We saw last week what the UK licence issuing authority, the DVLA, has to say about BREXIT changes, this week it is the turn of the DGT, Spain´s traffic authority, to tell us their side of the story.
In the latest information published by the DGT, they are clear that if BREXIT takes place, your UK driving licence will not be valid for driving in Spain.
Although they will honour a period of transition for tourists, they have launched a special protocol to ensure you can exchange, replace or renew your licence under the same conditions prior to BREXIT, if you submit your application before November 1, 2019.
They explain further that if BREXIT takes place, the United Kingdom will cease to belong to the European Union, so all traffic agreements within the EU will no longer be valid for citizens of the UK. Among other things, this means that driving licences from the United Kingdom will only be valid for driving in Spain during the first 9 months after BREXIT, provided they are in valid.
If you want to continue driving in Spain, it will be necessary to make an exchange, renewal or replacement of your permit for an equivalent Spanish one, surrendering the original.
Spain has already set in motion the protocol to achieve this, and will guarantee an exchange, so long as you make the application before the deadline, and you are the holder of a full licence, and have habitual residence in Spain.
If you qualify, and apply before November 1, 2019, whatever happens on October 31, 2019, you will be guaranteed an appointment to exchange your licence for a period of 9 months from the date of BREXIT.
At the time of the procedure, the original permit will be withdrawn, and you will be given a temporary licence and in approximately one month and a half you will receive your Spanish licence through the post.
For the latest information from the DGT, you can check their website, dgt.es.
