Taking a driving test in Spain

TracyS wrote on Mon Jul 26, 2021 11:16am:

Hi everyone

We are hoping to start the application process for our NLV soon. Separate to this, we understand that we cannot exchange our UK driving licences for Spanish ones and would need to take a driving test in Spain, (we have not been resident in Spain prior to the Withdrawal Agreement). As driving is e...

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...ssential to enjoying our retirement in Spain, I was wondering if anyone has any experience of the Spanish driving test process that they could share, please?

PeterC wrote on Mon Jul 26, 2021 6:54pm:

How did you overcome what to me would be an overwhelming desire to negotiate roundabouts properly? The equivalent of the Highway Code clearly shows that you use the lanes exactly as in the UK but I constantly follow driving school cars, local police cars and Trafico vehicles doing it all wrong!

RichT wrote on Mon Jul 26, 2021 1:54pm:

We have just completed the NLV process. Your UK licence is valid for 6 months from the date of residency, after which you would need to take the Spanish driving test. We haven't done so, but I understand that you can sit the theory test in English and also take an interpreter in the car for your ...

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...test, if you feel the need.

As I said, we haven't started looking to take the test yet as there are two issues currently being challenged:

Firstly, the UK & Spanish governments are negotiating to agree that / if UK licence can still be just exchanged (France, for example, has decided it will continue to recognise UK licences for expats moving there).

Secondly, there is a technicality around whether someone with a NLV and then TIE is actually a 'resident' as the status is temporary for the first 5 years until you apply for permanent residency; so the 6 months period referred to above may not apply.

We are waiting to see what happens...

andymac1951 wrote on Mon Jul 26, 2021 5:42pm:

Good day Tracy,

Despite applying for the driving licence exchange before end 2020 we were declined as we were not resident at that time.  We applied for recidencia in February 2020 but were scuttled, along with many others, due to covid 19 and the virtual shut down of Government.  We finally received o...

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...ur recidencia in March of this year.

Whilst there is talk of a possible driving licence exchange being agreed between the UK and Spain I fear this will be many months off, we all know how Government departments work.  As such I decided to take the Spanish driving test which consists of a written examination based on their 216 page highway code and a practical.  Both the code and the test are available in English and you will need a 90% pass rate before you are are able to take the practical test.

You will need to register with a licensed driving school who will provide you with the manual and an on line driving test portal which you can access as many times as you wish to take mock examinations.  All this will cost you circa euro 450 plus a further euro 90 for the practical examination.  

Having passed the written examination, as i say you will need 27 correct answers out of the 30, all in English, you will then require a number of driving lessons.  The Spanish driving instruction is somewhat different to that used in the UK but is not onerous.  The driving test is undertaken in only certain cities so I found the lessons more beneficial as a means of finding my way around the potential test circuit.

Once again the test itself is not overly complicated and if you are a competent driver you should have no problem  Both my driving instructor, who accompanies you on the day, and the test examiners both spoke some English so there was no language problem.

Best of luck

Andy

TracyS wrote on Mon Jul 26, 2021 8:29pm:

Many thanks for your very comprehensive reply. I appreciate you taking the time to respond.

PeterC wrote on Mon Jul 26, 2021 9:13pm:

https://n332.es/exiting-roundabouts/

If this is the law, why do they teach how to be wrong?