Russian driving licence in Spain: exams instead of exchange

Russian licence: 15 steps to a Spanish one

1. Work out how long you can drive on a Russian licence

   Under article 21 of the Reglamento General de Conductores (Real Decreto 818/2009), third-country licences are valid in Spain while they are in force and until six months have passed since you acquired residencia normal, your usual residence. The licence must be in Spanish, come with an official translation, or follow the Geneva or Vienna Convention model. The DGT advises getting an international driving permit at home before you leave: it is valid for one year and only together with your national licence and passport.

   • Checked the expiry date of the Russian licence itself
   • Got an international driving permit in Russia before leaving or arranged an official translation
   • I keep my passport or TIE, Russian licence and international permit together in the car

   Where: dgt.es, conducir con un permiso extranjeroTiming: no more than 6 months of residenceCost: the translation or international permit is paid separately

   When to get help: a Russian-format licence with no Latin script and no international permit. Check with the DGT whether you need a translation; how to get one is described in the article sworn translation.

2. Work out the date from which the six months run

   The law counts the period from when you acquire residencia normal. If residence has not been established, article 21.2 RGC counts six months from lawful entry into Spain. Which document the DGT and the police take as the start of residence (visa, residence permit decision, TIE) is not officially spelled out, so it is safer to take the earliest possible date.

   • Wrote down the entry date, the date of the residence permit decision and the TIE issue date
   • Put the deadline in my calendar based on the earliest of them
   • Started preparing for the exams in the first weeks after moving

   Where: Real Decreto 818/2009, article 21.2Timing: count right after movingCost: free

   When to get help: before the residence permit you lived in Spain for a long time on a visa or another status, and it is unclear when residencia normal began. That is a question for an immigration lawyer; see also NIE, TIE and residence permit.

3. Know the penalty for driving after the deadline

   After six months a Russian licence is no longer valid in Spain. According to the DGT, the fine for driving on a third-country licence not exchanged in time ranges from €200 (if the licence can be exchanged) to €500. Russian licences cannot be exchanged, so expect the upper end.

   • I don’t drive on the Russian licence after the deadline
   • Checked who else in the family can drive legally
   • Planned how to get around without a car between the deadline and the exam

   Where: DGT, “Sin los papeles en regla”, 21.02.2025Timing: after 6 months of residenceCost: fine of up to €500

   When to get help: you have already been stopped after the deadline or received a fine. An appeal is best discussed with a lawyer.

4. Choose: driving school or por libre

   The DGT lets you prepare and book the exam yourself, without an autoescuela (driving school). For on-road practice without a driving school, the Jefatura issues a licencia de aprendizaje, a learner’s permit: only after you pass the theory test, for up to eight months. The car needs dual brake and clutch pedals, a manual gearbox and an L sign (V-14) at the front and back; the accompanying driver must have held a B licence for more than five years with no serious offences in the last five years, be a relative, friend or neighbour, and not be paid.

   • Decided where to prepare for the theory test
   • Decided where to practise driving and which car to take to the exam
   • If por libre: found an accompanying driver and a dual-control car

   Where: Jefatura Provincial de Tráfico or a driving schoolTiming: licencia de aprendizaje for up to 8 monthsCost: driving schools set their own prices

   When to get help: you want to do all your practice por libre. The requirements for the car and the accompanying driver are strict; check them with the Jefatura in Barcelona before buying or renting a car.

5. Pass the medical check at a CRC

   The informe de aptitud psicofísica is issued by a Centro de Reconocimiento de Conductores (CRC), a private centre authorised by the DGT. The report is valid for 90 days from the date of issue, and you must apply for the exam within that time.

   • Found an authorised CRC in Barcelona
   • Took my TIE or passport, and glasses or contact lenses if I wear them
   • Noted the date by which I must apply

   Where: Centro de Reconocimiento de ConductoresTiming: the report is valid for 90 daysCost: ask the centre for the price

6. Pay tasa 2.1

   The fee for the standard licence exams is tasa 2.1, €94.05 on the DGT sede. It covers two attempts (convocatorias); after two failures you file a new application and pay again.

   • Paid tasa 2.1 on sede.dgt.gob.es and kept the receipt
   • Checked the amount on the day of payment: DGT fees are updated at the start of the year

   Where: sede.dgt.gob.esTiming: before you applyCost: €94.05

7. Apply for the exam at the DGT in Barcelona

   If you apply on your own, you submit Modelo 04 with the medical report and the fee receipt: online through the DGT electronic registry with Cl@ve, a digital certificate or DNIe, or in person at the Jefatura by cita previa with a valid residence permit. The DGT tells you the exam date after processing; there is no guaranteed timeframe.

