ARCHIVED - British driving licence exchange for residents in Spain extended six months

The deadline of June 30 has been extended until December 31, 2021.

The UK Embassy has given an update with good news for motorists who registered to exchange their UK driving licence for a European driving license with the DGT before 30 December 2020.

British nationals living in Spain who would be affected by the UK Brexit process were given until this date to register with the DGT and were given until June 30 to complete the application process.

However, there has been significant confusion, as many who had obtained a TIE  with a 2021 date were refused a licence on the grounds that their documentation bore a 2021 date so in theory had not been registered before the end of 2020.

This has now been resolved and anybody who registered as required in 2020, but had their application refused as their TIE was dated for 2021, will now be able to get a new licence.

Spain's Directorate-General for Traffic (DGT) has also been instructed that all TIE's regardless of the date, and green residence documents, must be accepted.

The Spanish government's bilingual 'nota aclaratoria' that states the ongoing validity of the green residency certificate can be seen here: https://www.inclusion.gob.es/ficheros/brexit/nota_aclaratoria_green_certificate.pdf?fbclid=IwAR3BXp7zi3DviDzaDn4KXiE3vmZu_hrypaGp9qvhGSZe_WvxkK7wVo9jBBg

Within the next two weeks, the DGT office will get in touch directly with those affected to arrange for the completion of the exchange. 

But if they don't, British driver's licence holders are asked to contact them to arrange an appointment to complete the exchange process. This can be done on the DGT appointments page.

Only those who applied before the end of 2020 will qualify for the extension without the need to take a Spanish driving test.

For everybody else, the UK driving licences only remain valid until June 30, 2021, but the UK and Spanish authorities are still in talks over the future exchange of UK driving licences without the need for a practical test with the Spanish authorities.

As things stand at the moment, anyone applying for Spanish residency (who was not resident prior to the end of 2020 or did not notify the DGT) will be required to take a Spanish test in order to be granted a licence in Spain.

Prior to the UK's exit from the EU there was a lot of uncertainty about what Brexit would mean for the status of UK driver's licences.

But there is no uncertainty anymore, British nationals living in Spain and who drive in Spain have to have a Spanish driving licence.