But did you explain that you were visiting the UK on a temporary basis and were normally resident outside the UK?

I have emailed them with that specific question and will post their response when I get it.

So how do you feel about people who have car licences being able to just jump on a Yamaha raptor 660cc quad bike ? Because that is perfectly legal too!!

I'm assuming it's the same in Spain when it comes to quad bikes as it's classed as four wheels it comes under car driving licence not bike, I think it is completely stupid to just let anybody drive one of those things they are lethal!!

But as far as a twist and go moped goes I don't see the problem it's just common sense isn't it.

And what about people having only just passed their test being able to get behind the wheel of a Ferrari or porsche or for that matter a Ford Focus that can do 140mph. or someone jumping into an automatic when they've only ever driven a manual - you can kill someone at 30mph.

It has always been the case that you learn to drive after passing your test.

As long as you have been taught how to control the vehicle you are operating, be it a motorcyle, quad or car, it's all about the highway code, the rules of the road. If you've been driving a car for twenty years why should you have to pass another test just to ride a motorcyle?

Now an HGV, that's a bit differnt, when you've got 25 tonnes sat in your trailer you have to learn your stopping distances.

I have just received an email from the DVLA stating:-


Providing your UK licence is still valid, you will be covered to drive when you return as a visitor even if it is displaying an old address.


I'm not surprised they gave you the wrong information. It took me four emails before they managed to give me an answer that related to the question!

That is precisely the point I was making. If Spanish law allows someone to jump on a (geared) bike simply by virtue of having held a car licence for a period of time it is a disaster waiting to happen.

The reasoning behind this is that without a UK style CBT, people may not have been taught how to control the bike. Driving a car for a few years doesn't mean you automatically know how to operate a bike.

Using your feet to change gear and hands to operate throttle (accelerator), brake and clutch is alien to someone who has only ever done it the other way around in a car. Then of course you have the small matter of balance to deal with. You can't just fall off a car when you come to a stop at a junction!

Twist n go scoots are an entirely different matter. Twist to go faster, brake to go slower. The rest is road sense which should be natural to most experienced car drivers.

It doesn't help when consulting firms are giving out advice that say otherwise.

"One of the conditions of holding a UK licence is that the address it is registered to is your PERMANENT place of residence, if you are living in Spain and using a family address then you are falsifying information to obtain this licence."
Driving Licences in Spain - Costa Med ConsultingCosta Med Consulting

... but that is absolutely correct.

If you are UK resident then the address must be correct.

If you live in Spain, then you must NOT use a false address (family address for example) - presumably to get a new licence (otherwise you wouldn't bother changing it)


What's the problem?

I don't think we were talking about getting a brand new, first licence I wasn't anyway). If that were the case you would be UK resident (to be taking your test in the UK?)

I'm looking at it from the point of view of Mr X moving to Spain and then later renewing his (UK) licence (with the DVLA) and still using his old UK address.

The point here is that Fred has been told by DVLA that you can have your old address on your licence but the advice I linked to states you cannot have anything but your permanent address.

Obviously the correct way to do it is renew in Spain and why residents would want to retain their UK address is beyond me anyway, but people evidently do.

Still seems the majority of accidents on the roads with motorised bikes involve the 50cc twist and go.I've been here a fair amount of time and can't remember reading anything about ex-pats on 125'5 being in accidents,which I'm sure the Spanish press would highlighted if any had happened.

I meant to say "new" as in replacement because the old one has expired (they expire every 10 years normally).


It is certainly illegal to apply for a UK licence (new or replacement) if you live in Spain.

As you say, why people don't simply exchange it for a Spanish one is beyond me!!!

The higher proportion of twist n go accidents is probably down to the fact that a greater number of people think they can jump on one and go than think they can ride a (geared) bike.

If 100 people jumped on a TwistnGo for the first time and 40 had an accident... how many of that same group of first time riders do you think would have stayed on the 125?

I would like to think it's down to common sense that people don't just assume they can climb on a bike with no prior instruction in operating one that keeps the numbers down.

That doesn't surprise me - they clearly don't bother to check their facts.

It's also quite clear in the sticky section at the top of the forum about driving licences and that has been there for some time.

This is also from the DVLA.


National licences may only carry an address from the country which issued that licence. We are therefore unable to re-issue your British licence with an overseas address.

It is accepted that drivers who move to another part of the EC/EEA could be holding a licence showing an incorrect address.

This is permissible under the terms of the EC Directive on Driving Licences.

So there seems to be no problem then

Hang on... I never said there was a problem. I said:

I stand by what I said. I find it quite disturbing that Spain allows people to just climb on a 125cc machine based on holding a car licence for 3 years.

The fact that most sensible people don't appear to attempt to do what the Spanish say they can do doesn't make it less disturbing

I think you will find that the vast majority of car drivers that exercise this option just want to drive a scooter.

I know a number of people who have done this and the last thing they want to drive is a 125cc motorbike.

The kids brought up on mopeds would love to upgrade to a 125cc bike, but there is no way they can afford to get a car licence and then wait 3 years.

Personally, I don't think it is an issue. Most experienced car drivers are perfectly capable of driving an automatic scooter safely.