too?

could he not just swap his license?

Sorry Emma for my error re the two posts, But the answer was effectively the same.

If a person is resident in Spain (in normal circumstances) they cannot drive a foreign registered car in Spain. The kind of licence is not relevant to that.

If you OH is resident he too cannot drive a Gib plated car here.

A non resident I am sure can drive a Spanish car on a Gib Licence, just like say a Brit or a German here on holiday. A resident can drive a Spanish car on a UK licence too.

Not really confusing, just inconvenient if one is trying to circumnavigation the law.

I wish it were that simple...

I am a full Spanish resident, so it seems that I am not allowed to drive his Gib car....

He is a policeman in Gib so has to be very careful and law-abiding! We live in spain together as he just needed an NIE to buy his house here, but is a full Gib national...So all-in-all he cannot swap his licence for a Spanish one......

So it looks like the new car will have to be Gib plates (he is buying it so I can't argue).... and then at least he is legal....

I just will have to drive the old heap whilst he has the sparkling new car

It is that simple. He can drive his car in Spain. You cannot. If wee able to swap his DL it would alter the situation as it is now.

I've had a thought...

If the new car he were to buy was on Spanish plates...
The car would be in his name....
It is not his main mode of transport as he has his bike...
Can he therefore drive it on his Gib licence?
In the same way as people who are from the UK that have a holiday home here and a holiday car, drive their Spanish holiday car with their UK licence...

Would that work?

Also if he were to swap his Gib licence for a Spanish one....is he then totally legal? Spanish car, Spanish licence, NIE number, homeowner but Gib national?

Ps. My head hurts

that's what I've been wondering


ask a policeman


you really want to drive the shiny new one, don't you

Yes I really really want to drive the shiny new one

Can you imagine how horrible it would be, a 2010 beauty next to my 1994 heap and I'm not allowed to drive it!

I need to ask a Spanish policeman...
May start phoning around Insuarance companies on Monday as well, see if they can help....and get my OH to phone trafico...

As the song say, 'By Jove, I think she's got it'

He does not need to change his licence. AS a visitor to Spain I am pretty sure he can drive a Spanish reg car. But as someone said, to be absolutely sure get him to ask the Guardia. (at the border maybe)

but he lives in Spain................