Spanish motorcycle licence
 

Hi all,

Changing my U.K car licence over to Spanish shortly which is no problem but I also I want to buy myself a high powered scooter soon, can you do a separate motorcycle test or is it just one driving licence in Spain which has to be a A1 licence to drive cars and ride motorbikes above 125cc ?

im a bit confused as in the U.K. it’s two completely different tests and licences etc, I’m thinking do I need to do it all together when changing my licence over ?

anybody on this forum who rides motorbikes on a Spanish licence with any knowledge on the subject or anybody that knows please let me know 😆

thanks

T

Re: Spanish motorcycle licence
 

It's exactly the same here in Spain as in UK. You need at least two tests. One BIG difference is that if you have passed your car test ("B") then after 3 (?) years, you can drive any bike up to 125cc

However, to get an "A" licence (all bikes), you would first need to get an "A1" and then wait for a couple of years before taking the "A" test.

If you already have other categories (A, A1 etc.) then these are carried over when you exchange your licence. Remember though that UK licences can no longer be exchanged!

Re: Spanish motorcycle licence
 

What a great question & something i had not thought about maybe cause our retirement plans are 1-3 years away. We already have a property in Spain & the plan was to retire in Spain.My partner & i have full UK driving Lic's with full motorcycle lic's for our garage full of sports bikes from 600cc to 1000cc. Is it a case of us having to do the car test & motorcycle test again if we were to take up SPanish residency ?
Any links appreciated & i will go off & read

thanks
a

Re: Spanish motorcycle licence
 

At the moment any UK licence holder who becomes a Spanish resident will need to do a test. This might change in the future but current regulations require a Spanish test ( the practical which is done in Spanish)

Re: Spanish motorcycle licence
 

Thanks for reply Chipmonk - once this test is done, do you know if that allows us the entitlement we had on our UK Lic ie M/bikes etc , sorry to be a pain

Re: Spanish motorcycle licence
 

You would need to pass Spanish driving test for bike and car. Spanish car licence allows you to ride up to 125 only. Not sure if you do separate theory test for bike and car .

Re: Spanish motorcycle licence
 

Thanks Bobd22 - unhappy now...... boo hoo

Re: Spanish motorcycle licence
 

Also, you would have to take at least three (3) tests.

(1) firstly for the car
(2) then for A1
(3) then after 2 or 3 years you would need to take A to allow you to ride bigger bikes.

It's a bit of a mess given you have already proved competency

Re: Spanish motorcycle licence
 

That would gives you time to sit the tests before you make the move?
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/british...96f76b7a38.jpg

Re: Spanish motorcycle licence
 

Doesn't work like that I'm afraid, Spanish residency comes first, driving licence(s) second.

You can certainly study in advance for the theory test though.

Re: Spanish motorcycle licence
 

If you have passed your test once in the UK then it really shouldn’t be that hard to pass again in Spain especially if you have been driving or riding for a while.

Re: Spanish motorcycle licence
 

Apart from having to learn Spanish!!

Re: Spanish motorcycle licence
 

should know basic castellano if your living in Spain this day and age.

Re: Spanish motorcycle licence
 

That's a bit of a throwaway comment. What's basic Castiliano? to take a driving test one would need to speak sufficient to not only answer questions but receive and respond to specific instructions quickly. Also ones ability to learn a new language is different for all of us. You may have found learning Spanish easy many don't, we are all different.

Re: Spanish motorcycle licence
 

My ex did her Spanish test and she spoke C1 level Spanish. She said that it was stressful as the examiner had a strong accent from Murcia and she said she was asked questions about oil, wheel changing etc so I very much doubt basic Spanish ( whatever that means) would be sufficient

Re: Spanish motorcycle licence
 

I for one am sincerely hoping they reach agreement of the licence exchange , we are moving over early next year and I hold a car licence, motor cycle, and HGV class 1. I would hate to have to go through that lot again.....

Re: Spanish motorcycle licence
 

I am not sure there is an agreement to be made in the reciprocal sense. 3rd country nationals in UK need UK licences but seeing as they also need English language as a residential requirement it is not something they complain about. Brits unfortunately are still having to adjust to a world that can equally regard them as immigrants and the disadvantages that carries

Re: Spanish motorcycle licence
 

SNAP!!!

Re: Spanish motorcycle licence
 

Since when has the ability to speak English been a requirement for residency? Citizenship yes.

Spain has agreeemnts with nearly 30 non EU countries to exchange licences - why should an agreemnt with the UK be a problem, especially as current UK licences already meet the EU requirements. It's only a matter of when, not if.

Re: Spanish motorcycle licence
 

Fingers crossed Fred

Re: Spanish motorcycle licence
 

To obtain a UK Visa you need proof of English Language. Even a spouse of a UK national needs English Language as a residency requirement.

Re: Spanish motorcycle licence
 

I wonder if anyone has considered the difficulty a poor English speaker would have when reading the rules, in English, for residency when it says, "Leave to Remain" and two of the definitions of 'leave'.
Maybe that is part of the test.

Re: Spanish motorcycle licence
 

Thanks for the replies but I’m still as confused as I was in the beginning so I’ll be a bit more specific...

