How to exchange your UK driving licence for a Spanish one

What it is

Since Brexit, a UK driving licence is treated like a licence from outside the EU. Under the UK–Spain agreement (in force since 16 March 2023), you can:

drive in Spain on your UK licence for six months after you become resident here, and
exchange it for a Spanish licence without taking a test (canje).

After those six months, you can't legally drive on the UK licence any more. Apply early: the provisional permit you get when you apply is what lets you keep driving.

This covers licences from Great Britain, Northern Ireland and Gibraltar. Licences from Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man can't be exchanged: their holders need to pass the Spanish theory and practical tests.

Can you exchange yours?

Yes, if you got your UK licence before you became resident in Spain.
Yes, even if it has expired, as long as it expired after you arrived in Spain.
No, if you got it in the UK while you were already a legal resident in Spain. Then you'd need to pass the Spanish driving tests.

Missed the six months? You can't drive on the UK licence until you have the provisional permit, but you can still apply for the exchange.

Before you start

You'll need:

The application form (solicitud de canje).
ID: your passport, and your TIE (residence card, including the Withdrawal Agreement TIE if you lived here before 2021) as proof you live here.
Proof you weren't living in Spain when you got the licence (for example, its issue date is before your residence registration).
Your UK licence, original and in date (or expired after you arrived).
A medical fitness report (informe de aptitud psicofísica) from an authorised driver medical centre (Centro de Reconocimiento de Conductores). The centre sends your photo and signature to the DGT, so you don't need to bring photos (since November 2024).
A check code for your licence:
- England, Scotland, Wales: from the DVLA at gov.uk/view-driving-licence. You need your licence number, your National Insurance number and the postcode on your licence.
- Northern Ireland: from the DVA at nidirect.gov.uk.
- Gibraltar: no code needed.
Proof you paid the DGT fee (tasa 2.3).

Steps

Get the medical report at a Centro de Reconocimiento de Conductores near you.
Get your check code from the DVLA (or DVA) shortly before you apply: it's valid for 21 days.
Pay the fee online on the DGT website (tasa 2.3).
Apply, in one of two ways:
- Online on the DGT electronic office, with Cl@ve or a digital certificate: fill in the application and upload scans of your documents, including both sides of your licence. The DGT then contacts you to finish at the traffic office.
- In person, with an appointment (cita previa) booked online or by phoning 060 at a Jefatura Provincial de Tráfico. There's no service without an appointment.
At the traffic office, hand over your original UK licence and collect a provisional permit. It lets you drive in Spain only, for up to six months.
Your Spanish licence arrives by post, usually about six weeks later.

Cost

The DGT fee (tasa 2.3), shown when you pay it online, plus the medical centre's fee, which varies by centre.

Common pitfalls

Don't leave it until month six. Appointments can take weeks, and the provisional permit is only issued when you hand in your licence.
The check code expires after 21 days. Get it close to your application date.
Don't drive abroad on the provisional permit: it's only valid in Spain. Trips to the UK or elsewhere in Europe have to wait for the Spanish card.
Licence about to expire? You can still exchange it in Spain after it expires (as long as that's after you arrived), so there's no need to renew it in the UK first.
If you paid a gestoría to do it, ask for the submission receipt (justificante de presentación). Without it, the application probably hasn't been made.

When to ask a helper

Ask someone who exchanged a UK licence at your provincial traffic office recently: they'll know how long appointments take there and which medical centre is quickest.