Documents you should carry with you

Could somebody please tell me what the law in Spain is regarding the carrying of identification. I know you must always carry your driving licence and car hire documents when driving, but is it necessary to also carry your passport?
 Also when paying by card, is your driving licence sufficent as ID? We always have our passorts with us, but dont really like carrying them, especially if not needed. Are copies of passports sufficient?

 Spam post or abuse? Please let us know

Copies of passports will only be accepted if they have been notarised, that is, officially stamped as a copy by either the town hall or local police.
Carrying the new style driving licences (the ones with the photos on) appear to be sufficient now.  I was in a traffic accident a while back and the guardia civil (trafico) didn't want to see my passport when I offered but they did for a parking offence when I only had the old pink one.
Some shops, especially the big supermarkets, will accept a photo driving licence when paying with a credit card but other won't.  I don't carry my passport now I have a photo licence and have never had a problem with it.  What the law is, I'm not sure but it has been a lot easier since I got the photo driving licence.  Carrefour, Mercadona, Consum, Aki, Garcia, Torregrossa and Lidl are examples of those who will accept a credit card with driving licence.

 Spam post or abuse? Please let us know

We have laminated copies of our passports which we use for ID when paying by credit card. It also worked at the notary when having our wills done, should really have had the copies notarised I think!! Ours was the exception to the rule that day as the notary was in a good mood . Keeping hold of your old expired passport is also valid, that way you don't have to carry your current one and risk losing it.

Mark

 Spam post or abuse? Please let us know

Thanks to Marksfish's comment which I found, I have had a question answered which one of my Spanish friends suggested I enquire about, viz. the laminated passport.

I presume I take a colour photocopy of the passport details page (why is it at the end?), take it to a notario who sploshes a big stamp all over it and then get it laminated? Right?

Pain in the neck really having to carry a passport about. In a few months it will look like something the dog brought up! Interesting to see the comment about the photo driving licence. Must try that.

I'm always slightly envious of the long-time expats who might still have the "Residencia" cards. However, I understand these will go when they have to renew?

By the way, when the shops look at the credit card and then the identification, what is it that they look for? That the name on the card and the profferred ID are the same? Or are they comparing the mugshot on the card with my own fizzog?

Saludos.

 Spam post or abuse? Please let us know

Even though they wont be officially valid, the good thing about the esidencia card is its a photo id and even out of date banks and everywhere else likes it. Just hope I dont lose it!!!

At least my Spanish driving license has a photo on so I dont carry the passport at all and never had any problems at all.

By law you dont have to have the car documents with you either now!!! (apparently!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

 Spam post or abuse? Please let us know

Some stores will only accept the photo driving license on smaller purchases.

Media Markt and PC City (PC World) require a passport for purchases now and have signs in the stores warning that the license will not be accepted as ID anymore. Mind you the average spend in these stores is likely to be higher.

Would Tesco in the UK accept a Polish/Spanish driving document as proof of ID if the customer did not have chip and pin?

 

 Spam post or abuse? Please let us know

Hi Roryok

You dont have to have your laminated passport stamped by an official.

You can take it into any shop that does photocopying, they will shrink it to credit card size and laminate the copy for you.

Cost is minimal.

Most shops will accept it as proof of ID against your credit card.

However, here in Costa Blanca, our local Carrefour WONT accept it, only a passport or EU driving licence will do.

But the larger Carrefour in Torreveija WILL accept it!

 

 Spam post or abuse? Please let us know

 Do you know if the police would accept a laminated credit card sized copy of the passport if they ever ask for it? 

It would be a lot easier than carrying our passports and have the risk of losing them.

 Spam post or abuse? Please let us know

My friend is a Guardia officer and he has just told me:

If your passport copy has been notarised or stamped at a police station it is a legally acceptable document (not suitable for travel) in the duristiction in which it has been stamped (Spain). The copy must be of a size that all letters, numbers and picture are easily readable. The problem is that a lot of police officers will not be aware of this and demand originals (as with car documents).

Of course this is his opinion and like most things in Spain is open to interpretation and varies from region to region and often day to day.

 Spam post or abuse? Please let us know

"Would Tesco in the UK accept a Polish/Spanish driving document as proof of ID if the customer did not have chip and pin?"

I honestly don't know, and there's so much in the UK that's foreign to me now (what's chip and pin?!) but......why not? If you are Polish/Spanish and have an EU photo driving licence, does that not prove who you are?

 Spam post or abuse? Please let us know

Roberto

I doubt that the spotty teenagers on the checkout till at Tesco would not have a clue what a Spanish Residencia card or Spanish driving license is. I never carried ID in the UK.

(Chip and pin is a style or credit/debit card brought out in 2006, where you put your card in a reader and enter your pin number to pay. It is meant to stop fraudulent use of stolen cards. If you steal a card, you cannot use it unless you know the pin number.)

 Spam post or abuse? Please let us know

But a Spanish driving licence look s exactly like a UK one now, doesn't it? it just has an E in the circle of stars instead of UK.

 Spam post or abuse? Please let us know

Hi Roberto.

...but an English one has your address on it whereas the Spanish one doesn't.

I was told by a friend of mine that England is the only EU driving licence which does have your address.

Just a piece of "throw away" information.

Methinks I'll now crawl back under my stone!

Saludos

 Spam post or abuse? Please let us know

Good point well made........and explains why a UK car hire website I've just been looking at says I'll need separate proof of address when paying for my rental in the UK, using a Spanish licence. But why would the spotty teenager on the checkout inTesco need to know where I live? (Unless I want home delivery to Spain) We're talking about identification here. It's got my name, date of birth and most importantly, my mugshot on it. Short of giving my exact Google Streetview coordinates, what more proof is needed that it's me? (rhetorical question)

Oh, and by the way, how many people bother to inform DVLA of their new address each time they move?

 

This message was last edited by Roberto on 4/8/2009.

 Spam post or abuse? Please let us know

How interesting! I just got my Spanish license out to check and there isnt a place for the address!!!!!

Here the residencia card stays at the same address unless you actually change it athough you can be traced via the padron. Must remember that if Im ever unfortunate enough to have to go back to the UK!!!

 Spam post or abuse? Please let us know