Kirsty Mckenzie
NEW advice has been released for British expats in the run up to end of the transition period.
All Brits living in Spain must exchange their DVLA British licence for a Spanish one before December 31.
The government have long advised that anyone who has lived in Spain for at least six months should have a Spanish licence but the number of people trying book a cita previa at DGT offices has soured as the December deadline approaches.
We previously reported back in October that the British Embassy said that they were in discussion with the Spanish transport authorities and plans were afoot to revise the system to make it easier for expats to secure an appointment.
Now the details of the new two step- process have been published.
The first step is to make an application to the DGT before 30 December either by calling 060 or via the online portal if you have a digital certificate/CLAVE. In some provinces it may also be possible to download the form and taking it to a local office or a representative (eg a gestor) to do this on your behalf.
We understand that for this part of the process you do not need to have a residency certificate or TIE, but you will need a NIE.
If you do not hear anything from the DGT in the meantime, three days after submitting your application you can request an appointment with the DGT to do the exchange.
This should be booked on the DGT’s website. HERE
As long as your application has been submitted before 30 December, and the UK authorities have verified your licence by the end of the year, your appointment to exchange your licence can be after 1 January 2021, provided it is within the first 6 months of next year. Please note that you will need a residency certificate/TIE to do final exchange, so if you are in the process of applying for residency you may want to choose a later date for your appointment.
Irrespective of whether a UK licence has been verified for exchange by the end of the year, you will be able to drive in Spain using your UK licence for 6 months from 1 January 2021.
The future rules on exchange and recognition of UK licences are still subject to negotiation.
