carlar

Hi,

I have a UK automatic licence, I have now moved to Spain and want to buy a car. Can I buy an automatic car in Spain? Is my automatic licence valid here? I have searched and searched on line and cannot find an answer. Please can some give me any advice possible? Also if I were to convert my UK licence into a Spainish licence would I have a full licence so could drive a manual as in Spain they do not have automatic licences?

jdr

Your UK licence is valid in Spain until expiry date, subject to the driving conditions on it and Spains medical conditions.
To get a full Spanish Licence I reckon you would have to take a test as they would not just swop it, although you might be lucky.

jonnyx

Your licence are valid in the entire EU on the same premises as i UK. If you later on will convert your licence to a Spanish, then it will have the same limitations as your old one.

snikpoh

Is that really the case given that the OP has not passed a MANUAL driving test and the Spanish licences don't work the same as in UK in this regard?

Fred James

No problems with a UK "Auto" licence. Your UK licence will carry the EU restriction code 78 which means you can only drive automatic vehicles.

If you exchange your licence the Spanish licence will show the same restriction code.

There are many reasons why you might be limited to automatic cars - not just because you haven't passed a test in a manual car.

Dxf

Hi

Sorry to disagree, BUT you can only exchange a full driving licence and an Automatic only licence is NOT a full licence. I know two ladies who have had major problems with this peculiar British anomoly and had to resit the test.

If someone cares to tell me the law has changed in the last few months, please tell me chapter and verse

Davexf

CAMPOCHICK34

In answer to the OP :

Yes you can buy an automatic car in Spain

Your automatic licence is valid here, however if Spain is your permanent residence, then you will need to change it for an equivalent Spanish one.

It is quite an easy procedure requiring a medical, eye and co-ordination exam. Then download the form from the dgt website (or pop into your local Trafico and pick one up), complete it, provide the necessary documentation and payment (around €26.26) and apply for it there and then.

It takes around 5-6 weeks from start to finish.

Your new Spanish licence will have, as Fred says, the EU restriction code 78 on it.

Good luck

snikpoh

Why do people keep saying this? It's COMPLETELY false!

If you have an EU driving licence then it is valid in Spain until either the card expires (in which case you will have to get a Spanish one unless you have a UK address) or until the licence expires due to your age.

To my knowledge, there is no legal requirement to change an EU licence for a Spanish one!

CAMPOCHICK34

This is what I was advised at Trafico and elsewhere. If you have a UK driving licence, then :

a) you have an English address on it, which you are clearly not living at if you reside permanently in Spain

b) You have not had the requisite medical test required under Spanish law

Fred James

It is perfectly legal to have a UK licence with an out of date address on it when you have moved from the UK. The DVLA will confirm that this is acceptable under EU law. Spanish licences do not have addresses on them.

Under the rules you must have a medical and carry the certificate with you if you wish to use a UK licence when you are resident in Spain.

That said, it is always easier in the long run to exchange your licence but you DO NOT have to.

Fred James

Perhaps you should quote the Spanish law that says you can't.

Trafico are well known for giving their own (incorrect) interpretation on cases like this.

There are many restrictions that can be placed on licences for many reasons usually medical.

Fred James

It's confirmed here that you can drive automatics with the relevant licence restriction.

Real Decreto 818/2009, de 8 de mayo, por el que se aprueba el Reglamento General de Conductores.

http://noticias.juridicas.com/base_d...t5.html#anexo5

Annexo V11 Para 4


Basically it says that if the applicant takes the driving test with a vehicle without a clutch pedal or lever operated manually in case of motorcycles, this is indicated on the license, and the license is only valid for driving a vehicle with these characteristics.

ononno

These are questions that often arise in Italy too. I always reccomend a good read of the websites
ec.europa.eu/transport
ec.europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/vehicles

as all the EU legislation is covered there.
Even used it to get a personal apology from the Prefettura in Naples, when the local carabinieri 'confiscated' my UK issued licence several years ago.

'lluego.
'o nonno

Rambling Rose

To me this is a good example of Spanish inconsistency. We swopped our UK licences for spanish ones 3 and a half years ago on the advice of our spanish lawyer. He did the paperwork for us and neither of us had a medical. We did not have UK photocard licences only the paper ones and we thought the spanish licences would be useful as ID. (Which they have been). My husband also thought it might be a problem trying to hire a car in another country giving a spanish home address but only having a UK licence with an incorrect home address on.

However in retrospect I would not have bothered to make the change as we now have licences which expire when they are five years old and it looks as if we will need to have medicals to renew them.

If we had kept the UK licences it would have saved us the trouble and expense.

Fred James

No it wouldn't. If you keep your UK licences you are obliged to conform to the same rules as if you had a Spanish licence with regard to frequency of renewal and medical tests.