Can I use my foreign driving licence in Spain? Exchange or exam

Short answer. A driving licence from outside the EU and the European Economic Area lets you drive in Spain for six months at most: six months from the day you become a legal resident, or, if you are a visitor, six months from the day you entered Spain. After that you have two options. If your country has an exchange agreement with Spain and you got your licence before you became a resident, you can exchange it for a Spanish one without a test. If it has no agreement, you have to pass the DGT theory test and the practical driving test, like any new driver (the exception is a professional-driver route, explained below). India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the USA, Cuba and China have no agreement. Venezuela signed one in 2005, but Spain has suspended it since 15 March 2021, so a Venezuelan licence cannot be exchanged today.

Licences from EU and EEA countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway) are different: they stay valid in Spain for as long as they are in force.

Legal basis: Reglamento General de Conductores, article 21 (in force since 8 December 2009) and the DGT page Driving with a foreign licence (in Spanish).

Your situation in one table

The four requirements for a non-EU licence to be valid (in force, minimum age, within the six months, and the right document) come from article 21 of the Reglamento General de Conductores. An official translation means one made by a sworn translator (intérprete jurado), a Spanish consulate abroad, or your country's consulate in Spain.

Countries that can exchange a car licence without a test

The DGT list of exchange agreements was last updated on 26 June 2026 (we checked it on 11 October 2026). Residents holding a car or motorbike licence from these countries can exchange it without any test, paying fee 2.3 of 28.87 EUR:

Andorra, Algeria, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Georgia, Guatemala, Honduras, Japan, Moldova, Monaco, Morocco, New Zealand, Nicaragua, North Macedonia, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Serbia, South Korea, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, and Uruguay.

Two conditions catch people out:

• The licence must have been obtained before you became a legal resident in Spain. A licence you got in your home country while already living in Spain cannot be exchanged. The DGT makes exceptions for South Korea and for licences obtained before the agreement with that country was signed.
• Lorry and bus licences from most of these countries need extra tests and cost fee 2.1 (94.05 EUR).

Source: DGT, Countries with an exchange agreement (in Spanish).

Countries that must sit the DGT exam

Any country that is not in the list above and not in the EU/EEA. That includes most of Asia, Africa and North America. The biggest groups living in Spain:

Other countries with no agreement include China, Russia, Mexico, Canada, Australia, Senegal, Mali, Nigeria, Ghana and Nepal. Population figures are people born in each country (INE table 56937), which includes people who are now Spanish citizens.

What "must sit" means

You get a Spanish licence from scratch. In short:

1. Be a resident. To take the tests as a foreigner you must have your normal residence in Spain, or be a student here for at least six months (RGCond art. 7). When you apply in person, non-EU citizens show their residence authorisation (the TIE card).
2. Medical check. A Centro de Reconocimiento de Conductores issues the fitness report. It is valid for 90 days.
3. Driving school or on your own. Most people use an autoescuela; you can also apply yourself (por libre) at a traffic office.
4. Pay fee 2.1: 94.05 EUR. It covers two exam attempts. A test you pass stays valid for two years.
5. Theory test. For the car licence you can take it in Spanish, a co-official language, English, French or German (DGT form Mod. 04). Not in Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi, Bengali, Arabic or Chinese.
6. Practical test on real roads, in a dual-control car with an instructor beside you.

Exception for professional drivers. If you live in Spain with a licence from a country without an agreement and you have worked at least six months as a professional driver, article 22.1.b of the Reglamento General de Conductores lets you exchange it after passing a road test. Ask your traffic office (Jefatura Provincial de Tráfico) for the requirements.

Each country page walks through these steps with the details that matter for that community.

How the exchange works, step by step

If your country is on the list, the procedure (verification first or not, documents, fees, the provisional licence) is explained in how to exchange a foreign licence for a Spanish one, with the English-speaking countries checked one by one.

Common mistakes

• Counting the six months from the wrong date. For residents they start when you acquire normal residence, not when you last entered Spain.
• Thinking an International Driving Permit extends the six months. It does not. The DGT describes it as a complementary document, valid for one year, that always goes with your own licence and passport.
• Getting a licence at home after moving to Spain to exchange it later. Even for agreement countries, that licence cannot be exchanged.
• Leaving the exchange too late. Once the six months have passed you can no longer drive on the foreign licence while you wait.
• Booking the theory test before you can read the questions comfortably. If you choose English, study in English; the road signs and notices you will see are still in Spanish, so learn those words too.

Frequently asked questions

Can I drive in Spain with a foreign licence as a tourist?

Yes, for up to six months from your regular entry into Spain, if your licence is in force and you are old enough for the same Spanish licence. If the licence is not in Spanish or in the international model, carry an International Driving Permit or an official translation.

How long can I drive in Spain after becoming a resident?

Six months at most from the day you acquire normal residence. After that a non-EU licence is no longer valid in Spain and you need a Spanish one, by exchange or by exam.

Which countries can exchange their licence in Spain?

The 33 countries on the DGT list updated on 26 June 2026, plus the EU and EEA. Car and motorbike licences from those countries are exchanged without a test for 28.87 EUR, as long as the licence was obtained before you became resident.

Can I exchange an Indian, Pakistani or US licence?

No. India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and the USA have no exchange agreement with Spain, so their residents must pass the DGT theory and practical tests.

Can I take the DGT theory test in English?

Yes. For the car licence (permiso B) the DGT offers the theory test in Spanish, the co-official languages, English, French and German. Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi, Bengali, Arabic and Chinese are not offered.

How much does the DGT exam cost?

Fee 2.1 is 94.05 EUR and gives you two attempts (DGT online office, checked on 11 October 2026). Driving school fees and the medical report are paid separately.

Is DrivingLingo an official DGT service?

No. DrivingLingo is an independent study app. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the DGT; the rules it teaches are written from the Spanish law published in the BOE.

Sources

• DGT, Países con convenio de canjes, updated 26/06/2026, checked 11/10/2026.
• DGT, Conducir con un permiso extranjero and Trasladarte a España desde un país de la UE.
• BOE, Reglamento General de Conductores (RD 818/2009), articles 7, 21 and 53 and annex VI, consolidated text read 11/10/2026.
• DGT online office, Solicitud de examen (fee 2.1) and form Mod. 04 (exam languages).
• INE, table 56937, population by country of birth, 1 January 2025.

This page explains the rules; it is not legal advice. For your own case, ask your provincial traffic office (Jefatura Provincial de Tráfico) or call 060.