el sid

Although I know that you can use a new style UK driving licence in Spain, there's one thing that's confusing me.
On our licences it shows a UK address, and on all our other car documents it shows our Spanish address. Is this ok or do we have to change the address on our licences, and if the answer is yes how do we do it?

Big_john

Leave you driving licence exactly as is, this is correct.

And your Spanish address is also correct the way it is.

You can drive on your U.K. driving licence until the expiry date and then if you are still living in Spain that is the point at which you will then have to get a Spanish Driving licence,"Unless you still have a U.K. address "

Mitzyboy

And what about the medicals that should be undertaken?

Big_john

What here in Spain or the "U.K. what medicals"

Mitzyboy

In Spain you have to have periodical medicals to validate your driving licence

countryboy

Ok this is my Fav subject, Your UK licence was issued in the UK and has, by law, your UK address on it. This is for a couple of reasons. First if involved in an accdent the police will have an address to contact next of kin, to send you a summons, to get your insurance sorted out etc. Also it is illegal not to have your current perminant UK address on the licence.

Now you are living in Spain, your UK licence is has your perminiant address in the UK, valid if you are a tourist/ visitor to Spain. So it is entirley up to you, to exchange your UK driving licence for a Spanish one. 1. You are a resident of Spain. 2. The law on driving licences in Spain is the same as in the UK, so if involved in an accdent where do you stand? will your insurance cover you? what if you (God Forbid) are killed and the police have to contact your next of kin?

I have exchanged my UK DL for a Spanish one, so that I am not caught out by this law, would you exchange yours?

Big_john

But only if you have a Spanish driving licence

Mitzyboy

I think for people its a bit final .... I did hear that you could have the DL stamped by the Guardia, but there are varying views on that .... BUT what about the medical?

Mitzyboy

But what if you have an accident on a Spanish road, you've lived here for 25 years, and you've never had a medical? Is the Spanish Ins Co that goes by Spanish law going to use this as a get out clause?

Big_john

Doesn't make much difference, if you are a resident you have an I.D. Card NIE which has your spanish address on it.

You can still use you U.K. driving licence here in Spain as I have previously stated until it expires

jdr

Read the free beer fred. ;-)

jdr

Read the bottom paragraph of the free beer fred. ;-)

jdr

Read the bottom of the free beer fred and tell me the answer. ;-)

Beachcomber

See paragraph 2 of item 2 of this entry in the EU web site:

http://ec.europa.eu/transport/home/d...les/006_en.htm

2. Exceptions

Article 1(3) of Directive 91/439/EEC establishes an exception to this general principle of mutual recognition. It is noted that « Where the holder of a valid national driving licence takes up normal residence in a Member State other than that which issued the licence, the host Member State may apply to the holder of the licence its national rules on the period of validity of the licence, medical checks and tax arrangements and may enter on the licence any information indispensable for administration. »

* With regard to the period of validity of driving licences, Directive 91/439/EEC therefore allows Member States to apply their national provisions. In practice, the validity arrangements vary from one Member State to another. This means that a different period of validity, shorter for example, can be applied to the holder of a licence, in the event of change of residence.
* With regard to the interval between medical examinations, this has not been harmonised by Community legislation. In the majority of the Member States, it coincides with the period of validity.
* Driving licences issued by a non-member country and recognised by a Member State, are not recognised reciprocally in a systematic manner, even in the eventual case that the licence has been exchanged for a Community model in the meantime. It is therefore advisable to contact the competent national authorities.
* Member States are not obliged to recognise driving licences issued to persons aged under 18.

So, a UK licence is only valid for the same periods as a Spanish one after which it will have to be exchanged 'the host Member State may apply to the holder of the licence its national rules on the period of validity of the licence, medical checks and tax arrangements' and the authorities can insist on it going through the validation procedure 'and may enter on the licence any information indispensable for administration'.

Furthermore, if you have a UK licence with an invalid UK address and it is lost or stolen in cannot be replaced and you will either have to prove in some way that you have passed the UK driving test or will have to sit a Spanish test in order to obtain a new licence.

Easier all round just to exchange it for a Spanish one!

Mitzyboy

Stop calling me Fred, Eric
I already had, but many have not