Driving license in Spain

I am on the understanding if you were a resident and if so you could have applied to exchange/renew your licence before 31/12/2020, if not, at this present time you come under the new rules. unless the laws change, you have to take a driving test to gain a Spanish driving licence.

All the information on this subject can be found on the Citizens Advice Bureau Spain's website and on their Facebook group. It's a closed group and you will need to apply to become a member.

https://www.citizensadvice.org.es/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/171561296334693

If you were living in Spain before 31-12-20 and made an application or officially registered your intent to exchange your driving licence for a Spanish one before that date, then you could still qualify to do this but if you have only realised this now, then you will have to obtain a Spanish driving licence in the usual way and take the Spanish driving test.

The information regarding the exchange of driving licences has been well publicised in the press and the various "Stop-Brexit" campaigns for the past 5 years or so, as well as those informing British citizens wishing to become a legal resident in Spain, that they have to apply for residency or if already living in Spain without the required paperwork, that they had until 31-12-20 to regularise their situation.

Your other option is to do nothing: France has agreed that UK licences of residents can be exchanged for French ones, so maybe Spain will follow? 

Of course this means you cannot drive once your licence expires, but if you are resident then you should have changed it years ago.

I have not been in Spain thst long, just received residencia in May.

Do you know if and when the new rule comes into place, even though my license will have expired, will l be still be able to exchange it for a Spanish license.

Did you read the previous posts???

I did many thanks.

I was just hopeing anyone would have came accross any new information.

Looks like l will have to take a Spanish test.

But my question is :-

If l hold out untill the 31stcOctober and not drive for a couple of months, even though my license will have expired in August, can it still be used  to exchange for a Spanish one.

No, you will not be able to exchange an expired licence.

the British Embassy in Spain said, “We know that many of you have been anxious that the recognition of UK driving licences was set to end on 30 June. We are pleased that the Spanish Government yesterday announced that UK licences will continue to be recognised until 31 October 2021 for those of you who were resident in Spain before 31 December 2020 – even if you did not get your residency document until after the end of the Transition Period.”

The extension does not affect the current process to exchange driving licences for non-EU citizens. This means that if you are from the UK and arrived in Spain on or after January 1, 2021, your licence will only be recognised and remain valid for a maximum of six months.

You would therefore need to follow the current DGT process for non-EU nationals, which would involve sitting a Spanish driving test.