How to get a Spanish driving licence: the steps, the fee and the time limits

Short answer. To get a Spanish car licence (the permiso B) you must be at least 18, live in Spain (or be a student here for at least six months), pass a medical check, pay the DGT fee of 94.05 EUR, pass the theory test and pass the practical test. The theory test can be taken in English. If you pass the practical test you get a provisional permit valid for three months, and the plastic card arrives at your home afterwards. Everything below comes from the DGT and from Spanish law (the BOE); we checked the DGT pages on 11 October 2026.

Before you start, check whether you can skip all this. If your licence is from a country with an exchange agreement (the United Kingdom, Japan, Switzerland and 30 others), you may be able to swap it without a test: see exchange or exam. If your licence is from India, Pakistan, the USA or any country without an agreement, you sit the tests, and this page is your route.

The steps at a glance

1. Do you qualify?

Under the Reglamento General de Conductores you need the minimum age for the class (18 for the car licence, art. 4); you must not be banned from driving by a court or have a suspended licence; and, if you are a foreigner, you must prove normal residence in Spain, or a stay for study of at least six months (art. 7). If you already hold a licence of the same class from an EU or EEA state you cannot apply for another one; you exchange it instead.

Tourists cannot take the tests. In person, citizens from outside the EU show a valid residence authorisation (for many people, the TIE card).

2. Driving school or on your own

Most applicants use a driving school (autoescuela): it files the application for you, books the exam and normally supplies the car for the practical test. You may also apply directly, which in Spain is called going por libre. The theory test is the same either way. The DGT tells candidates who choose a school to check that it is authorised, to read the teaching contract before signing and to ask for a copy.

Applying on your own has one catch for foreigners. The online route needs a Spanish electronic ID (DNIe), an electronic certificate or Cl@ve. If you have none of them, apply in person at a traffic office (Jefatura Provincial de Tráfico), where you need an appointment (cita previa, book it online or through the 060 line), or go through a school. This is our reading of the DGT's list of channels, so check it with the office you plan to use.

3. The medical report

A Centro de Reconocimiento de Conductores issues the psychophysical fitness report. It is valid for 90 days, and you must file the application before it expires. The DGT does not set the price; each centre does.

4. The application and the fee

Fee 2.1 is 94.05 EUR per licence you apply for. It covers the tests for that licence in two sittings and does not include driving school fees. If you fail twice, in the same test or in different ones, you file a new application and pay again. After you apply, the DGT does not guarantee a date; it processes the application as soon as it can and emails you when it has.

5. The theory test

The test is taken on a computer: 30 questions, one minute each, and no more than 10 percent wrong, rounded up, which for 30 questions is 3 mistakes (annex VI.B). For the car licence it is offered in Spanish, the co-official languages, English, French and German. You choose on the application form. All the details, and what the English paper is like, are in the DGT theory exam in English. A pass stays valid for two years (art. 53). Results of the computer test are posted online the same afternoon from 17:00, according to a DGT page last updated in 2020.

6. The practical test

The practical test only takes place if you passed the theory test. It is held on open roads, in a car with dual controls and with an instructor or authorised companion beside you (art. 55). For the car licence the driving time must be at least 25 minutes, not counting the reception and preparation (annex VI.C). The examiner records your faults in a report; a serious mistake or dangerous behaviour can be enough to stop the test.

We have not found a DGT statement about the language of the practical test, so ask your driving school before you book. Road signs are in Spanish in any case.

7. Provisional permit, card and points

When you pass the last test you receive a provisional permit valid for three months and only in Spain. The card is posted to your home in roughly six weeks, with no extra steps or fees. A new licence starts with 8 points, because the licence is less than three years old; with a clean record you can earn bonus points up to a maximum of 15 (Ley de Tráfico, art. 63).

Time limits to remember

• Medical report: 90 days.
• Each application: two sittings, with no more than six months between them unless there is a justified reason (RGCond art. 51.2).
• A passed test: two years.
• Missing a test without a justified cancellation counts as a failed sitting.

Mistakes people make

• Applying before they are resident. The tests require residence or a six-month study stay.
• Letting the medical report lapse while waiting for the date.
• Studying only in English. The signs and notices on the road are in Spanish. Learn calzada, arcén, ceda el paso, travesía too.
• Assuming the foreign licence lasts. A non-EU licence is valid in Spain for six months after you become resident; the exchange guide has the detail.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to get a driving licence in Spain?

The DGT fee is 94.05 EUR and covers two sittings. The medical report and any driving school lessons are paid separately, and the DGT does not publish those prices.

Can I take the Spanish driving test in English?

The theory test, yes: for the car licence the DGT offers Spanish, co-official languages, English, French and German. We found no DGT statement for the practical test.

How long does it take to get a licence in Spain?

The DGT gives no total time. The law sets limits: a passed test lasts two years, and the two sittings of one application must be within six months of each other.

Do I need to be a resident to take the test?

Yes, if you are a foreigner: normal residence in Spain, or a stay for study of at least six months.

Can I drive after passing the practical test?

You receive a provisional permit valid for three months in Spain only, until the card arrives by post.

Can I get a Spanish licence without a driving school?

For the theory test, yes: you file the application yourself. For the practical test you still need a dual-control car and an instructor or authorised companion.

Is DrivingLingo part of the DGT?

No. It is an independent study app, not affiliated with or endorsed by the DGT. Its rules are written from the BOE.

Sources

• DGT, Requisitos, preparación y presentación a examen (updated 09/07/2026), Elegir autoescuela (18/10/2021) and Consulta tu nota de examen (04/11/2020), all in Spanish, checked 11/10/2026.
• DGT online office, Solicitud de examen por libre, checked 11/10/2026, and form Mod. 04.
• BOE, Reglamento General de Conductores (RD 818/2009), articles 4, 7, 51, 53, 55 and annex VI; and Ley sobre Tráfico, article 63 (in force since 21/03/2022). Consolidated texts read 11/10/2026.

This page explains the rules and is not legal advice. For your own case ask your provincial traffic office or call 060.