   • Got Cl@ve or a certificate: how to get Cl@ve
   • Filled in Modelo 04 and chose the theory test language
   • Received notice of the exam date and place

   Where: sede.dgt.gob.es or Jefatura Provincial de Tráfico de BarcelonaTiming: the DGT sets the dateCost: included in tasa 2.1

8. Prepare for the theory test in the exam language

   According to Modelo 04, the theory test for B can be taken in Spanish, the regional languages (Catalan in Barcelona), English, French or German, and there is a lectura fácil option with simplified text. Russian is not on the list. The free tests on dgt.es are similar in format to the exam.

   • Chose a language and practise only in it
   • Do DGT tests every day and go through my mistakes
   • Learned the Spanish names of road signs: they help in the driving test too

   Where: dgt.es, testsTiming: up to youCost: DGT tests are free

9. Take the theory test

   The theory test is multiple choice, like the DGT practice tests. Results are published in consulta de notas on the DGT sede. A passed theory test is valid for two years: you must pass the driving test within that time.

   • Brought the original TIE or passport
   • Checked the result in consulta de notas
   • Noted the date by which I must pass the driving test

   Where: DGT exam centreTiming: the result is valid for 2 yearsCost: two attempts are included in tasa 2.1

10. Practise driving by Spanish rules

    Experience from Russia helps, but the examiner assesses you by DGT criteria: priority at roundabouts, lanes, pedestrians, manoeuvres. A licencia de aprendizaje comes with restrictions: no faster than 40 km/h in town and 80 km/h outside town, no trailer, no motorways on public holidays and the day before.

    • Read the driving test assessment criteria on dgt.es
    • Practised category B manoeuvres
    • Drove around the areas where the exam takes place

    Where: driving school or a dual-control learner carTiming: up to 2 years after the theory testCost: lessons are paid separately

    When to get help: many years of driving in Russia, but no experience in a Spanish city. A few lessons with an instructor often cost less than an extra attempt.

11. Take the driving test

    The prueba de control de aptitudes y comportamientos en circulación takes place on public roads with a DGT examiner. Without a driving school you bring the car for the exam yourself: it must meet the requirements of articles 59-61 RGC, including working dual controls.

    • Confirmed the driving test date
    • If por libre: car and accompanying driver are ready
    • If I failed, checked whether I still have a second attempt

    Where: DGT exam route in the province of BarcelonaTiming: within 2 years after the theory testCost: included in tasa 2.1

    When to get help: both attempts are used up and you need to drive for work. Rework the plan with a driving school or the Jefatura.

12. Permiso provisional and new-driver rules

    After the driving test you get a permiso provisional, a temporary permit valid for three months and only in Spain. From that day you are a conductor novel: the V-13 (L) sign is mandatory for the whole first year, alcohol must not exceed 0.15 mg/l in exhaled air for two years, and you start with 8 points. Driving experience in Russia does not count for these rules.

    • Carry the temporary permit with me
    • Bought a V-13 sign and put it on the car
    • Don’t drive abroad on the temporary permit

    Where: DGT, RGC article 20, Orden PRE/629/2011Timing: V-13 one year, alcohol 2 yearsCost: the sign is bought separately

13. Receive the plastic card

    The DGT sends the permanent licence by post, about six weeks later according to the DGT. A B licence is valid for ten years, and for five years after age 65 (article 12 RGC).

    • Checked that my address with the DGT is up to date
    • Received the card and put the expiry date in my calendar
    • Installed miDGT and added the licence to the app

    Where: DGT, delivery by postTiming: about 6 weeksCost: included in tasa 2.1

14. Decide what to do with your Russian licence

    We found no requirement on the DGT pages to hand in a Russian licence when you get a Spanish one through exams (with an exchange, the original is taken). In Spain it is not valid after six months of residence, and for travel to other countries the rules of that country apply. Residents get a Spanish international driving permit from the Jefatura (article 32 RGC).

    • Keep the Russian licence at home, not in the car
    • Asked the Jefatura whether anything has to be handed in when the Spanish licence is issued
    • For trips outside the EU, checked whether an international permit is needed

    Where: Jefatura Provincial de TráficoTiming: after getting the Spanish licenceCost: see the DGT sede for the international permit fee

    When to get help: you plan to drive in Russia on your Russian licence or renew it while living in Spain. That is a matter of Russian rules, and we do not advise on them.

15. Keep track of your points

    New drivers start with 8 points and get 12 after two years without offences that cost points; after that the balance can rise to 15. A new driver with 8 points loses the licence sooner than an experienced driver.

    • Check my points in miDGT or on the DGT sede
    • Keep my address with the DGT up to date so I receive notices of fines
    • Don’t miss the deadlines for paying or appealing fines

    Where: sede.dgt.gob.es, miDGTTiming: 2 years to reach 12 pointsCost: free