Staff Reporter
THE deadline for Brits residing in Spain to be able to exchange their UK drivers licences for Spanish licences is fast approaching.
And the British Embassy in Madrid is reminding its citizens that they must do it before the cut-off date of September 15, in around five weeks time.
This date marks the end of the six-month grace period negotiated between the British and Spanish governments on March 15, 2023.
The deal extended a lifeline to British licence holders in Spain who found their licences no longer valid after Brexit finally kicked in.
It granted them a reprieve to seamlessly trade their British licences for Spanish ones without the hurdles of practical or theory tests.
But UK licence holders who moved to Spain before 16 March 2023 and fail to make the exchange by 15 September will no longer be able to drive on their UK licence.
If they wish to continue driving in Spain, they will need to go through the licence exchange process.
The process for completing the exchange is run by Spain’s Direccion General de Trafico (see their website for more information.)
The Embassy has advised that anyone struggling to get an appointment at their local Direccion General de Trafico Office go to their neighbouring one instead.
Last week, the British Embassy announced a resolution had been found to an issue which some holders of expired UK licences (typically those over 70) had been experiencing when trying to exchange their licences.
Those affected should follow the established process for exchange, requesting their check code via gov.uk.
UK Ambassador Hugh Elliott said: “It is very important that UK licence holders who lived in Spain prior to 15 March 2023 and want to drive here exchange their licences on or before the 15 September.
“We want this message to reach as many UK licence holders as possible, so please spread the word and refer to our Facebook page and the Living In Spain Guide on gov.uk for more information.”
READ MORE:
- New UK driving licence deal with Spain excludes Channel Islands and the Isle of Man
- Back behind the wheel: Job done, as Olive Press U-turn campaign over UK driving licence swap in Spain finally sees success
- Explainer: Everything you need to know about swapping your UK driving licence for a Spanish one
