The short answer: with a licence from outside the European Union and the European Economic Area, you can drive in Spain for up to six months from the date you acquire normal residence (article 21.2 of the Spanish General Drivers Regulation, the Reglamento General de Conductores). After that you must exchange it, if your country has an agreement with Spain, or pass the Spanish driving test. There are exceptions, such as Ukrainian licences held by people with temporary protection, which remain valid while that protection lasts. If your licence is from the EU or EEA, it stays valid while it is in date and exchanging it is optional, according to the DGT (the Spanish traffic authority).
In this article
How long can I drive in Spain on a foreign licence?
It depends on where your licence was issued and whether you live here.
- EU or EEA licence (the EEA adds Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway): valid in Spain on the same terms as at home while it is in date (article 15.1), as long as you meet the Spanish minimum age for that category.
- Licence from any other country, and you are resident: six months from the date you acquire normal residence (article 21.2.c). The regulation defines normal residence as the place where you live for at least 185 days in each calendar year (second additional provision).
- Licence from any other country, and you are visiting: six months from your lawful entry into Spain.
Your licence must also be in date and, if it does not follow the Geneva or Vienna format, be in Spanish or come with an official translation or an International Driving Permit (article 21.1). See the International Driving Permit.
Note that the six months are not a deadline for applying: they are the time you may drive. You can exchange from your first day as a resident (article 22.2). If the six months run out you can still exchange, but you cannot drive on it in the meantime (article 21.3).
If your licence is from the EU or EEA
You do not have to exchange it. But once you live here, your licence falls under Spanish rules on validity, medical checks and penalty points (article 15.4). This matters at two moments:
- When it expires. It is always renewed in your country of normal residence: if you live in Valencia, with the DGT.
- If it has no expiry date, or is valid for more than 15 years for cars and motorbikes (more than 5 for lorries and buses), you must renew it once you have been resident in Spain for two years. The DGT says so on its official website.
There is also a voluntary registration (inscripción): you keep your European licence and the DGT has you on file. For an exchange, the DGT asks for the official application form, your ID, proof of residence (EU citizen registration certificate or residence card), your valid licence, a 32 x 26 mm colour photo and fee 2.3, which is €28.87. There is no test.
If your licence is from outside the EU: agreement or no agreement
If your country has an agreement with Spain, you swap your licence for a Spanish one with no test for cars and motorbikes. If not, you have to get a Spanish licence, tests included (article 21.3). The only exception is professional drivers employed in Spain for six months, who take a practical test (article 22.1.b).
According to the DGT list, last updated on 26 June 2026, these 33 countries have an agreement in force: Algeria, Andorra, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Georgia, Guatemala, Honduras, Japan, Moldova, Monaco, Morocco, New Zealand, Nicaragua, North Macedonia, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Philippines, Serbia, South Korea, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, and Uruguay. Check the official DGT list before you start, as it changes.
The United States, Canada, Australia, Venezuela and China are not on the list today. If your licence comes from one of them, plan on a Spanish driving school before your six months are up.
The UK case
After Brexit, a British licence stopped being a European one. There has been an agreement since 16 March 2023, and car and motorbike licences are exchanged with no test, at fee 2.3. The DGT also asks for your licence Check Code, from the DVLA website (or the DVA one for Northern Ireland), before your appointment; Gibraltar licences do not need it. According to the DGT's UK page, you can still exchange a licence that has expired, as long as it expired after you arrived in Spain. If you brought your car too, see importing a car from the UK after Brexit.
Requirements and documents
For countries with an agreement, the DGT asks for:
- Residence in Spain, and your original licence, valid and in date.
- A licence you did not obtain while already legally resident in Spain. One obtained that way cannot be exchanged (South Korea is the exception, according to the DGT).
- The official application form.
- ID and residence, originals: for example, passport and foreigner's identity card (TIE), which also shows you were not resident here when you got your licence.
- A medical fitness report from an approved driver medical centre: group I if you are exchanging car and motorbike categories only, group II if it includes lorries or buses.
- The fee: fee 2.3, €28.87, when no tests are needed, which is the usual case for cars and motorbikes. If your licence includes lorries or buses and your country requires tests, it is fee 2.1, €94.05.
How it works in Valencia, step by step
There are two routes. In person: you book an appointment (cita previa) online or on 060 (they will not see you if you book any other way) and choose the exchange option. In the province there are appointments at the Valencia Provincial Traffic Office and the Alzira office. You pay the fee there by card, never in cash.
Or online, through the DGT electronic registry with a digital certificate or Cl@ve: you upload your documents and, once reviewed, they call you in to hand over the original. The DGT warns this route has no guaranteed timescale.
Either way, at the end they keep your foreign licence (it is normally sent back to the issuing country, article 23.3) and give you a temporary licence. You can drive on it in Spain for six months, but not abroad. The Spanish card arrives by post in about a month and a half.
Common mistakes
- Carrying on driving on your foreign licence after the deadline. Spanish traffic law treats driving without the required licence as a very serious offence (article 77.k of the Traffic Act), with a €500 fine (article 80.1).
- Assuming your country has an agreement. Check the list.
- Using the temporary licence abroad. It only works in Spain.
When it makes sense to get help
When you are not sure from which date your residence counts, when your licence includes lorries or buses, or when your six months are nearly up. We look at your papers with you and tell you whether you can exchange or need to sit the test. You can book an appointment.
Frequently asked questions
How long can I drive in Spain on a foreign licence?
Six months from the date you acquire normal residence, if your licence is from outside the EU and EEA (article 21.2 of the General Drivers Regulation). If it is from the EU or EEA, for as long as it is in date. If you are visiting, six months from your entry into Spain.
Do I have to exchange my EU licence if I live in Spain?
No. Exchanging is optional while your licence is in date. But renewal is done in Spain and, if your licence has no expiry date or is valid for more than 15 years for cars and motorbikes, you must renew it after two years of living here.
Can I exchange a US driving licence in Spain?
No. The United States is not on the DGT list of countries with an exchange agreement (updated 26 June 2026), so you will need to get a Spanish licence by passing the tests.
How much does it cost to exchange a foreign licence?
€28.87 in DGT fee 2.3 when no tests are needed, which is the usual case for cars and motorbikes. If your licence includes lorries or buses and tests are required, fee 2.1 is €94.05. The medical check is paid separately.
Can I drive while I wait for my Spanish licence?
Yes. When you exchange, you get a temporary licence valid for six months for driving in Spain, not abroad. The card arrives by post in about a month and a half.