Driving licence after end of June

Sunnyspain wrote on Sat Jun 19, 2021 10:10am:

Yes you do but your UK licence becomes invalid at the end of this month so you cannot drive in Spain after the end of June. This has been published by Anne Hernandez MBE on Brexpats in Spain. You have been warned. If you have an accident and its your fault insurance will be invalid if you are dri...

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...ving on an invalid licence and could cost you thousands especially if there are personal injuries. If caught by police no doubt you will be fined prosecuted and vehicle seized. If in doubt so some research and call your insurer

This is what Anne states

UK DRIVING LICENCES - LONG POST BUT IMPORTANT INFO! There is still such a lot of confusion over the UK driving licences here in Spain so let me try to make things a bit clearer. If you are coming to reside in Spain with any type of 3rd country national's visa this information does NOT apply to you. It only applies to those who are resident or applying for residency as a beneficiary of the Withdrawal Agreement. Those of you who are applying for a TIE or have already acquired a TIE but not as a beneficiary of the WA should exchange your UK driving licences for a Spanish one after 6 months here. As 3rd country nationals now we are no longer EU citizens and they are the rules, Spain will not be able to turn a blind eye to it anymore so please comply! We placed such a huge demand on Spain, maybe greater than anticipated, not only to exchange our licences but also to get our residencies that, together with the skeleton staff working during lockdown, Spain realised it could not process everybody before the end of the transition period on 31 December. The UK driving licences of British residents who were in Spain before 31 December 2020 cease to be valid after the end of this month - 30 June. For the exchange process to be started, the UK licence has to be validated with DVLA and there was to be no international exchange of data after the end of the Brexit transition period on 31 December so Spain very kindly offered a grace period of 6 months to everybody who was unable to exchange their licences before the end of the year provided that, before 30 December 2020, they had registered their intention to exchange. (You must go to the centre you told them when you registered.) Many are still awaiting their TIE resolution letters so are still unable to exchange so again, being super generous, Spain has given an extra 6 months for them to effect the exchange. This does mean that if, before 30 December 2020, you registered your intention to exchange you now have until 31 December 2021 to actually exchange it but your UK licence ceases to be valid after 30 June so you will NOT be able to drive here. There are negotiations between UK/Spain but no agreement to date so as it stands at the moment, please be aware that your UK licence will cease to be a valid document after 30 June as will your insurance, I imagine. Together with the British Embassy, we have successfully challenged some of the DGTs misinformation and misinterpretation of the WA and, as I have been asked a series of questions by some of you, I put them to the British Embassy so read on: On 30 June UK driving licences cease to be valid here for residents. That is correct, as of today's date, for those who were resident in Spain before 31 December 2020. However, we are in contact with the Spanish authorities in relation to the possible extension of this measure and we will provide an update as soon as we are able. Does this only affect residents who are benficiaries of the WA? As set out on the DGT website: For those who were resident in Spain prior to 31 December 2020, the 6 month period to continue driving with a UK licence started on 1 Jan 2021, meaning it will end on 30 June 2021. For those who have arrived in Spain since 1 Jan 2021, they can use their UK licence for a period of 6 months from the date of entry or from the date they obtained legal residence. What about those who have applied but still not got their TIE, are they considered resident just because they applied although they could be declined? See above – those who were resident in Spain prior to 31 December 2020 (and therefore entitled to apply for the TIE) currently have until 30 June 2021 to drive on their UK licence. However, we are in contact with the Spanish authorities in relation to the possible extension of this measure and we will provide an update as soon as we are able. If declined when can they drive until? Is it 6 months after they arrived? As above. Those who come here now with, for example an NLV, can drive for 6 months but must apply for the TIE within one month of getting the NLV stamp in their passport. Are they still ok to drive during those 6 months and is the 6 months counted from arrival, from date of application for TIE or actual date on TIE card? The information on the DGT website states, ‘A partir del 1 de enero de 2021, será de aplicación la normativa general y los permisos expedidos por las autoridades británicas únicamente habilitarán para conducir en España durante seis meses, desde la entrada de su titular en España o desde la fecha de obtención de la residencia legal, no siendo válidos para circular en nuestro país a partir de ese momento.’ (My translation of this - From 01 January 2021, the general regulations will apply and the plicences issued by the British authorities will only enable you to drive in Spain for six months, from the entry of its owner in Spain or from the date of obtaining legal residence, not being valid to circulate in our country from that moment.) The extension to exchange until 31 Dec does not mean that until they get their TIE, even if registered pre 30 Dec, they can drive after 30 June. (I did ask this at our last meeting and unless I am wrong many still think they can!) As of today's date, that is correct. The extension previously announced to 31 December 2021 is for the period of time available to complete the exchange process without taking a practical test. Once a UK licence holder has attended their appointment with the DGT and handed over their UK licence, they should receive a temporary licence which is valid for driving in Spain for 3 months. The extension until 31 December to complete the exchange does not affect the rules on the recognition of the UK licence for driving in Spain (explained above) so unless exchanged before 30 June, that UK licences cease to be valid here for residents. My additional comments on this - I might add that I have heard since of some who are thinking or have been wrongly told (Bob in the bar again, I don't doubt!) that they can drive on their IDP (International Driving Permit). WRONG. The IDP is not a stand-alone document but must accompany a valid driving licence. I have also heard that some are planning on asking for duplicate UK licences claiming theirs stolen or lost. Again WRONG. The previous licence would be cancelled by DVLA anyway so it will still cease to be valid after the end of this month. Sorry to say but there is no way round this. If you registerered your intention before 30 December then as soon as you get your letter of resolution as approved, no need to have the actual card, get an appointment with DGT and exchange your licence. If you need help, contact us. Those who did not register their intention can only hope that there is a further agreement twixt UK/Spain otherwise to be able to drive here you will have to take the Spanish driving test (theory can be done in English but practical is in Spanish). And you cannot just turn up, you have to go via an authorised driving school, pass the theory first and then they apply for the practical part of the test for you. Not a very happy ending for them I'm afraid but that's another of those undeclared gifts that Brexit keeps giving us! 

