Hi

I am moving to Spain and have held a full Uk driving licence for 2 months. I would like to buy a basic moped. I heard I must have had a licence for 1 year. Is this true as I will be converting my licence to Spanish and taking Spanish residency? Any help most grateful.

Your licence is only valid if you are over 18 in Spain.
If you have a 250 moped I think you need to have held the car licence for 6 years, but smaller you may be ok.
The age limit used to be 14 to drive a moped but has just gone up, the kids take like a proficiency test to be allowed to drive, do you speak Spanish ?

Do a search this forum as this has been covered lots of times. ;-)

it hasn't gone up yet jdr, for a 50cc


at the moment (until sept 2010) you can take a moped test at the age of 14 I know, because my now 13 year old is delighted that she'll get in before the law changes

I don't know if this is right - but if you are converting your full licence to a spanish one, I can't see why you wouldn't be able to ride a moped on that licence

I'm happy to be corrected if I'm wrong, though

Yeah she will probably be ok on a 50cc with her licence, ok if you don`t live in the mountains. ;-)).

Thanks guys. Im over 18 so hopefully will be ok. Thanks for the help :-)

If you have a UK car licence you can drive a moped in Spain. If fact, in Spain, moped licences are cancelled when you get a proper licence.

There is no minimum time requirement.

If you wish to drive a scooter/motorbike up to 125cc you can do this on a car licence but you must have held it for 3 years.

Thanks for your reply Fred, thats a relief, didn't fancy a push-bike in the sun :-)

Lots of people mix mopeds and scooters up without realising there is a difference, so to expand on your post and put it into context:
Moped

• Looks like a bicycle
• Has bicycle pedals to start the engine
• Looks pretty ridiculous
• Has a maximum engine size (displacement) of 49cc

Typical moped
Example: the vehicle Peter Parker delivers pizzas with in Spiderman.

Scooter

• Is what many people think of when they read/say 'mopeds'
• Doesn't look so ridiculous
• Has no pedals
• Engine size goes from 49cc-600cc depending on model

Typical scooter
Example: the original Vespa.

What this means is you can buy and ride a <50cc bike (in Spanish this type of vehicle is called a 'ciclomotor') as soon as you hold a driving licence. It can be either a moped or a scooter.

Note: I think in English 'moped' also has a separate definition equivalent to the Spanish 'ciclomotor', i.e. any vehicle with <50cc displacement.

Whatever you do, please don't interfere with the silencer.

I believe a MOPED in uk refers to a motorcycle of less than 50cc designed / limited to 30 mph / 50 kph.

These days the limiter is usually an electronic device which is easily fiddled with

How do they get away with it? You would have thought they would fail their ITV inspections.

You mean to say that putting a 75cc piston and lightweight bearings and bigger carburetor and racing air filter and a race exhaust isn't a good idea? You crazy, mang. vr vr vrooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooom *farts in tin can* *rides off into the sunset*.

Yeah, I meant any two wheeled vehicle, oops. Moped is an ambiguous word

Up until March this year there was no ITV for ciclomotores. Even now all you need is an afternoon before the ITV to make it street legal, and another afternoon after the ITV to put it back. Also the law is being put into effect in stages based on the last three letters of registration plates, so until October or thereabouts there will be bikes exempt of ITV.

Anyone know of a beaten up 125 for sale near Gandia.Might as well get it pre-bashed as a week parking in Gandia would see it that way anyway.

You are not likely to have it more than a week if you park it in Gandia

Nah I'll be OK I live in the posh part.