I was wondering if some of the Americans living in Spain could shed some light on this issue. I've been told time and time again that the Direccion General de Trafico does not recognise US Licenses as valid for driving in Spain, ONCE the license holder is a resident for more than one year. Instead of the "homologacion" that most EU citizens can do to obtain their Spanish license, I've been told I have to go to driving school, after 17 years of experience!!! Anyone have a way around it?

Hi. What about getting one of those int'l licenses? Let me look into it further and post back.

Got it. http://passportsplus.com/idp.html

This should resolve your problem. Spain recognizes this permit, too. Drive safely !

Thanks ceb, for the info. I'm afraid however that it is a bit more complicated than that. International driver's licenses are technically required in Spain, as a tourist. However in practice the driver's license issued in your state is usually sufficient.

But I am not a tourist, I'm a resident, and what I have been told is that my driver's license is no longer valid for driving within Spain, as I have lived here for longer than a year.

I have heard of Americans at the Naval Base in Rota being issued Spanish licenses, without having to attend driving school. What I was hoping is that someone out there might know how I can have my US license "homologado" in order to receive a Spanish one, without having to attend driving school and spend 'un paston'....

I may be wrong, but my understanding is that if you whip out an international license, the police will also expect you to whip out your passport with the proper tourist visa stamped in it. If you show your residency card instead, the international license will not be valid because you are a resident, not a tourist traveling in Spain. So if you get a new tourist visa stamped in your passport every 6 months, you might want to chance it, and not mention your residency to the cops if you're ever stopped or in an accident.

I have friends in Spain who are trying to to get around the new rules, and others who have given in, taken the course, paid all the money, and have their Spanish licenses. They tell me that doing anything else is downright dangerous if you're ever in an accident. If you don't have the proper license and you're in an accident, your insurance becomes invalid. Think about it!

The International Driver's license/permit does not get around Spain's laws about residents needing a Spanish permit. After you get your residency, you have six months to get the Spanish driver's license.

If you are illegal, then technically you aren't supposed to be able to get the Spanish license, though I know some people who have.

There's no way for Americans to get around taking the test, unless they can get a license in a different EU country (by being a citizen or resident there).

Oops, cross-posted. The same goes for renting a car.

If you show your residency card, most won't rent it to you without a Spanish license.

If you show your American license, most won't ask to see your passport and they will rent you the car.

If you show them your passport, they will most likely think to look for your last entry stamp to make sure it was within the last six months and you could be out of luck...

Thanks everyone. I just don't know why the int'l is valid for five years, that's an awful lot of time to be a tourist :?. And considering many countries will let you drive with your license from back home (of course depending on the country of origin), so why go through the time and trouble to get one (?). I guess for the very frequent traveler (business person)that stays in several places during the year where they would need this add'l permit in some of the countries they're spending time (along the way).

Then it looks like your best bet Jerezano is to get it done and over with and secure yourself. Hopefully, someone can provide an option to get around the rule, but from what I've read here it doesn't seem possible.

There's really no way around it- you are right. My friend just had to go through the auto escuela and had no troubles passing- they made her do the driving test last of the group because she was so experienced they thought she'd make the others look bad. Good luck. Soon they are changing the format of the test- it's supposed to be a bit more difficult (less multiple choice questions).

Thanks to all for posting....but all of this information I was already aware of, but what I am understanding is that no, there is no way of homologacion for Americans resident in Spain! I had thrown the question out hoping that maybe one of the many of the hispanophiles here more up on legislation in Madrid would provide the miracle answer, that Spain would someday soon recognise US driver's licenses...en fin...

Ceb, I have the Int'l drivers license from AAA, and it is only valid for one year. Where can you get them for a 5 year duration?

I've been pulled over numerous times by the Guardia Civil, and have never been asked to show anything other than the documentation for the car, license, etc. I've showed them my Int'l. license with no problems.

As for the insurance aspect of it, funny enough Diana, a good friend of mine here in Jerez, an American who's lived here for 19 years without getting a Spanish driver's license, had an accident and claimed on her insurance with no problem. Go figure!

