Spain to allow foreign driving licence exchange to be done online

Residents in Spain will soon be able to validate their foreign driving licences online, avoiding the painstaking process of doing the documentation via Spain’s Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT) offices when wanting to register, validate or/and exchange them.

The digitalisation of the process is intended to speed up bureaucratic backlogs and a lack of available in-person appointments.

As is sometimes the case with Spanish administration, especially with residency matters, as reported by The Local, even getting an appointment at the DGT can be difficult enough.

In recent months, the issue has become so severe that Spanish daily El País has described it as “an almost impossible mission”.

FIND OUT: Can I exchange my foreign driving licence for a Spanish one?

In addition to the few appointments that are available, these tend to be taken by private companies or individuals who block book them. A lack of DGT staff working in the branch also contributes to the scarcity of physical appointments.

This means that basic DGT procedures can take weeks or even months. The body acknowledges that validating foreign driving licences is among “the most complex procedures” that exist.

The exchange process can be long and frustrating. First, prior verification by the issuing authority is required. Then there is a medical examination, proof of residence in Spain and, in the case of driving professionals, an aptitude test. This includes several documents and often several trips to the DGT office.

The online system is intended to speed up this process, but the streamlined telemática validation service can only be used with drivers from countries with which a bilateral agreement on reciprocal recognition and exchange of driving licences has been signed.

The DGT breaks down the relevant countries on its website, but these include non-EEA states such as: Andorra, Argentina, Algeria, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, the Philippines, Georgia, Guatemala, Honduras, Macedonia, Morocco, Moldavia, Nicaragua, New Zealand, the UK, Panama, Paraguay, Serbia, South Korea, Tunisia and Turkey.

Drivers with licences from all other non-EU nations have to resit their driving exam (theory and practical) after six months of residency in Spain.

Those with licences from the EU and the EEA are allowed to drive in Spain with their current licences, as long as they have not expired. If your licence doesn't expire in less than 15 years, you can carry on using your EU licence, but are also free to exchange it any time you want. According to the DGT, this process is voluntary.

When you want to exchange your licence for a Spanish one or if it expires, you can do so through the DGT in a process called renovación del permiso comunitario.

How the online validation or exchange process will work

When doing the online application, the DGT will ask for all the relevant documents and applicants need only go to the nearest provincial DGT headquarters to hand in their original licence (which must be valid) and to pick up a provisional driving licence.

The approved licence will later be sent to your home address by post.

In order to access the DGT’s so-called ‘Electronic Headquarters’, users must be registered in Cl@ve system or have a digital certificate.

READ ALSO: How to save lots of time on official matters through Spain's online Cl@ve system

Applicants must indicate which class of licence they want to exchange. If they opt for a lorry or bus licence, additional tests must be taken, depending on the country.

Note that if the driving licence to be exchanged was issued by Algeria, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, the Philippines, Georgia, Guatemala, Honduras, Macedonia, Morocco, Moldavia, Nicaragua, New Zealand, Panama, Paraguay, the Dominican Republic, Serbia, Tunisia or Turkey, before exchanging the licence, a prior verification of the licence is requested from the country that issued it and only when the relevant issuing body responds can the online exchange application process continue.

Once the issuing country has replied to the verification request, the applicant will receive an email informing them whether the request has been rejected or accepted. If it has been accepted, a 'locator' will be provided to continue with the exchange request.

“The country's response includes the date the licence was obtained, the expiry date and the renewal date of the licence being exchanged,” the DGT said in a statement.

In the event that an applicant holds a licence from the countries that do not require a locator to be provided prior to the application (Argentina, Andorra, United Kingdom, Peru, Ukraine, Uruguay, Japan, Switzerland, Korea and Monaco) the system will move directly to the exchange request.

READ ALSO: The differences between getting your driving licence in Spain and the US