New driving licence rules from 19 January

[Myrtle Hogan-Lance]

We have entered the 45 day wait zone. We are none the wiser.  Will report back..............

[Janet]

It's all getting a bit silly now. People are talking about little else but the front page article in Canarian Weekly, which is absolutely right in the main respect. It is not a requirement for British licence holders to change their licences to Spanish ones. As I've said in the first post on this below, and in subsequent posts, what has changed is the requirement for anyone of more than two years' residence (with a Registro) to come into line with European (Spanish in our case) medical tests and to be included in the penalty points system.

The reason, it seems, that those exchanging licences don't have to have the medical is because the very fact of exchanging their licence means that they will now be in the system, and will immediately be part of the penalty points system, and will be required to have a medical when their licence is to be renewed after 10 years (or after 5 years if over 65. Apart from those exchanging licences, however, Trafico was clear that the rule applies to everyone else (stress "everyone else").

Given the furore over the Canarian Weekly article, however, I've just had another look at it, and what seems to have happened is that they're having a real go at Tenerife Weekly, which they call "the other publication" for "saying that Brits need Spanish licences ... which isn't true". Now OK, that is correct, as I said above: British licence holders do not have to exchange their licences for Spanish ones, but Tenerife Weekly do not actually say this in the article on page 5! It's true, unfortunately, that there's a banner on the front page that does make the claim (pic below), but anyone who reads the actual article will see that the facts inside the paper are accurate.

This looks like a newspaper war, to me, with Canarian Weekly taking the opportunity with a front page splash to attack an incorrect banner on Tenerife Weekly. But it surely hasn't caused the chaos claimed, has it? There won't be people, surely, who only read the headline on Tenerife Weekly's front page and don't bother to read the important detail in the article itself?! Canarian Weekly is also having a go at Island Connections over its Veronicas April Fool-type article, so perhaps it's one of those weeks in the press.

That's my take on what's going on, anyway.

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[Guanche]

The head line does seem to say one thing, and if they say different in the article it must be quite misleading. As I said yesterday there is so much bull out there that it's difficult for ex-pats to find the truth. Except here

The wife and I must have been some of the first people to inscribe our UK full paper licence under the new law. No problem we had both of them inscribed for ten years without any problem. Its a purely a personal choice if you want to inscribe your licence or change to a Spanish licence. There is nothing to compel you, but you must do one or the other.

[Myrtle Hogan-Lance]

 

We got a call on Monday to say Tráfico had heard back from the DVLA and we could come up any time to exchange our licences.  We arrived at Tráfico at 09.30 this morning, got a ticket, and waited a few moments for the woman on window 2.  She got our files, gave us a piece of paper to go pay for our licences and our number came up at the till before we could walk over there.  Paid 27.70€ for each license, and went back to wait to be called back to window 2.  When she was ready for us, she had us sign the licence form and hand over photos.  She printed out the temporary licences which we must carry with our passports.  They are good for three months, and our permanent pink credit card sized ones will be delivered by Correos. 

In and out in half an hour.  No medical, no test, no muss no fuss. 

No wonder I'm

[Guanche]

Wow!!!!!! I was going to post a while ago that I had to wait over three months for my inscription to come through from the DVLA and the wife had to wait four months! Although that was about six years ago. For Spain this is hypersonic speed........if hypersonic is a word? Well done Trafico well done DVLA and well done Myrtle

[Myrtle Hogan-Lance]

Our brand new shiny Spanish licences arrived today! 

The only pity is that my picture looks like a zombie.

Nevertheless, WAHOO!!!!!!!

[Nova]

Wow, that was quick!!!!! 

[Janet]

Over the last couple of days things have gone a bit haywire with enquiries about this new legislation, maybe it's just because it's coming to the end of the year. So, to clarify, the situation with driving licences is:

An EU directive already in force in Europe is being enforced in Spain from January 2015. No-one has to change to a Spanish licence. Drivers who are in Spain for more than six months have a choice : they must end up with one of two things:

Either a Spanish licence
OR a UK licence with a medical – both medical cert and licence inscribed with trafico.

To exchange: you or a representative has to go to Trafico. Tráfico will check with DVLA that your licence is valid and exchange it for a Spanish one. You'll need the usual documentation, including a photo, and a fee of around 27 Euros ... plus the fee of someone doing it for you if you employ someone. If you don't want to exchange, you have to take a medical and these must be taken at specific registered centres (there's a link to the official list below so it depends where you are) and then take (or get someone to take) the medical and your UK licence to Trafico to inscribe them.

Please, though, understand that there is a separate and additional issue to consider as far as the UK is concerned. UK licence holders are required by British law to inform DVLA of changes of address, but foreign addresses cannot be registered as a new address on a UK driving licence. Instead, the DVLA tells drivers moving abroad to contact the appropriate driving licence authority in their new country of residence. (link)

This means, logically, that the UK requires anyone who is living in Tenerife to contact Tráfico – which means getting a Spanish licence. This is why some advisers are saying that anyone living here must change to a Spanish licence. It is UK rules, however, not Spanish, that are behind this requirement, the issue arising from the fact that British licences are only valid for UK residents. As far as Spain is concerned, the situation is that a driver living here must either have a Spanish licence or have taken a medical which is then inscribed with their UK licence. JA

[El Profesor]

I've got a question for you Diane.
If I've had a Spanish driving licence for 25 years . . . and last English one was a bit of green paper. Can I just call DVLC and say I lost it and get a new English one?

[Guanche]

I've got a question for you Diane.
If I've had a Spanish driving licence for 25 years . . . and last English one was a bit of green paper. Can I just call DVLC and say I lost it and get a new English one?

I am 99.99% sure that the answer is no. The only way you will get a UK licence is to move back to the UK. When you changed your licence to a Spanish one your UK paper one became void anyway. You can throw it away if you wanted. However with that said I should keep it, just as a record. You never know whats going to happen.