The DGT theory exam in English: who can take it, how to ask for it and how to prepare

Yes, you can take the Spanish car licence (permiso B) theory exam in English. The DGT, Spain's traffic authority, also offers it in French, in German and in the co-official languages. It is not offered in Urdu, Arabic, Hindi, Punjabi or Bengali. This page covers what the DGT says about the languages, how to ask for English, what will still be in Spanish on the day and how to prepare. For the steps from residence card to licence see how to get a Spanish driving licence, and for the day itself see exam day, results and retakes.

Languages of the permiso B theory exam

On its application form for the driving tests, the DGT states the language of the theory test by permit:

The co-official languages are Catalan (Catalonia and the Balearic Islands), Basque (the Basque Country and Navarra), Galician (Galicia) and Valencian (the Valencian Community).

Source: DGT application form, model 04 (in Spanish), field "Idioma de la prueba teórica".

Can I take it in English?

Yes, for the permiso B. It is the same kind of test in another language: at least 30 questions, a maximum of 10 % errors and one minute per question (Reglamento General de Conductores, annex VI.B). You read the whole paper in English.

Three things to know before you rely on that:

• We have not found that the DGT publishes its English paper. We have not found its full question bank in any language, and it has not said how the English wording was written. Candidates who have sat it often describe the English as stiff and close to the Spanish, so learn the rule behind each topic and not the wording of a sentence.
• The road is in Spanish. Signs, notices and the people you will talk to are in Spanish. So even if you sit the theory in English, you should know the Spanish terms for signs and for the law: calzada, arcén, ceda el paso, travesía.
• The practical test is a different exam. We have not found a DGT statement about the language of the practical test; ask your driving school.

Who must sit the exam and who can exchange a licence

If you already hold a driving licence, the first question is not the language but whether you need the exam at all. Spain has exchange agreements with 33 countries, among them the United Kingdom, Japan and Switzerland; a licence from one of them can be swapped without a test if you got it before becoming a resident. Licences from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the USA, China and many others cannot be exchanged: their holders must pass the DGT tests like any new driver. Start with exchange or exam, then the pages for India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and the USA.

How to ask for English

1. Get the psychophysical fitness report from an authorised driver testing centre. It is valid for 90 days.
2. File the application for the tests. If you go through a driving school (autoescuela), the school files it. If you study on your own, you file it yourself, online or at a traffic office with an appointment.
3. State the language of the theory test on the application. If in doubt, ask your driving school or your provincial traffic office (Jefatura Provincial de Tráfico) before you pay the fee.

The fee (2.1) is 94.05 EUR and gives you two sittings (DGT online office, checked on 11 October 2026). The detail of the procedure is in the FAQ and on the DGT page (in Spanish).

Driving school or on your own

The language of the exam does not depend on how you apply: you can sit in English whether a school files the application or you do. What changes is the support. A school gives you classes, a car for the practical test and someone who files the paperwork; applying on your own means you handle the DGT steps yourself. If you choose a school, ask whether lessons are available in English, because the DGT does not set that, and read the contract before you sign. The DGT recommends this in its page on choosing a school.

English or Spanish: which should you choose?

Choose the language you can read fastest and most calmly, because the time limit is one minute per question and a misread word costs more than a missing rule. English suits most people who are still learning Spanish. If your Spanish is already good, sitting in Spanish means you meet the same words that are on the road signs, but nobody can promise it is easier. Whichever you pick, you have to say so on the application, so decide before you file, and practise in that language from the start. Switching languages late in your preparation can slow you down on the day.

Accessibility: easy reading, audio and extra time

The DGT also offers the test in easy reading for A1, A2 and B, on a computer. It also announced an audio aid for computer-based tests. In its first phase, audio was only available for tests taken in Spanish. If you need it, ask your provincial traffic office about the current situation. The exam time can be extended in justified special-needs cases (annex VI.B.2).

What the exam covers

The law defines the content of the common theory test in annex V.B.1 of the Reglamento General de Conductores. It starts with traffic law, "especially" signs, priority rules and speed limits. It goes on to the causes of crashes, the effect of alcohol, drugs, medicines and fatigue, safe following distance and braking distance, vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists, the documents a driver must carry, what to do after a crash and first aid, and the parts of the vehicle that matter for safety. DrivingLingo splits this into 38 topics; the syllabus lists them in order.

Where drivers from abroad lose points

If you learned to drive somewhere else, a few Spanish rules are worth checking early, because habit will answer for you if you do not:

• Unmarked junctions. With no sign regulating priority, you must give way to vehicles approaching from your right, with exceptions for paved roads against unpaved ones, rail vehicles, motorways and dual carriageways, and roundabouts (Reglamento General de Circulación, art. 57).
• Roundabouts. Vehicles already on the roundabout have priority over those entering it, same article. Do not assume the rule you know from home.
• Motorway or dual carriageway. Autopista and autovía are two different road types with different rules, and the exam treats them as different.
• Units. Everything is in km/h and metres. Convert once and learn the Spanish figures, not the converted ones.

Thirty Spanish terms English speakers should recognise

These are the terms we use for the English exam wording, and the Spanish you will meet on the road. The DGT's own English may differ in places, so treat the left column as the one to remember.

The definitions behind calzada, carril, arcén, glorieta and parada come from the annex of the Ley sobre Tráfico, the traffic law. Knowing that autovía and autopista are different things matters more than the English word you attach to either.

How to prepare if you sit it in English

The best preparation is the same whatever language you pick: understand each rule, practise by topic, review your mistakes and then try full 30-question papers. DrivingLingo supports that for English speakers in four ways:

• A practice exam in English. The daily 30-question exam is available in Spanish and in English, with three options per question and an image, the shape the DGT describes. It is free every day, with no sign-up.
• The Spanish term in view. We keep the Spanish terms of the law in the syllabus so you recognise arcén on the road and shoulder in the test.
• Read-aloud of the questions in English.
• A repair drill to repeat the concepts you mix up.

One limit: we cannot promise that our English matches the official translation word for word, because we have not found that the DGT publishes it. That is why we practise rules and terms, not sentences.

Start with today's free exam, the DGT practice test in English or the syllabus. For the rules that trip people up, such as roundabouts, speed limits and drink-driving, see the Spanish traffic rules explained in English. If your first language is Urdu or Arabic, see the pages for Urdu speakers and Arabic speakers: the exam is not offered in those languages, so you sit it in Spanish or English. For what the 2026 traffic reform changed, read what changed.

Take the DGT practice test in English

DrivingLingo is an independent study app. It is not the DGT and is not endorsed by it.

Reviewed on 11 October 2026 · source: BOE/DGT.