You hold a foreign driving license without administrative validity (pink license) and are resident in Spain. Did you know that you had to exchange your foreign driving license for a Spanish license after two years of residence? Living in Spain also means knowing the rules that apply to driving licenses and the exchange of it. In Spain this approach is called Canje de Permiso de Conducción Europeo. Do I have to exchange my driving license in Spain? How to exchange your foreign driving license for a Spanish license? Lisbob, the Expats Assistant in Spain explains everything about the Canje and the driving license exchange in Barcelona or Madrid.

1. Check the obligation to exchange a driver's license

Before embarking on any steps regarding the exchange of your foreign driving license during your installation in Spain, it is important to check if you have the obligation to proceed with this procedure. Indeed, not everyone is obliged to exchange their driving license in Spain. Since 19 January 2015, any European Union citizen holding a pink license without a validity date and residing in Spain has the obligation to conduct a driver's license exchange to obtain a Spanish, before 2 years of residence. The Spanish authorities require that persons residing and traveling in Spain hold a European model driving license, which has a validity of 15 years. If necessary, it is mandatory to exchange your pink license for a Spanish driving license.

2. Make an appointment on the website of the DGT

If you are obliged to exchange your driving license in Spain, then you must first make an appointment with the competent authorities, in this case the Dirección General del Trafico. You can consult the site directly by clicking here.

You will have to choose:

• Office of residence ;

• Type of application: Canje de Permiso de Conducción Europeo ;

• Country of origin of the permit;

Then, the site will ask you to fill in personal information like your Spanish NIE, names, first names as well as type of license in question. Finally, it is possible to choose the date and time of the appointment desired for the exchange of your driving license.

3. Go to the appointment and provide the documents

Lisbob advises you to arrive 15 to 20 minutes in advance for your appointment to exchange your foreign license in Spain. This allows you to prepare and check your entire file. In order for it to be complete, here is the list of documents that your driver license exchange application must include :

• Passport ;

• NIE ;

• Driver's license ;

• ID picture 32 cm x 26 cm ;

• Form «Tramites de conductores» Modelo 03 available by clicking here ;

• Proof of the appointment ;

• Medical certificate if you make the exchange request after 2 years of residence in Spain.

Once the file has been submitted, it is necessary to pay the registration fees related to foreign driving license exchange: between € 30 and € 40 depending on the region and Spanish cities. Your efforts in Canje are soon over.

4. Receive your new driver's license

The DGT will communicate directly with the authorities responsible for driving licenses in your country of origin. The processing time can vary from a few days to a few weeks, and if everything is validated by the respective organizations, then you will receive by mail your new Spanish driving license. And now, the exchange of foreign driver's license for a Spanish license will have no secrets for you.

Discover Lisbob’s library !

Lisbob is the assistant for expats : check out how he can help you !