RONNIEG wrote on Sat Jun 19, 2021 10:20am:

Read my post!Am I missing something?????

Sunnyspain wrote on Sat Jun 19, 2021 10:27am:

I did read your post. Have you read mine and what Anne states. Yes you have until end of the year to exchange but after the end of June you cannot drive on your uk licence. 

William56 wrote on Sat Jun 19, 2021 1:37pm:

Can I drive if I have an international driving permit from uk ?

RichT wrote on Sat Jun 19, 2021 2:55pm:

No, an IDP can only be used to accompany a valid driving licence, so if your licence is no longer valid, an IDP makes no difference.

Sunnyspain wrote on Sat Jun 19, 2021 10:10am:

Yes you do but your UK licence becomes invalid at the end of this month so you cannot drive in Spain after the end of June. This has been published by Anne Hernandez MBE on Brexpats in Spain. You have been warned. If you have an accident and its your fault insurance will be invalid if you are dri...

Read more...

...ving on an invalid licence and could cost you thousands especially if there are personal injuries. If caught by police no doubt you will be fined prosecuted and vehicle seized. If in doubt so some research and call your insurer

This is what Anne states

UK DRIVING LICENCES - LONG POST BUT IMPORTANT INFO! There is still such a lot of confusion over the UK driving licences here in Spain so let me try to make things a bit clearer. If you are coming to reside in Spain with any type of 3rd country national's visa this information does NOT apply to you. It only applies to those who are resident or applying for residency as a beneficiary of the Withdrawal Agreement. Those of you who are applying for a TIE or have already acquired a TIE but not as a beneficiary of the WA should exchange your UK driving licences for a Spanish one after 6 months here. As 3rd country nationals now we are no longer EU citizens and they are the rules, Spain will not be able to turn a blind eye to it anymore so please comply! We placed such a huge demand on Spain, maybe greater than anticipated, not only to exchange our licences but also to get our residencies that, together with the skeleton staff working during lockdown, Spain realised it could not process everybody before the end of the transition period on 31 December. The UK driving licences of British residents who were in Spain before 31 December 2020 cease to be valid after the end of this month - 30 June. For the exchange process to be started, the UK licence has to be validated with DVLA and there was to be no international exchange of data after the end of the Brexit transition period on 31 December so Spain very kindly offered a grace period of 6 months to everybody who was unable to exchange their licences before the end of the year provided that, before 30 December 2020, they had registered their intention to exchange. (You must go to the centre you told them when you registered.) Many are still awaiting their TIE resolution letters so are still unable to exchange so again, being super generous, Spain has given an extra 6 months for them to effect the exchange. This does mean that if, before 30 December 2020, you registered your intention to exchange you now have until 31 December 2021 to actually exchange it but your UK licence ceases to be valid after 30 June so you will NOT be able to drive here. There are negotiations between UK/Spain but no agreement to date so as it stands at the moment, please be aware that your UK licence will cease to be a valid document after 30 June as will your insurance, I imagine. Together with the British Embassy, we have successfully challenged some of the DGTs misinformation and misinterpretation of the WA and, as I have been asked a series of questions by some of you, I put them to the British Embassy so read on: On 30 June UK driving licences cease to be valid here for residents. That is correct, as of today's date, for those who were resident in Spain before 31 December 2020. However, we are in contact with the Spanish authorities in relation to the possible extension of this measure and we will provide an update as soon as we are able. Does this only affect residents who are benficiaries of the WA? As set out on the DGT website: For