I only recently became a Spanish resident but been in Spain for a long time, unfortunately i have fell into the bracket of people that need to take a Spanish driving test (car) to obtain a licence which I’m not worried about as I speak generally good Spanish and you can do it all in English in Torrevieja anyway lol

but what I do want to do is buy a Honda X-ADV 750cc scooter in which you need (carnet A2) to ride one, it is not a geared motorbike it’s a rev and go scooter but very fast,

I would just like to know if I can go to some sort of training centre specifically to obtain a carnet A2 ??

or like somebody said in this thread do you need to obtain the A1 first and be competent upto a certain cc for a while before you can get the A2 ??

something about that rings familiar with the U.K. actually now I think about it 🤔

if this is all the case then that is my Honda X-ADV 750cc idea out the window isn’t it haha!!

on the back of my U.K. car driving licence I have A and AM for motorbikes, I did have a 125cc scooter on my U.K. driving licence in Spain a few years back, might just have to get one of those again 🤣

Re: Spanish motorcycle licence
 

Here's some information re what you ask. One thing is A2 is not necessarily about engine size but engine power max 35 BHP. Some bikes are capable of having the power output restricted. Also I believe (I may be wrong) but as you will need to take the Spanish car test that would make you a new driver with requirement to display the green L plate for 12 months. I think you have to have held the Spanish car licence for a set period of time before it allows you to drive up to 125 motorbike?
https://www.healthplanspain.com/blog...-in-spain.html

Re: Spanish motorcycle licence
 

https://www.diariomotor.com/noticia/...xamen-a2-2021/


this sounds promising

Re: Spanish motorcycle licence
 

oh yea I think you’re right..... maybe have to wait 3 years. You never know though.... we will probably be able to swap the U.K. licenses again soon lol

Re: Spanish motorcycle licence
 

Please give a link to where that is stated - I couldn’t find one.

Re: Spanish motorcycle licence
 

Sorry for the formatting, but is this it?

"You may be eligible for settlement (indefinite leave to remain) if your partner is:

• a British citizen
• settled in the UK

If you’re 18 to 64 years old when you apply you must also:

• pass the Life in the UK Test
• meet the English language requirements"

https://www.gov.uk/settle-in-the-uk/...h-your-partner

Re: Spanish motorcycle licence
 

Family visas: apply, extend or switch: Knowledge of English - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
There are some exceptions, such as those aged 65+, from predominantly English speaking country, with mental incapacity etc, but usually you have to show English speaking ability by passing an approved test at A1 level or above, degree taught in English. To extend your stay after 2.5 years, you need language test pass at A2 or higher. For settlement (indefinite leave to remain), it's B1.

Re: Spanish motorcycle licence
 

I can honestly say at nearly 60 years old learning Spanish is not easy, well t isn’t easy for me 😂 I did duolingo for 12 months and I have been having lessons for the last 5 months, my teacher said only last night it generally takes 4 years to become competent, there will certainly of course be exceptions due to starting at younger ages 😁

Re: Spanish motorcycle licence
 

Yes , as I said- if you want to be a resident in UK you need the language. I imagine most Brits think that is reasonable. The same goes for having a driving licence. Dont think the police would be too happy having to deal with traffic violations with drivers who cant understand anything. Cant see why Brits in Spain think it should be different for them!

Re: Spanish motorcycle licence
 

Thanks for that, but there seem to be many exceptions especially the over 65 exception. There is no evidence in those requirements to suggest a good reason for the UK not to offer a reciprocal agreement to which is what we are talking about.

Re: Spanish motorcycle licence
 

A few years ago there was the introduction of Universal Healthcare brought in by the government and lots of ex-pats ( including a well known website) insisted that the law applied to them and that free healthcare was available irrespective of status. Reports of persons being given SiP cards in Valencia etc were circulated on the forum and it was argued that it was simply a matter of time until all regions applied it. That was over 2 years ago and of course nothing of the sort has ever happened....so I wouldn't bet on changes happening just because it seems reasonable and beneficial to one national group

Re: Spanish motorcycle licence
 

If there was a will then it could have been done long long before now so I'm afraid I do not share your optimism.

It's not as if UK didn't recognise the potential problems with exchanges as in March 2018 they moved to ratify the 1968 Vienna Convention to which hitherto they had been only signatories. That ratification facilitated the exchange of licences from all the other nations which had similarly ratified the convention. Unfortunately Spain were, and still are, only signatories and it's their failure to similarly ratify which is the root cause of the whole situation. Even now if they ratified the problem would vanish.

I agree that a UK photocard licence is in the EU format and fully compliant with the directives, it was in fact one of the first to introduced the licence following the directive coming into force in 1998, sadly however since the end of the transition period that counts for nought.

At present then it's as if you had never had a licence at all and therefore for all intents and purposes you are a beginner no different to any Spaniard learning to drive for the first time and subject to the same conditions and restrictions.

As regards the OP, if he registered for an exchange before Jan 1st this year he should be given the option (may have to ask) of having all his existing groups transferred over but with requirements for repeat periodic medicals for groups above B and BE.