You wrote: "Ceb, I have the Int'l drivers license from AAA, and it is only valid for one year. Where can you get them for a 5 year duration?"

Go to the website I posted above and you'll see that it's for five years. It states: "The International Driving Permit that we procure is good for five years from date of issue."

Post back if there's anything else I can be of help with.

Here's a piece that was produced by the former US Consul General for the Costa del Sol newsletter:

"In 1997, Spain signed a reciprocity treaty covering the validation of drivers’ licenses among EU countries. The signing of this treaty established a mechanism for the recognition of driver’s licenses issued by national governments – the equivalent of the federal government in the U.S. The treaty does not cover nationals from outside the EU, such as the U.S., although some non-EU countries have signed bilateral agreements to address this issue. Since U.S. licensing authority rests with the individual states rather than with the federal government, the U.S. has not been successful in concluding a reciprocal agreement to date.

Spain recognizes U.S. driver’s licenses for visits of 90 days or less, if they are accompanied by a certified translation of the license in Spanish. In addition, Americans report that Spanish authorities permit them to drive using their U.S. license and the International Drivers Permit (IDP), which is valid for 12 months. The IDP is valid in over 200 countries, serves as a translation of a U.S. driver’s license, and can be obtained from the American Automobile Association or National Automobile Club in the U.S.

On 9th September 2004, a Spanish court judgment was handed down which permits the use of other EU licenses in Spain without fines. EU driver’s licenses (those with a ring of stars on the front) are legal for use in Spain and elsewhere in the EU, whether you are a visitor or a legal resident. The older pre-EU type national European licenses must still be changed for Spanish ones.

Legal residents of Spain, not covered by the EU treaty or a separate bilateral agreement, can obtain a Spanish driver’s license by taking a written exam and passing a driving test. The driving test is handled through certified driving schools throughout Spain.

Recently there have been many articles in the U.S. press regarding legislation relating to new standards for U.S. driver’s licenses. The Real ID Act was passed in the House of Representatives on February 10, 2005. The bill's principal purpose is to establish federal standards for driver's licenses issued by states, so that the documents are more secure and harder to counterfeit. The bill requires, among other things, that licenses have "physical security features," a digital photograph and other basic data to be valid for federal purposes. It stems not only from fears about terrorism, but also highlights the fact that for years U.S. driver’s licenses have been counterfeited easily – by everyone from underage college students wanting to drink to criminals stealing an identity.

While it is sometimes inconvenient for visiting Americans, there are options for visitors to drive legally in Spain for a limited period of time without obtaining a Spanish license. In the future, when the US driver’s license is more secure and can be verified, the Embassy may again be in a position to approach the Spanish government regarding reciprocal recognition."

Yes there is no way for an American who want to be a permanent resident in Spain to avoid going to a Spanish AutoEscuela and take the driving tests again. That is a real pain in the ass. In the US I paid just $30 to get my driver license, here in Spain years later I had to pay almost 1,000 Euros overall!!!!!!!

I love Spain, but sometimes I wish I were in the US for some things.

A bit off-topic, but just out of curiosity: when you obtain your driving license in the States, do you learn how to drive a manual shift car? Because, as most of you know, automatic cars are rare in Spain and I have heard horror stories about Americans renting cars in Spain and doing long trips in first gear and complaining that 'this car doesn't work properly'.

No, not necessarily. In fact when I first got my driver license in the US I dind't know how to drive with a manual shift. I learned that later by myself with a friend and once I already had my driver licence.

When I moved to Spain, my US driver license was not homologated with a Spanish Licence so I had to go to an AutoEscuela. Oh, s*it happens!!!

I am from the US but have lived here now for about 10 years. I lived here about that long without having a Spanish driver's license. I did not want to get it but I saw no other option. It cost me about 1000€ in 2005. I took no classes (studied on my own with old autoexcuela books) and drove six times (including the actual exam).

If you are caught without a license now the fine is, if I recall correctly, 600€, PLUS I believe you are barred from applying for a license for a period of two years, whatever sense that makes.

