Driving licences – continues from p1

These are simple medical, sight and reflex tests to prove that a person is fit to drive and can be carried out in centres all over the country.

Mr Elliott noted that all the details about the procedure will be available on the DGT’s webpage (www.dgt.es) – ‘and of course we will point you in the right direction from gov.uk and from our Facebook page as well’.

He added: “If you don’t exchange during the six-month window, you won’t be able to drive any more (in Spain) using your UK licence, but you will still be able to exchange your licence after that time without taking the Spanish test.”

The Embassy will also put on a Facebook live session later this month ‘to answer any questions you might have’, via their page called Brits in Spain.

The Ambassador recognised that it had been a ‘long process’ to get the deal done and thanked those who have been waiting for their ‘forbearance’, and the Embassy team who have been ‘working every day on this for very many months’.

A press release sent out by the DGT this week explains which documents applicants will need to take to carry out the licence exchange.

These are: an official application form (solicitud de canje) which has been filled in; photocopy and original of ID document (passport or TIE residency card); the UK driving licence; a ‘código de verificación’ (check code) for the driving licence; receipt that shows this procedure has been paid for (justificante de pago); the ‘psicotécnico’ test report; and a correctly-sized photo.

The DGT noted that drivers can also present a licence which is out of date, ‘as long as the expiry date is after the arrival date in our country’.

Costa Blanca News notes that private centres will carry out the whole process for a UK resident for a fee of around €100, depending on the rates of the business.