Indian driving licence in Spain: valid for how long, and can you change it?

Short answer. An Indian driving licence is valid in Spain for six months at most: six months from your regular entry if you are visiting, or six months from the day you become a legal resident. India is not on the DGT list of countries with an exchange agreement (list updated 26 June 2026), so an Indian licence cannot be changed for a Spanish one in the ordinary way. If you live in Spain and want to keep driving, you have to pass the DGT theory test and the practical test. The good news: you can take the theory test in English.

Legal basis: Reglamento General de Conductores, article 21 and the DGT list of exchange agreements (both in Spanish). About 74,000 people born in India lived in Spain on 1 January 2025 (INE).

Can I drive in Spain with an Indian licence?

As a visitor, yes, if all of these are true:

• your Indian licence is in force (not expired);
• you are old enough for the same Spanish licence: 18 for a car;
• fewer than six months have passed since you entered Spain;
• you carry an International Driving Permit issued in India, or an official Spanish translation of your licence, together with the licence itself and your passport. Article 21 also accepts licences issued in the international model of the Geneva or Vienna road traffic conventions, but the permit or the translation is the safe option.

An official translation is one made by a Spanish sworn translator (intérprete jurado), a Spanish consulate, or the Indian consulate in Spain. The DGT advises non-EU visitors to get the International Driving Permit before travelling; it is valid for one year and only works alongside your Indian licence.

As a resident, only for six months from the day you acquire normal residence. After that the Indian licence has no validity in Spain, even with an International Driving Permit.

Can I change my Indian licence for a Spanish one?

No. Spain exchanges licences only with EU and EEA countries and the 33 countries on the DGT list. India is not on it, so there is no canje (exchange) and no shortcut for experienced drivers: you take the same tests as a new driver (unless you are a professional driver: article 22.1.b of the Reglamento General de Conductores allows an exchange after six months working as one, plus a road test). Ten years of driving in Delhi or Punjab does not exempt you from the theory test. See the full exchange vs exam guide for the country list.

Getting a Spanish licence: step by step

1. Residence card. You need normal residence in Spain (or a study stay of at least six months) to apply (RGCond art. 7). At the traffic office, non-EU applicants show their residence authorisation in force, which is your TIE card with your NIE number.
2. Medical report. Go to a Centro de Reconocimiento de Conductores and ask for the report for a new car licence (permiso B). It is valid for 90 days, so apply for the exam before it expires.
3. Choose how to prepare. An autoescuela (driving school) files your application, teaches theory and lends you the dual-control car for the practical. You can also study the theory on your own (por libre) and apply yourself at a traffic office or through the DGT electronic registry.
4. Pay fee 2.1: 94.05 EUR (DGT online office, checked 11 October 2026). It gives you two attempts in total. Fail twice and you apply and pay again. Driving school prices are separate.
5. Theory test in English. When you apply, choose English as the language of the theory test. It is a computer test of 30 questions; you pass with 3 errors or fewer (annex VI.B of the Reglamento General de Conductores: one minute per question, errors no more than 10 %).
6. Practical test. After passing the theory you drive on real roads with a DGT examiner. You need a dual-control car with an instructor beside you (RGCond art. 55), which in practice means a driving school car.
7. Licence. When you pass you get a provisional licence valid for three months, in Spain only. The plastic card arrives by post in about six weeks. A passed test stays valid for two years.

Hindi, Punjabi or English: which language?

The DGT offers the car theory test in Spanish, the co-official languages (Catalan, Galician, Basque, Valencian), English, French and German (form Mod. 04). Hindi and Punjabi are not offered, and neither is Urdu. So if you search "DGT test in Hindi", the honest answer is that the exam itself is not in Hindi.

For most Indian candidates English is the realistic choice. Two tips:

• Practise in the language you will sit. Explanations in Hindi or Punjabi on YouTube help you understand a rule, but the exam asks in precise, formal English. Practise with questions written in that register, not only with translated summaries.
• Learn the Spanish words anyway. Road signs, notices and your examiner on the practical test use Spanish. Words such as arcén (hard shoulder), glorieta (roundabout) and ceda el paso (give way) are worth knowing before you drive.

Common mistakes Indian drivers make

• Assuming the International Driving Permit lets you drive for a year as a resident. It is valid for a year as a document, but as a resident you can only drive on your Indian licence for six months.
• Driving after the six months "because the licence is still valid in India". In Spain it no longer counts, and you would be driving without a valid licence.
• Booking the theory test too early. Each fee covers two attempts. Use mock exams until you pass them comfortably.
• Letting the medical report expire. It lasts 90 days; time it with your application.
• Underestimating the practical test. It is marked by a DGT examiner against published criteria, and Spanish rules for roundabouts, pedestrian crossings and signalling may differ from what you are used to. Book some lessons even if you have years of experience.

Frequently asked questions

Is an Indian driving licence valid in Spain?

Yes, but only for six months: from your entry into Spain if you are a visitor, or from the day you become resident. It must be in force, and unless it follows the international convention model you should carry an International Driving Permit or an official Spanish translation.

Can I convert my Indian driving licence to a Spanish one?

Not under an exchange agreement: India has none with Spain. You must pass the DGT theory test and the practical test, unless you qualify for the professional-driver route (six months employed as a professional driver in Spain plus a road test, RGCond art. 22.1.b).

Can I take the DGT test in Hindi or Punjabi?

No. For the car licence the theory test is offered in Spanish, the co-official languages, English, French and German. Most Indian candidates take it in English.

How much does the Spanish driving test cost?

The DGT fee 2.1 is 94.05 EUR and covers two attempts. The medical report and driving school lessons are paid separately.

Do I need a driving school in Spain?

Not for the theory test: you can prepare and apply on your own. For the practical test you need a dual-control car with an instructor, so most people use a driving school for that part.

Does an International Driving Permit from India help?

As a visitor it lets you use your Indian licence in Spain for up to six months. It does not extend that period and it does not replace the Spanish licence once you are resident.

Sources

• BOE, Reglamento General de Conductores (RD 818/2009): art. 7 (version of 31/12/2015), art. 21 (version of 08/12/2009), art. 53 and 55, annex VI.B (version of 12/11/2020). Read 11/10/2026.
• DGT, Países con convenio de canjes, updated 26/06/2026.
• DGT, Conducir con un permiso extranjero and Requisitos, preparación y presentación a examen (updated 09/07/2026).
• DGT online office, Solicitud de examen (fee 2.1, documents) and form Mod. 04 (exam languages), read 11/10/2026.
• INE, table 56937: 73,951 residents born in India, 1 January 2025.

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