The international license is fine if you are a tourist. Once you become an official resident here, you have something like three months to get a Spanish license. I did lots of research as I did not want to pay. I even considered moving temporarily to France, as they would have given me a French license automatically (based on reciprocity with my state)!

To those of you who drive without a valid license, I would expect insurance companies would be extremely happy to discover that you did not have a valid license as they could then deny compensation. I would not like to risk such personal liability.

Things were easier in the past as random traffic stops were fairly uncommon, even here in the north. Now, however, they have become the norm and the possibility of staying off police radar is nearly impossible.

Seeing my thread come up again I had a few thoughts, and an interesting discovery.

In the time since I posted this I've become a Spanish citizen. Now there really is no way out, particularly since the car I drive is in my name. However, I've discovered that as I am now living temporarily in Morocco, I can easily get a moroccan driver's license at a fraction of the cost, and IT WILL ACTUALLY ALLOW ME TO VALIDATE IT FOR A SPANISH LICENSE FROM THE DGT!!!!

What, did I hear that correctly? An American license can't be exchanged for a Spanish one but a Moroccan one can? This makes me laugh out loud, as Moroccan drivers (with all due respect) are the most agressive, dangerous, all out unsafest drivers I have EVER come across, on five continents. Just goes to show you how silly some laws are....

... Yeah, but you don't have automatic transmission cars ("sin marchas") in Morocco like we do in the USA. So safety aside, I'm told that THIS is why the USA drivers license is not transferrable. You can be sure I'll return to this thread and give my story/experiences when it comes time for ME to get my drivers license here in Spain. I'm being asked more and more on long driving trips, "Gee, it'd REALLY be nice if YOU could drive for awhile."

Great news, Jerezano, that you can more easily get your Spanish drivers license.

Saludos, MadridMan

The reason the US license is not transferrable *any more* is simply due to bureacracy and politics. It has nothing to do with automatic/standard transmissions. Standard transmission cars DO exist in the United States and there are plenty of people who know how to drive them! Once upon a time, some 10-15 years ago, US licenses could be validated in Spain. But, ever since Spain became a formal part of the EU the reciprocity has ended.

Over the years my family had hosted many foreign exchange students from Europe, primarily Spain and France and for the students, getting an American license was the greatest "chollo" for them because they could get it at 16 years of age and for a fraction of what they would pay in their respective countries. When they returned to their countries they simply validated their American license with the local authorities to get their national license without having to pay exhorbitant fees, or driving school.

I moved here in 2001 and am a legal resident of the country. I had to stop using my International Driving License and actually get a Spanish license 6 months after being granted residency. That, apparently, is the law.

So, kicking and screaming, I attended my sessions of autoescuela, had my on-the-road practice classes and then took the written and driving exams. I was the only person in my class who actually *drove* to autoescuela!

Hey, Chica! Nice to see you back. That's really funny, driving to autoescuela. That is a first!

Chica wrote: (welcome back, by the way!)
I recall you mentioning this once before that the law states somewhere that you must get your Spanish drivers license 6 months after being granted residency. Apparently, then, I'm breaking the law. But what if I-don't-want to get a Spanish drivers license. Surely they can't force us to get one if we don't want one.

Saludos, MadridMan

Hey Chica,
Good to see you back! And I thought I had done a disappearing act
Check your email later today as I will pop off a note -
W

everyone! Thanks for the welcome back comments... I never went away! I do check in from time to time, but my life has taken on a newer distraction who is about to turn 8 months old already! Where does time go?

You are right, they can't force you to get one. But they can enforce the laws upon the people who break them. If the law says that you must have a Spanish license 6 months after being granted residency and you don't have one.. and get caught driving, you CAN be forced to pay the fine, lose points, have license revoked or whatever is the punishment.

so i read that in Spain being in American you need to go to autoescuela? to get your driving license in Spain? wow EU or not it is better in France.
I came in and my father and we exchange our US licenses for French ones right away. It is good for about 13 US states that have bilateral agreements with France. Florida,California etc.lol!!! la vie est belle en France!!!