Licence exchange.

Has anyone reading here exchanged their British licence for a Spanish one? Not a renewal due to it about to expire but changing over due to Brexit? I have gone to the DGT website to make an appointment but I'm unsure when it comes to choosing which procedure I need!! I assumed it would be 'canje' for exchange but someone has mentioned renovar permiso comunitario? I have made the appointment for Alicante, next June is earliest! I don't want to get it wrong. Thank you.

"Renovar permiso comunitario" would be to renew your (presumably already registered) UK licence when/if it's about to expire. You need "canje" as you previously supposed. Just one thing: from your profile location, it's unclear whether you're actually resident in Spain or not. It wouldn't surprise me entirely if you manage to exchange your licence without proving residency - but strictly speaking, it shouldn't be possible. And changing it "due to Brexit" - presumably because nobody knows whether a UK licence will be valid in other EU countries after next year - can work both ways: if you do get a Spanish licence, don't assume it will be valid in the UK, or that you'll easily be able to exchange it back for a UK one later on.

’ permiso comunitario ‘   https://venezolanoenmadrid.com/renovar-tarjeta-de-residencia-comunitaria/

That is RESIDENCIA.  A requirement for non EU citizens wishing to live in Spain (post Brexit U.K. nationals may need it too)

As Roberto says, to have a spanish D/L you must be resident;  permanently living In spain  

Thanks for replies, I am resident here and my UK licence doesn't expire till 2024, I believe I'm ok to drive legally as I am but was thinking of changing to Spanish as a head start on this brexit!! I must admit i didn't think about being able to drive in UK once I've changed over,I think I may hang fire for a bit! 

Terry, you being resident in Spain, it makes sense to change your UK DL to a Spanish one.  

One reason is that of you need to renew or replace your DL if it is lost, you cannot do so if you do not live in UK. The application form requires one to show their permanent address in the UK where they live.

Also if one loses their DL they cannot drive,  as they must have it I their possession.  Replacing a Spanish DL is easy and quick.

And as you say with brexit no one knows what will happen.

Thank you for your info, I do still have an address in the UK but I wish I did find it easy to do the licence!! As I said I've got the appointment at Alicante but I've been told that Elche may be easier! 😁

I exchanged my wife’s philippines DL in Malaga.  

I was not certain they would do it so I presented the papers but without the medical test cert.  or the payment proof.  They approved the application and allowed us to go over the road to get the medical test done,  and to pay the fee.  We then returned to the counter and they processed the application. It was very easy.   

 I think the DL arrived within two weeks

good luck Terry

Quote: "’ permiso comunitario ‘   https://venezolanoenmadrid.com/renovar-tarjeta-de-residencia-comunitaria/ That is RESIDENCIA.  A requirement for non EU citizens wishing to live in Spain "

A strangely confusing and irrelevant post & link here; in this context, "permiso comunitario" is clearly referring to EU driving licences and nothing else. Nobody mentioned residencia, or Venezuelans!

Terry, I would always advise exchanging for a Spanish licence if resident in Spain. It avoids any potential problems if stopped by misinformed police, for example, and as John says, is quick and easy to renew / replace. At least for now a Spanish licence is perfectly acceptable back in the UK (incl. for hire companies etc.) and I would imagine will be after Brexit as well. I only mentioned it as something to bear in mind, as nobody knows what's going to happen yet. Again, for now, exchanging a Spanish licence for a UK one, when the licence was originally issued in the UK, is quick and easy (and free) if you think you may revert to UK residency in the future. 

Shocking that the earliest appointment is next June! Maybe worth trying Elche, if only to see if they have an earlier appointment. Or just go to the office to see if you can get an appointment there and then, like John did. You never know.

Changed our 5 years ago here in the Murcia region.

First we had to go to an approved medical centre in the Lorca area for eye tests , questioned about medical issues and have photo taken.

After paying approx 35€ fee we had to take ( in duplicate ) proof of identity and residence ie..( passport/ original NIE paperwork /plus anything else we deemed necessary .together with paperwork from test centre  to TRAFFICO in either Murcia City or Cartagena..where there was another form to fill in and a fee of approx (30€ )paid.

At Neither office did one need to make an appointment.

Given a receipt in case of being stopped by police and our Spanish licence arrived , by post, within 3 weeks.

