Driving Licences

This maybe a little late...BUT....once you have left...you cannot renew your old UK licence unless you can prove you are living in UK. I live in Ireland and tried to get a renewed licence with a nice picture and also the stars...but was told you cannot even if you lose it get a new UK one. You have to renew in your current country. My old was due to expire in 2034...all other countries now do a 10 year or 5 year licence. In spain you also after 45 have to have a 5 yearly medical check, its apparently real funky as you get to play on a simulation reaction checker (according to my spanish friend who also lives in ireland)

So if you lose your licence in spain you have to have a spanish one. I will change mine to an irish one before I leave as it will be easier to switch accross to a spanish one, as my current UK licence (9 years old) has been through the wash and resembles the magna carta :-).

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Question : I have a UK paper licence (no photo) and don't live in the UK...When I move to spain...will I need to get an EU licence (picture one) before I move across (If so I'll need to get my finger out) Or can I move to spain and switch my old paper one...

Regardless of which option....how long does it take and where etc etc

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Get over and then switch - you are ok for the fist couple of months unless you bu a spanish car and if you get an international licence that will help.

Once you are here find a good gestor as they can do them much more quickly for you and cost around 35 euros.

You need to provide 3 photos, your original licnece and a copy of it and Im sure other documents - Im pretty sure you need to have an nie for it as well - but best to check with a gestor as I cant remember!

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I'm sure you can buy a spanish car as long as you have an NIE and are on the Padron....didn't think it was esential to have a Sp DL?

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You can buy a second hand car with nothing - its only new stuff you need an nie for, to legally drive it your supposed to have a spanish dl!

And you all thought we were all in one big same country called the EU!!!

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Actually you can drive on the current EU UK licence as long as you take it to Traffico and get it stamped, once it expires you will then have to apply for a Spanish one though. The paper only version is not legal in Spain though.

However being honest it is probably just as easy to get a new Spanish one immediately.

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Rixxy, I'm sure you can buy anything second hand without an NIE - I'll flog you whatever you want, you know that! But can you register it at Trafico without an NIE? I wouldn't think so?

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