Driving Licences
Exchanging your foreign driving licence
Whether you can keep driving on your foreign licence, and how to exchange it for a Spanish one.
Last reviewed: 2026-06-15Varies widely by country of origin and province — commonly several weeks to a few months.
This guide is not yet verified by Tuchati's editorial review — treat it as a helpful starting point, not a final legal answer.
Overview
Whether you can continue using your foreign driving licence in Spain, and for how long, depends on your country of origin and residency status. EU/EEA licences remain valid; many other countries have bilateral exchange agreements with Spain, while others require a full new Spanish licence and test.
Requirements
- Check whether your issuing country has an exchange agreement with Spain — this determines whether you can exchange directly or must retest
- Your licence must not be expired
Step-by-step process
- Confirm your country's specific exchange status with the DGT (Dirección General de Tráfico)
- Book an appointment and gather the required documents
- Submit your application, including your original licence
- Receive your Spanish licence once processed
Required documents
- Original foreign driving licence
- NIE/TIE
- Passport-style photo
- Medical certificate from an authorised centre
Common mistakes
- Continuing to drive on an expired exchange window without realising the deadline had passed for your specific nationality
- Assuming an EU licence needs exchanging at all — it generally doesn't, until it needs renewing
Practical tips
- Start the process well before your permitted driving window on the foreign licence expires
- If your country has no exchange agreement, budget real time for the Spanish theory and practical tests
How Tuchati can help
Exchange rules are genuinely country-specific and change periodically. Tuchati can confirm your exact situation and the current process.