Driving Licence Exchange - It's Not Fair - Page 3

Hi eduardo3332, thanks for your response. A gov.uk living in Spain update says those with a UK licence currently don't need an IDP for driving for periods up to 6 months. I would like to see one of their updates saying that you don't need to pass a Spanish driving test to exchange your licence. Thanks again

Thanks Eduardo

I was only concerned because I own the car, it is not a hire car. Even though I am now only allowed to be in Spain for 90 days I was still worried that I would have to take a Spanish Driving Test.

Flo

Hi Flo, as a non resident you can drive Spanish and UK reg cars in Spain on a UK driving licence for up to 6 months. That will cover the 2 90 in 180 day periods non residents are allowed. Also remember, if you come from the UK to Spain say via France, the 90 days starts when you arrive in France.

As a Spanish resident, however, you need a Spanish driving licence. If you weren't able to put in for a licence exchange before 30/12/20 the driver now has to take a Spanish driving test. Not something I relish. Hope this helps explain the rules. Cheers 

Hello Poppy

Thanks for that! There doesn’t seem to be much hope of me being a Spanish resident now, I could not possibly meet the financial criteria! I would imagine I am not alone!

I usually fly into Corvera, but who knows, I may drive down one day!

Thanks for your kind help and I wish you all the very best!

Fl

Thanks Flo. The driving test too may lead to us reconsidering our residency. I hope Spain will eventually see the impact their rules are having on residency applications and visitors to the area. We have to hold out some hope. Cheers and all the best

What a shame all this is! So many of us who want to retire to our second homes in Spain now have absolutely no hope of doing so.

I don’t have those amounts available to me here in the UK and I can still live a comfortable life. How would I ever be expected to accumulate that sort of figure each and every year to enable me to live in Spain. The thing is that Spain or the Spanish Government to be exact, are shooting themselves in the foot as all the people who own second homes regularly visit them for weeks and months on end and while there they, if they are anything like me...............SPEND MONEY in the various shops and markets and restaurants and bars. Why would they want to bring a halt to that???

Beats me!

Love 

Fl

Kneejerk reaction from Spanish government which in time will cool. That said you only have to look at the whole blocs reaction to the astra zenaca virus being delayed a few weeks ago. The audacity of the European Union telling the UK even though you have done everything by the book according to the contract we signed with you over supplying your vaccine we want you to give us your supplies at the expense of your citizens because we don't want to.look bad. Things were always going to get worse before they got better.

The ‘new’ residency criteria for UK citizens wanting to move to live in Spain wasn’t created on the back of Brexit for UK home owners......the criteria has been in place for non European citizens for years so when the UK left the EU that set of criteria come into play for UK citizens......this isn’t a witch hunt against the English but if that’s what people believe so be it....

Of course English people think this. From the very first day after the result of the Brexit vote being announced, they have been told by the rest of Europe you are going to regret this, or don’t expect things to be the same, even though the British Government insisted all they wanted to do is make their own rules to govern their people. It was a witch hunt in every sense of the word and if you don’t get that you need to think again. For the record I am Irish but I still believe the British were and are being shafted. 

The criteria was NOT created as a consequence of Brexit.....so ....Who led the witch hunt?