Driving in Spain with a foreign license: the 6-month limit

In short: driving in Spain with a foreign license is allowed for 6 months at most, counted from when you acquire normal residence in Spain or, if you cannot show it (for example, you are visiting as a tourist), from when you enter in a regular situation (art. 21 of the General Drivers Regulation). After that you must exchange it, if your country has an agreement, or get the Spanish license. EU and EEA licenses have a different regime. Ukrainians: with temporary protection in force (extended to 4 March 2028), a valid Ukrainian license is recognised in the EU for as long as the temporary protection lasts, with no need to exchange it (Reg. 2022/1280, art. 3); confirm with the DGT and see exchanging a Ukrainian driving license.

In person or by representative? There is no procedure as such: this is a rule on how long your license stays valid. The exchange or the Spanish license, when the time comes, has its own card: exchanging a foreign driving license.

Which foreign licenses are valid (art. 21.1). The text lists four types:

• a national license that follows the model of the Geneva (1949) or Vienna (1968) road traffic conventions, or differs only in non-essential fields;
• a national license written in Spanish or with an official translation (by a sworn interpreter, a Spanish consul abroad, the consul in Spain of the issuing country, or an authorised body);
• an international permit issued abroad on the models of those conventions or of Paris (1926);
• those recognised in international agreements to which Spain is a party, on the terms of each agreement.

Conditions (art. 21.2). Your license must be valid, you must be of the age Spain requires for the equivalent Spanish license, and 6 months must not have passed. These conditions apply to the international permit too: it does not extend the period. An agreement may set a different rule for the licenses it recognises.

When the 6 months start.

• If you can show normal residence: from when you acquire it.
• If you cannot: from your entry into Spain in a regular situation.

The second additional provision defines normal residence as the place where you stay habitually, at least 185 days per calendar year, because of personal and professional ties. Only a stay in a regular situation, shown under Organic Law 4/2000, counts. The text adds that attending a university or school does not by itself move your normal residence: if you study, ask the DGT which of the two periods applies to you.

If you are a tourist or visitor. Your license counts while it is valid and 6 months have not passed since you entered in a regular situation. Article 21 mentions no 90-day limit and does not tie it to your visa. If you leave and come back, the text does not say how the period is counted: ask the DGT.

If you are a resident and your license is not from the EU or EEA. The same 6-month period applies from normal residence. When it ends, your license has no validity in Spain and, to keep driving, you need the Spanish license after the requirements are checked and you pass the tests (art. 21.3). Exchange for the Spanish one, which does not make you wait for the end of the 6 months, is provided for in art. 22:

• with an agreement: the exchange follows the terms of the agreement. Check whether your country is on the DGT list of agreement countries. Do not assume yours is or is not: check the list. Countries with their own card: Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Morocco and Ukraine;
• without an agreement: according to the DGT, if your country is not on its list there is no exchange and you need the Spanish license, normally by passing the theory and practical tests. Art. 22.1.b is an exceptional case, not a general route: it covers only licenses under art. 21.1.a and b (Geneva or Vienna model, or in Spanish with an official translation), and only if you have been employed as a professional driver for at least 6 months by a company in Spain (with Social Security affiliation and contribution records) and pass a driving test of up to 30 minutes. If that is not you, do not count on an exchange. More in exchanging a foreign driving license.

EU or EEA license (arts. 15 to 18). It stays valid in Spain on the terms it was issued, without the 6-month limit of art. 21. It is not valid if restricted, suspended or withdrawn. Once you acquire normal residence in Spain, Spanish rules on validity, fitness checks and points apply to you; if your license has no expiry date, you must renew it 2 years after establishing normal residence. Registering it in the drivers register is voluntary (art. 16) and you can exchange it for the Spanish one at any time (art. 18).

Ukraine. With temporary protection in force, a valid Ukrainian license is recognised in the EU for as long as that protection lasts, with no need to exchange it (Reg. 2022/1280, art. 3); confirm with the DGT. Without protection, the 2010 agreement applies. Details in exchanging a Ukrainian driving license.

Insurance. Driving has its own insurance: car insurance for foreigners.

Steps:

1. Check that your license is valid and that you meet the age Spain requires for the equivalent.
2. See whether it fits one of the four types in art. 21: Geneva or Vienna model, Spanish or official translation, international permit or agreement.
3. Note when the 6 months start: from your normal residence or, if you have none, from your entry in a regular situation.
4. Check as soon as you can whether your country is on the DGT list and ask for the exchange: you can do it from when you acquire normal residence (art. 22.2), without waiting for the 6 months; if there is no agreement, prepare for the Spanish license.
5. If your license is from the EU or EEA, follow its own regime in arts. 15 to 18.

Official source: Royal Decree 818/2009, arts. 15 to 22 and second additional provision and DGT: agreement countries for exchange.

Informational only; check the official source and a professional for your specific case.