IDP if no deal Brexit?

Don't know why the website is altering my typing....the last 2 words in website name should read "after-brexit"

Paul Uden wrote:You can drive a UK car in the UK with an EU licence. I've done it for the last four years and have double checked this with DVLA. You can change it back to a UK licence any time for free, but until 70 years old it is perfectly legal.

Thanks Paul, I'll look into swapping my UK licence for a Spanish one.

marcliff wrote:

Paul58 wrote:[



Thanks Pete,

So the O/P, as a UK resident, could drive a UK registered car in the UK using his Spanish licence, a Spanish registered car in Spain as a UK resident but not a UK registered car in Spain, even though he is a UK resident.

The reason for my question was that if/when I eventually become fully resident in Spain (incl tax) I don't really want to have to retake my driving test.

I think you went a little awry at the end there. As PeteKnight pointed out, he can drive a UK registered car in Spain if he is a UK resident. Where it changes is if he becomes a Spanish resident and then he can't drive a UK registered car.
And as Pete pointed out, same in UK. A UK resident can't drive a Spanish registered car in UK.

Thanks Marcliff, I'm hoping to sign on the padron and become "temporary" Spanish resident (over 90 days) in order to swap my UK licence. Once I have the licence I'm looking to return to being a UK resident.
TBH I'm not even sure if this is possible and will have to look into the process of exchanging your driving licence when moving to Spain. If not I may have to resort to using a IDP when in Spain.

Thatch1 wrote:I am not sure if it answers your question, but if you check the following document, it may do:-

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/prepare-to- ... ter-brexit

Thanks Thatch1,
It was this advice that got me thinking......

"If you are a UK licence holder living in the EU or EEA you should exchange your UK driving licence for a local EU driving licence before 29 March 2019. From that date, in the event that there is no EU Exit deal, you may have to pass a driving test in the EU country you live in to be able to carry on driving there.
You should consider exchanging your UK driving licence for an EU driving licence as soon as possible. Increased demand may lead to longer processing times and delays to exchanging driving licences the closer it is to 29 March 2019.
You can drive on your EU licence when visiting the UK.
If you return to live in the UK, provided you passed your driving test in the UKor another specified country, you can exchange your EU licence for a UKlicence without taking another test."
....sorry about the crappy copy & paste.

Paul58 wrote:

Thanks Marcliff, I'm hoping to sign on the padron and become "temporary" Spanish resident (over 90 days) in order to swap my UK licence. Once I have the licence I'm looking to return to being a UK resident.
TBH I'm not even sure if this is possible and will have to look into the process of exchanging your driving licence when moving to Spain. If not I may have to resort to using a IDP when in Spain.

You can't change your UK licence for a Spanish one unless you are fully resident.
Also remember that you have to give up your UK licence to get a Spanish one so, if any of this IDP stuff comes about (which I doubt) you'd need to get an IDP issued in Spain to be able to drive in UK. And that ain't as simple or as cheap as just popping down the post office in UK.

marcliff wrote:

Paul58 wrote:

Thanks Marcliff, I'm hoping to sign on the padron and become "temporary" Spanish resident (over 90 days) in order to swap my UK licence. Once I have the licence I'm looking to return to being a UK resident.
TBH I'm not even sure if this is possible and will have to look into the process of exchanging your driving licence when moving to Spain. If not I may have to resort to using a IDP when in Spain.

You can't change your UK licence for a Spanish one unless you are fully resident.
Also remember that you have to give up your UK licence to get a Spanish one so, if any of this IDP stuff comes about (which I doubt) you'd need to get an IDP issued in Spain to be able to drive in UK. And that ain't as simple or as cheap as just popping down the post office in UK.

Good point, thanks again.

On current DVLA advice you won't need an (EU/Spanish) IDP to drive in UK on an EU licence either as a tourist or a resident.

Paul Uden wrote:On current DVLA advice you won't need an (EU/Spanish) IDP to drive in UK on an EU licence either as a tourist or a resident.

I doubt anyone will need an IDP either in the EU or in UK. Much of a scare story, really.
However, if the worst does happen and the EU says Brits need an IDP then you can bet your last centimo that the tit for tat bit will start and UK will insist EU citizens need an IDP to drive in UK.
Much the same as this visa malarkey. Again, very much doubt UK citizens will need a visa, at least for the short term stays, but if the scare stories are to be believed and a visa system is introduced then the UK will go down the same route for EU countries.

However, shouldn't worry about anything at the moment. Certainly not jumping in and changing licences as a temporary visitor. Permanent residency, yes, temporary no.

Stop worrying, there will be some sort of deal. It may be a crappy deal and certainly worse than pre-referendum when the U.K. pressed the ‘self destruct “ button. but there will be a deal.

I am now totally confused. Ok , so as a Spanish resident , with a Spanish licence, I can drive a Spanish car in Spain. Fine. As a Spanish resident, with a Spanish licence, I can drive a Spanish registered car in Spain.
But as a Spanish resident with a Spanish licence can I drive my own UK registered car in the UK????