This is totally a mystery and it really depends on who you talk to, and your residency status in Spain. Are you a legal resident of Spain? If so, your US license is/was good only for a period of 6 months from the date of your residency, and only if it is accompanied by the International Driversī license (which must have been obtained in the USA), or a co-validation which is done through RACE
www.race.es (Spanish equivalent of AAA) at the cost of 6000 pts (unless you are a member, then the cost is 1000).
If you are just traveling here in Spain or studying for a short period of time, then your US license along with the international driversī license should suffice.
If you were a legal resident longer than 6 months ago, you are now obliged to take the driving exam, including autoescuela and pay the exhorbitant costs.
I am going through this process right now and have jumped through all sorts of hoops to get the skinny on the question. I have been to the traffic department of the Guardia Civil and they donīt even know. My next stop will be the Jefatura de Trafico in Madrid which should have the final word. I am resigned to the fact however, that as soon as my residency is approved, I will need to do the autoescuela thing and after 17 years of driving in the US, become classified as a novice driver here in Spain.
There may be a possibility of getting your license exchanged for a French license (I know that it was possible a couple of years ago), and then once you have the French license, having it exchanged for a Spanish one. But then again, you did not hear that from me.
That is what I call the back door approach.
If you find out anything different, please post it here!!
Thanks!
P.S. If you do go to autoescuela, I recommend that you try doing so outside of Madrid, if at all possible. I have heard horror stories of the on the road exam and how hard it is in Madrid.
[ 01-04-2002: Message edited by: Chica ]