New system to help swap to a Spanish driving licence

ONE job on most expats to-do lists was to swap their DVLA British licence for a Spanish one before Brexit.

Now there is to be a new system to help swap to a Spanish driving licence for us Brits.

This has long been legally required for anyone who has lived in Spain for at least six months, but the issue became urgent when authorities warned that those with British licences would no longer be entitled to simply swap their licence for a Spanish one once the UK left Europe.

The problem is, it’s impossible to book a cita previa at DGT offices in areas where lots of Brits live even before Covid-19 struck and forced the closure of administrative offices.

The British Embassy in Madrid has released some welcome news that they have been in discussion with the Spanish transport authorities and plans are afoot to revise the system.

“The DGT is aware that there are difficulties getting appointments to exchange licences and are looking to open up more appointments soon, although we don’t have an exact date for that,” said Lorna Geddie, consular policy advisor in Madrid said in a recent Facebook Live Q&A session.

“(The DGT) are going to be setting up a process to streamline the application process for UK nationals because they are aware that there are a lot of UK licence holders trying to get through the system.”

She went on to explain that what they are planning is something very similar to what was put in place for a short time ahead of the ratification of the Withdrawal Agreement as a No Deal contingency plan, which saw Brits registering their intent to exchange a driving licence ahead of being able to secure an appointment.

“They will set up a form that UK licence holders can complete and submit to the DGT by December 25, that will be pre-registration or a first step in the exchange process. What the DGT will be able to do is on basis of information on that form then verify your licence. You will need to get an appointment to finish the process but that appointment can be from January 1, onwards.”