growinspain

As no agreement has been reached, tomorrow May 1 anyone who has lived in Spain for more than 6 months & is using a UK issued license, it will be illegal to drive here for you in Spain.

Fred James

Brexit just keeps on giving!

Barriej

Not a brexit issue, its to do with the driving regulations implemented by the EU when the Uk were still members and who signed up to it.

It was to have a connected system involving photo id type cards which would allow the Police in all countries to see that licences were valid across the EU.
The only 2 countries to not sign and ratify this were the UK and Spain.
The Uk were forced to adopt it because they were the only EU country that still had paper licences.
The 10 year renewal was also introduced to all Eu countries as well.
Spain accepted the regulation, but didn't bother to ratify it as they already had photo id licences.
So its Spain that is causing this issue as you can still (I think) either drive of exchange Uk to other EU without issue.
And all Eu citizens can drive in the Uk until they need to renew and then I don't know what happens (or care really).

Joppa

Nothing has changed. They must renew (get UK licence) when hitting 70, and those who became UK resident aged 68 or over can drive for 3 years before they need to renew. And there is no test to pass for obtaining UK licence - just surrender their EU licence, complete form D1 and pay a fee of £43.

Barriej

*sarcastic on.
Wasn't that nice of the Uk government to think of all the immigrants coming or already in the Uk?
Shame they didn't care about those who wish to leave at some point. *sarcastic off.

But that may have been the point, why let lots of OAP's etc leave and take all those benefits (pension) paid out by the Uk but spent abroad... Tut tut...

Alectryon

I worked all of my life in the UK, paid my taxes and got my pension. I will spend it where I damn well please.

bfg69bug

i can hear all the threads coming towards us...

"help, i got pulled over and my licence isnt legal, how very dare they, then NEED us to live here..."

Lefty2021

I wonder how many British will bury there head in the sand and continue driving, I can imagine the caravan park residents on the Costas being targeted for spot checks

growinspain

It is funny that none of the british rags (newspapers/web sites) here in Spain have not reported on the deadline... That will be their excuse," it was not in the newspaper / website"..

Loafing Along

There you go :

https://spanishnewstoday.com/breakin...ottom_navigate

Notdunroamin

Those who were resident well before Dec 31st 2021 really have only themselves to blame if they failed to take advantage of an exchange whilst it was still possible.

Those who have come after and on visas have known from the start that their licences were only going to be valid for 6 months so equally have no grounds for complaint if they have not taken steps toward taking a Spanish test.

The only ones who I think are getting a raw deal are those who, as instructed by DGT, registered their licences with DGT for exchange but through no fault of their own have become victims of DGT's inertia and inefficiency, quite why they should be included in the ban I don't know.

In that last group there will be a few who, subsequent to Jan 1st 2021 and even though they had registered with DGT, illegally renewed an expiring UK licence only to discover that the new licence, bereft of the EU flag, was no longer considered a EU one and therefore ineligible for exchange, I doubt they saw that one coming!

Stingychips

I think becoming a permanent resident in Spain is becoming more and more difficult to do. Best just staying 90 days then move on to where ever. If your a digital nomad or someone that can work from home like so many these days can do.

bobd22

No more difficult than for any other non EU 3rd Country National?

bitmanev

that 90 days within 180 days counts for all EU so the only move will be out of EU

DLC

I think 31st of Dec 2020 was the final date the DGT could validate UK driving licences with the DVLA. If you registered your intent to exchange between November 2020 (when it went live) and the end of December 2020 then the DGT would validate it and you could exchange your licence at a later appointment.

Otherwise all efforts since then should have been spent on passing a Spanish driving test.

But hindsight is 20/20.