UK-Spain license exchange agreement has arrived !

At long last, the Spanish and British Governments have come to a reciprocal recognition concerning the exchange of driving licences. 

The agreement, in the form of an Exchange of  Verbal Letters between the Kingdom of Spain and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, also provides for the exchange of information on traffic offences in the field of road safety.

In this way, holders of a driving licence valid in either of the two countries will be able to apply for the exchange in the country where they have established their residence without the need to take an additional practical or theoretical test.
On Tuesday, the Council of Ministers approved the agreement whereby Spain and the United Kingdom will proceed with the reciprocal recognition and exchange of driving licences and the exchange of information on traffic offences in the field of road safety.

This agreement puts an end to the successive extensions applied for the exchange of licences between the two countries that had been in place since the end of the transitional period provided for in the Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union.

From now on, holders of a valid and current driving licence issued by either countries will be able to apply for the exchange of their equivalent driving licence where they have taken up residence, without being subject to any additional practical or theoretical test requirements and in accordance with the equivalence tables between the licence categories of the two countries.

With this agreement, those British citizens resident in Spain who had not had their driving licence recognised before Brexit, nor in the successive extensions granted, will be able to do so from Thursday 16th March.

In order to facilitate the administrative process at the provincial traffic police stations, a period of six months has been granted during which British citizens can drive around Spain with their original licence while they process the exchange.
In addition, Spain and the UK agree to provide each other with information on the details of vehicles and their owners for the purpose of investigating road safety related traffic offences, in particular speeding, not wearing a seat belt, failing to stop at a red traffic light, driving under the influence of alcohol, driving under the influence of drugs, not wearing a crash helmet, driving in a prohibited lane or illegal use of mobile phones.