The Diplomat
The Council of Ministers yesterday extended by two months, until April 30, the validity of British driving licenses, whose term was due to expire next February 28 and which is part of the Brexit adaptation measures that were designed to make life easier for Spanish and British citizens after the end of the transitional period provided for in the Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union.
On January 31, 2020, the United Kingdom ceased to be a Member State of the EU and became a third country, following the ratification of the Agreement on the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union, which provided for a transitional period from its entry into force until December 31, 2020.
Therefore, Spain approved a Royal Decree-Law in December 2020 on the measures of adaptation to the third State status of the United Kingdom after the end of the transitional period. The aforementioned Royal Decree-Law determines that the measures subject to a time limit will cease to be in force by the mere passing of such time limit, unless the Government proceeds to extend it, by agreement. Since then, the Council of Ministers has extended the validity of some of the measures provided for in the aforementioned Royal Decree-Law.
Among these measures is the one contained in Article 15, which established a transitional period so that drivers holding British licenses could continue to drive in Spain under the same conditions as before the end of the transitional period. Once this period had elapsed, the regulations in force for licenses issued by the authorities of third countries would apply. After the successive extensions agreed, the validity of this transitional measure ends, in principle, on February 28th of this year, after which British citizens residing in Spain will no longer be able to drive with their British license, unless they exchange their British license for a Spanish one.
In order for the exchange to take place, the necessary requirements and procedures must be agreed between the British and Spanish authorities. A bilateral traffic agreement is currently being negotiated so that Spanish and British citizens resident for more than six months in the United Kingdom or Spain, respectively, can exchange their driving license for a British or Spanish one, as appropriate.
Therefore, the Council of Ministers yesterday extended the period of validity of British licenses in Spain for an additional two months, from March 1 until April 30, 2022, while the negotiation of the bilateral agreement continues. During this period, British citizens resident in Spain will be able to continue using their British driving license. This issue will not affect people with British driving licenses who travel to Spain for periods of less than six months, who will be able to continue driving in our country, in accordance with the General Regulations for Drivers.