those who were resident in Spain prior to 31 December 2020, the 6 month period to continue driving with a UK licence started on 1 Jan 2021, meaning it will end on 30 June 2021. For those who have arrived in Spain since 1 Jan 2021, they can use their UK licence for a period of 6 months from the date of entry or from the date they obtained legal residence. What about those who have applied but still not got their TIE, are they considered resident just because they applied although they could be declined? See above – those who were resident in Spain prior to 31 December 2020 (and therefore entitled to apply for the TIE) currently have until 30 June 2021 to drive on their UK licence. However, we are in contact with the Spanish authorities in relation to the possible extension of this measure and we will provide an update as soon as we are able. If declined when can they drive until? Is it 6 months after they arrived? As above. Those who come here now with, for example an NLV, can drive for 6 months but must apply for the TIE within one month of getting the NLV stamp in their passport. Are they still ok to drive during those 6 months and is the 6 months counted from arrival, from date of application for TIE or actual date on TIE card? The information on the DGT website states, ‘A partir del 1 de enero de 2021, será de aplicación la normativa general y los permisos expedidos por las autoridades británicas únicamente habilitarán para conducir en España durante seis meses, desde la entrada de su titular en España o desde la fecha de obtención de la residencia legal, no siendo válidos para circular en nuestro país a partir de ese momento.’ (My translation of this - From 01 January 2021, the general regulations will apply and the plicences issued by the British authorities will only enable you to drive in Spain for six months, from the entry of its owner in Spain or from the date of obtaining legal residence, not being valid to circulate in our country from that moment.) The extension to exchange until 31 Dec does not mean that until they get their TIE, even if registered pre 30 Dec, they can drive after 30 June. (I did ask this at our last meeting and unless I am wrong many still think they can!) As of today's date, that is correct. The extension previously announced to 31 December 2021 is for the period of time available to complete the exchange process without taking a practical test. Once a UK licence holder has attended their appointment with the DGT and handed over their UK licence, they should receive a temporary licence which is valid for driving in Spain for 3 months. The extension until 31 December to complete the exchange does not affect the rules on the recognition of the UK licence for driving in Spain (explained above) so unless exchanged before 30 June, that UK licences cease to be valid here for residents. My additional comments on this - I might add that I have heard since of some who are thinking or have been wrongly told (Bob in the bar again, I don't doubt!) that they can drive on their IDP (International Driving Permit). WRONG. The IDP is not a stand-alone document but must accompany a valid driving licence. I have also heard that some are planning on asking for duplicate UK licences claiming theirs stolen or lost. Again WRONG. The previous licence would be cancelled by DVLA anyway so it will still cease to be valid after the end of this month. Sorry to say but there is no way round this. If you registerered your intention before 30 December then as soon as you get your letter of resolution as approved, no need to have the actual card, get an appointment with DGT and exchange your licence. If you need help, contact us. Those who did not register their intention can only hope that there is a further agreement twixt UK/Spain otherwise to be able to drive here you will have to take the Spanish driving test (theory can be done in English but practical is in Spanish). And you cannot just turn up, you have to go via an authorised driving school, pass the theory first and then they apply for the practical part of the test for you. Not a very happy ending for them I'm afraid but that's another of those undeclared gifts that Brexit keeps giving us!