Exchanging your driving licence

Key facts

The UK agreement — and two years of wrong information

After Brexit, UK licences fell out of the EU mutual-recognition system, and for roughly two years UK nationals resident in Spain had no exchange route at all: once their grace period lapsed, their licences were simply not valid for driving in Spain. During that gap the internet filled up with contradictory advice, and much of it is still online.

The reciprocal recognition and exchange agreement between Spain and the United Kingdom entered into force on 16 March 2023. The DGT announced it explicitly: UK licences are exchanged without any additional theory or practical test for the ordinary categories. If you are reading a guide that predates March 2023 — or one that was never updated — discard it.

The six-month rule: which date starts your clock

The general rule for third-country licences is that they are valid in Spain for a maximum of six months from the date you establish normal residence. For UK licences there is a twist: the clock starts on 16 March 2023 or on the date you became a Spanish resident — whichever is later.

• Became a resident in 2021 and sat out the gap? Your six months ran from 16 March 2023.
• Became a resident last month? Your six months run from your residence date.

Miss the window and your licence is no longer valid for driving in Spain; the way back generally means the full Spanish driving test. The deadline is measured against your residence paperwork, so it pays to get your admin — NIE, getting a NUSS, residence registration — done in the right order.

Which categories exchange without exams

Under the UK agreement, the exam-free exchange covers categories A1, A, B and B+E — motorcycles and ordinary cars, with or without a heavy trailer. Professional categories are treated differently: C (lorries) and D (buses) require at least a practical exam, and in some cases a theory test as well, before the Spanish equivalent is issued.

The psicotécnico: what they actually check

Before you can file the application, you need an informe de aptitud psicofísica — the medical and psychometric fitness report every Spanish driver renews with their licence. It must come from an authorised Centro de Reconocimiento de Conductores (the DGT keeps the register), and it is transmitted to the DGT electronically.

The check itself is short and undramatic: eyesight, hearing, blood pressure, a brief health questionnaire, and a simple coordination test on a screen. Two details matter:

• The report is valid for 90 days — do not get it months before your DGT appointment.
• It must exist before you submit the application; the DGT expects to find it in the system when your canje is processed.

How the canje works at the DGT

1. Confirm you are in the window. Check your residence date against the six-month rule above before anything else.
2. Get the psicotécnico at an authorised Centro de Reconocimiento de Conductores. It is filed electronically with the DGT and is valid for 90 days.
3. Book a cita previa with the DGT (online at dgt.es or by phone) for "canje de permiso de conducción" at a Jefatura de Tráfico. The appointment is free.
4. Attend with your documents — passport, proof of residence, your foreign licence and the application — and pay the official DGT fee for the exchange.
5. Hand in your old licence and receive an interim authorisation while the Spanish card is produced and posted to you.

The DGT verifies your licence with the issuing country’s authority, which is why the canje is an exchange in the literal sense: the UK licence is surrendered, not kept as a spare.

⚠ Scams to avoid

• ✗ Paid "guaranteed canje appointment" resellers. The DGT cita previa is free of charge; resellers monetise a public queue — they cannot create slots.
• ✗ "Online psicotécnico, no visit needed". The report must be issued by an authorised Centro de Reconocimiento de Conductores and filed with the DGT. A certificate from an unauthorised website is worthless at your appointment.
• ✗ "Exchange without being a resident". The canje is a procedure for residents. Anyone promising to exchange a licence for someone who does not live in Spain is selling something the DGT does not offer.