A question I get asked a lot as a lawyer here in Spain is do I have to take a driving test if I come and live in Spain? The short answer is yes.
If you come and live in Spain and by that I mean you become a resident in Spain you have a period of 6 months to pass the Spanish driving test. Just be sure the 6 month time period doesn’t start to run until you have your Spanish residencia. Unlike the UK you have to pass a basic medical examination. Like the UK there is a theory and a practical test. If you’re here as a tourist you can drive and or hire a car as before.
Before brexit a citizen of the United Kingdom could just apply to change their United Kingdom licence to a Spanish and take the medical examination. After the end of the transition period the United Kingdom became a third country and U.K. citizens are now treated the same as citizens of for example Canada. There could of course be an agreement between the U.K. and Spain but to date no such agreement exists.
As with all my posts this isn’t legal advice, if you need help with the driving licence application, residency, NIE numbers, taxes or having an independent Solicitor for a property purchase have a look at our website www.justlawsolicitors.com
Marisa Moreno Senior Lawyer and Consul for Denmark
Just Law Solicitors. Your law firm in Spain. Est. 1992
www.justlawsolicitors.com