Now due for renewal..so same procedure at test centre.... except this time no requirement to go to any major traffico.

Floella.    

I changed my U.K. licence about 25 years ago. I had to go to Trafico to do that over the counter

 Since then I have renewed, at first using a gestor and in later years I have done it at a medical test centre

I believe since about 2013 Trafico have required one to make an appointment for over the counter transactions

Maybe,  John, that  I wouldn't know,  but our experience was in November 2013 when we and many others in this area...being of a certain age.... exchanged our UK DL for Spanish. We all had to visit a local medical test centre first.

Some went to Trafico in Murcia . Some of us to Cartagena. Neither establishment required us to make an appointment. Simply take a queue ticket and wait your turn whilst filling in the necessary form. 

As we know every region interpets the rules to suit themselves and I am only relating what happened in Murcia 2013. 

Terry

My wife & I exchanged our licences at Trafico in Alicante earlier this year.  The 'Tipo de trámite' you have to choose on the DGT website is  Renovación de permisos de conducción (solo EU/EEE).  Like you we selected canje and had a long wait but strange as it may seem, Trafico regard it as a renovación not a canje.  You'll find there are appointments available in Alicante this October for a renovación.

Make sure you take with you:

A completed request form downloaded from the Trafico website

Passport + photocopy

Residencia card/green form + copy

An Informe de Aptitud Psico-física from an authorised medical center

Your current driving licence + copy AND if your photocard licence was issued with a green Counterpart, you must take that too + copy.  (If you no longer have the Counterpart, just declare it lost and you'll be given a form to fill in since it can't be replaced).

A current photo 22x36cm

A declaration that you don't have any other licence and haven't been stopped or suspended from driving (there are examples on the web you can copy).

The cost is 23,80 euros which can be paid at the Trafico desk by credit card.

Depending on the funcionario dealing with you, they may try to check online straightaway with the DVLC to make sure your licence is valid.  Otherwise they'll give you a receipt and you'll be notified by email once the check's been made and told to make another appointment.  Go back with your passport + residencia along with your licence & Counterpart.  The licence & Counterpart will be taken away and you'll be given an Autorización Temporal para Conducir (just an A5 piece of paper with a Trafico stamp) valid for 3 months.  The Spanish driving licence will be sent out by post, ours both arrived 6 weeks later.

A word of warning, the staff at Alicante Trafico were helpful and on the whole very friendly with the exception of one young woman with straight dark hair who has a definite problem with foreigners, even if they can speak Spanish.  She's rude and extremely unpleasant.  If you're unlucky enough to be sent to her desk, do not answer back whatever she says.  Just sit there and say as little as possible.

According to info from the British Embassy, in the case of no deal, UK licences are unlikely to be valid in Spain and will no longer be able to be exchanged for a Spanish one.  On the other hand, licences from EU countries (like some others such US & Canadian) may well be accepted in the UK.  If not, holders will also need an International Driving Licence, as will all UK licence holders who want to drive in the EU.

Quote  ‘According to info from the British Embassy, in the case of no deal, UK licences are unlikely to be valid in Spain and will no longer be able to be exchanged for a Spanish one.  On the other hand, licences from EU countries (like some others such US & Canadian) may well be accepted in the UK.  If not, holders will also need an International Driving Licence, as will all UK licence holders who wanit to drive in the EU.’

To save confusion.  There is no such thing as an International Driving Licence.     It is an International Driving Permit.  It is a translation of one’s national driving licence only (not a DL) and if required, it must be carried with one's National D/L.   I was surprised to read in the press last week, that there is more than one type of IDP so one would need to choose the correct one.

Whilst a UK D/L may not be exchangeable after Brexit,  it does not mean that only EU D/Ls are exchangeable.  There are arrangements with other countries too;-

 Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, the Dominican Republic Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Macedonia, Morocco, Peru, the Philippines, Paraguay, Peru, Serbia, Turkey, Tunisia, Ukraine, Uruguay and Venezuela.

So it MAY BE that UK will come to such an arrangement after Brexit, but I would not bank on it.  If you live in Spain it would seem better to do it now.

So in reality there is no such thing as a legal International Driving Licence or a legal International Driving Permit, which actually makes sense because there is no recognised International legal authority to issue them. All you actually have is a translation (by the AA or someone) of your current licence.

This seems like an out of date waste of time, but as always a nice little earner for someone.