UK Licence Holders – Clarification Point

There have been a number of reports based on a recent press release from the British Embassy regarding the importance of UK driving licence holders to change their licence for a Spanish version before the end of this extended and final deadline in September.

Although of course the information from the Embassy is correct, we have seen statements reported in some newspapers such as “…it will no longer be legal to drive on Spanish roads with a UK licence”, or “UK licences will no longer be valid in Spain”, for example. These statements are not true.

The ruling, and the agreement, applies to those UK licence holders who are living in Spain, residents in other words. If you are living in Spain and have a UK licence, in that case it will no longer be valid, but UK licences will still be valid in Spain for those visiting the country, such as tourists. You should always check with the Government websites regarding rules for Brits visiting the EU after Brexit, it is important to only check trusted sources of information, but on this occasion, to repeat the point, it is only those living in Spain who still have a UK driving licence who are affected.

That said, if this describes your situation, you really must take action immediately, as time is running out, and if you fail to exchange your licence before the September deadline, your next course of action will be to have to take both a theory and practical driving test in Spain, and undergo minimum driver training, as that will be the only way of obtaining a valid driving licence in Spain following the UK withdrawal from the EU.

Once again, this ruling only affects those living in Spain. Visitors and tourists with a UK licence will still be permitted to drive in Spain, although other restrictions will apply.

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