Re: EU Driving Licence - new rules??
 

The hassle of changing it is nothing compared to the hassle the Guardia can give you if they decide to dislike your "foreign" licence, irrespective of what the law says. They have this strange notion that residents of Spain should have Spanish licences!

Most of the time they are pretty happy about it but if they decide they don't like you it just gives them another excuse.

As for exchanging it, you fill in a form, get a couple of photos and take it to Trafico. You get the new one in the post. It's fair to say that it can take some time but you get a receipt for the old one (taking a copy is a good idea) which will satisfy the Guardia.

The only problem I have heard of is if you wish to hire a car outside Spain in the interim period then they may not accept the documentation that Trafico give you.

Do it when you are not planning to go anywhere, and for a couple, don't do both at the same time.

Re: EU Driving Licence - new rules??
 

1. To keep any extra categories permitted to drive due to the holding of a UK licence for many decades.
2. If you wish to rent a car in the UK the rental company can easily check validity with DVLA (except on Sundays) even if you have forgotten your licence.
3. It is European law requiring mutual recognition of driving licences so it your right as a UK national to retain your UK licence.
4. If you return to the UK at any future date your licence just carries on being valid, no need to change it back to a UK licence again.
5. If you happen to also have a vehicle in the UK, the insurance company there will want you to hold a UK licence.
6. In some countries (well outside Europe) they accept a UK driving licence together with your UK passport to hire a car but they will not accept that a UK passport holder has a Spanish driving licence, and they dont care about any Spanish papers re residencia, they dont understand.


And a valid current UK contact address is not a blag address at all.

All that doesnt go against following the rules when living in Spain.

Re: EU Driving Licence - new rules??
 

my licence address is the local hairdresser.if any one wants me .they have never heard of me.if any mail comes they just forward it.

Re: EU Driving Licence - new rules??
 

some of them catogries on your licence only apply to the uk.they are not valid out side unless they are vocational catigorys eg hgv or psv ect

Re: EU Driving Licence - new rules??
 

Assuming from all your negativity betris that you have exchanged your licence for a Spanish licence you will have noticed that they dont have any address on the card these days.

Re: EU Driving Licence - new rules??
 

betris, you do what you want to do, others will do what they want to do but the sh1te you post does nothing to inform those who wish to make their decisions on facts. It really is a waste of time answering to you.

Re: EU Driving Licence - new rules??
 

not a dogs chance..all I am doing is pointing out things,you may have no dealings with the bad man in trafico or mr plod I have and belive me if they want you they will get you irrispective of eu laws and all that crap.

Re: EU Driving Licence - new rules??
 

has your boat spung a leek or some thing,you seem a bit touchy.its not crap check out dvlc,some catogrys are not validout side uk and you say yes you can do this and do that,but when they want you they want you.I have even been held in the uk because my licence was not tied to a voters register and I had no other proof on me it was on a police.customs.dhss and ministry raod side check.

Re: EU Driving Licence - new rules??
 

A road side spell check perhaps?:)

Re: EU Driving Licence - new rules??
 

were I come from spelling dosnt matter so mutch.its the person who comes first not wether he has gob stoppers in his gob or he pretends to be intelectual but i see what you mean.that was said in a french accent

Re: EU Driving Licence - new rules??
 

1. You keep the same categories but the renewal period may be different. I do know people who have claimed to have problems with this but theoretically it should not be a problem since homologation of EU licence categories.
2. So a Spaniard with a Spanish licence will have problems renting a car in the UK?
3. True but the argument is that there is less potential hassle if you opt to exchange.
4.It's a very simple process to change it back and the Spanish licence is valid for a period after your return to the UK to allow for the transition.
5. No, they will require a licence that is valid in the UK. A Spanish licence is valid in the UK just as a UK licence is valid in the Spain.
6. Probably the only valid reason I have come across for retaining a UK licence. You can get round this by getting (illegally but easily) a second UK licence before you exchange it for a Spanish licence. This will probably be OK in countries outside the EU but don't risk using a "lost" UK licence in the UK.

Re: EU Driving Licence - new rules??
 

It wus a joak Betis. Geddit?

:sneaky::sneaky::sneaky::sneaky:

Re: EU Driving Licence - new rules??
 

I know it was.but I do need to use the spell check.