del.Almendro

We are non-resident but keep a Spanish-registered and insured car at our holiday home in Spain. There is currently no need for an IDP to drive a British-registered car in Spain while on holiday there for a few weeks but is it OK to drive our Spanish-registered car using our UK driving licences without IDP. We are UK-residents visiting Spain for 3 weeks.

Can't find a definitive answer anywhere official.

Notdunroamin

Technically yes but be prepared to prove that you are non resident if asked to.

If you have an NIE then the police ought to be able to check you at the roadside, if you don't then a passport with an entry stamp, ideally coupled with a return ticket for under 90 days later, should do the trick.

Incidentally it's being claimed in some quarters that some insurers are refusing new cover or renewals for customers with UK licence holders so may be worth asking the question of yours.

del.Almendro

Thanks Notdunroamin.

We have NIEs and return tickets for 20th July. Just need to make sure we get passport stamps at Faro when we arrive on Saturday, constantly moving goalposts permitting.

I'm minded to purchase IDPs anyway; belts and braces an' all that. We would need two each as we also drive in Portugal and they use a different IDP, same as the French one.

del.Almendro

We matriculated our car last December and insured in Spain with Liberty Seguros who accepted we are non-resident. We've had our holiday home insurance with them for 15 years on the same basis, so hopefully nowt will change. Find out at renewal I guess!

missile

I don't believe you are legal to drive a spanish registered car which you own with a UK license.
You might want to verify with Police local.
It is unlikely to be a problem unless you have an accident or get stopped for a traffic offence. Then it is a bit late to find out :-(

del.Almendro

It is quite legal for a non-resident to acquire a Spanish registered car. One has to be resident to acquire a Spanish driving licence.

We have non-resident motor insurance and the insurer holds our UK driving licence details. The policy document specifically describes this scenario.

Red Eric

It's not required in Portugal - this from the relevant authority :
BREXIT: FAQ – Driving licences

frigilianafreddy

Rest Assured your passport will get a nice inky stamp at the airport. No doubt about that unless you are resident here and have the documentation on you.

Notdunroamin

From another forum:

Yesterday went to Alicante airport to hire a car but was informed that as of the previous day a UK paper licence is not valid unless you have an international driving licence. This was not the case 3 weeks ago and no one informed us of the change. Please be warned. Fortunately one of us has a photo card licence and this is acceptable. Have looked on the web and can find no confirmation of this change.


How typical that people think it's someone else's responsibility to keep them abreast of theses things.

Plonker.

Stingychips

We got rid of paper licences in the UK years ago. Not one uses them anyway.

Barriej

If you haven't moved house and your paper licence was issued before 31st march 2000 its still valid. There are probably thousands of OAP's with them because these also did not have a renewal date.
The counterpart was abolished in 2015.

My sister who is 55 still has her paper licence as she has been in the same house since she passed her test in 1986, there has been no need or requirement for her to change it.
As far as using one to hire a car, she has been able to but needed to give the code from the DVLA. I and any others who have a photo card one have not (used to rent everywhere in the EU up till last year)

It was the EU that said all licences must be photo card and as the Uk is no longer part of the EU it can do what it likes.

DLC

Well he didn't look very hard then.

https://www.gov.uk/driving-abroad/in...driving-permit

Notdunroamin

The EU directive demands that from Jan 2013 all EU licences must be photocard however non EU licences which do not bear a photo, like the UK paper one, must be accompanied by an IDP which does.

Red Eric

Do you have a link to the relevant text?