Driving licence in Spain: exchange or exams on your own

Driving licence in Spain: a 15-step plan

1. Check whether your country is on the canje list

   Exchange is only possible for countries with an agreement in force with Spain. The DGT table (updated 26.06.2026) includes Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia, but not Russia, Belarus or Kazakhstan.

   • I opened the “Países con convenio de canjes” table on dgt.es and found the country that issued my licence
   • I checked the date from which the agreement applies to my country
   • I made sure I got the licence before becoming a resident of Spain

   Where: dgt.es, canjes de permisos sectionTime: before the move or right afterCost: free

   When you need help: your licence was issued in one country but your citizenship is another, or the licence was replaced while you were already living in Spain.

2. Work out how much longer you can drive on your own licence

   Under article 21 of the Reglamento General de Conductores (Real Decreto 818/2009), licences from third countries are valid in Spain for no more than six months from when you acquire residencia normal, your normal residence. The licence must be valid and either in Spanish, accompanied by an official translation, or match the Geneva or Vienna Convention model.

   • I wrote down my residence start date and the date the six months run out
   • I prepared an official translation or an international driving permit for my licence
   • I checked that my age meets the Spanish requirements for this category

   Where: Real Decreto 818/2009, article 21Time: 6 months maximumCost: translation paid separately

   When you need help: it’s unclear from which date your residence counts (for example, you lived here on a visa for a long time). It’s safer to start the process early. For the translation, see sworn translation.

3. Set up access and book a DGT appointment

   In-person DGT procedures require a cita previa (appointment): on sede.dgt.gob.es, by phone on 060 or in the miDGT app. In the province of Barcelona the booking system has two locations: Barcelona and Barcelona-Sabadell.

   • I got Cl@ve or a digital certificate to apply online: how to get Cl@ve
   • I chose the procedure and the office and booked a cita previa
   • I checked that my TIE and passport are valid on the date of the visit

   Where: sede.dgt.gob.es, 060, miDGTTime: check available dates in the booking systemCost: booking is free

4. Exchange: documents, informe médico and fee

   For Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia and other countries on the list, categories A1, A, B and B+E are exchanged without exams. You need form Modelo 03, an identity document and proof of residence, the original valid licence, a group I medical report and tasa 2.3 of €28.87. You can apply through canje digital with Cl@ve and only go to the office to hand in the original licence.

   • I filled in Modelo 03 and paid tasa 2.3
   • I got the informe de aptitud psicofísica at a Centro de Reconocimiento de Conductores
   • I handed in the original licence and got a temporary permit: it is valid in Spain, and according to the DGT the permanent licence arrives in about a month and a half
   • Ukrainians with temporary protection: I checked the separate rules; a sworn translation and an international permit are not required

   Where: Jefatura Provincial de Tráfico, sede.dgt.gob.esTime: depends on verification of the licence in the issuing countryCost: €28.87 (tasa 2.3) plus the medical check

   When you need help: the issuing country takes a long time to confirm the licence, or the DGT has asked for proof that you weren’t a resident when you got it. See temporary protection for Ukrainians.

5. If there is no exchange: the exam route

   For licences from Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan, the only option is the Spanish exams, as for someone with no licence: a medical check, a theory test and a practical driving test in town. Your driving experience only counts in that it makes preparation easier.

   • I understand there are two parts: prueba teórica and prueba práctica de circulación
   • I checked the Spanish residence requirement on the DGT page
   • I planned everything to fit into the six months from step 2

   Where: dgt.es, obtener un nuevo permisoTime: a passed stage stays valid for two yearsCost: tasa 2.1, step 8

   When you need help: the six-month period is running out and you need to drive for work.

6. Driving school or on your own

   The DGT explicitly allows you to prepare and apply for the exam por libre, without a driving school (autoescuela). For road practice without a driving school there is the licencia de aprendizaje: a dual-control car, an L plate and a companion with a B licence. With a driving school, exam booking and the training car are usually part of its service.

   • I decided where to prepare for the theory: on my own or at a driving school
   • Decided where to practise driving and which car to take to the exam
   • If on my own: I checked the licencia de aprendizaje conditions with the Jefatura

   Where: Jefatura Provincial de Tráfico or a driving schoolTime: before you applyCost: driving school prices are not regulated

   When you need help: you want to take the practical test without a driving school. The requirements for the car and the companion are strict; check them with the Jefatura in advance.

7. Pass the medical check

   The informe de aptitud psicofísica is issued by a Centro de Reconocimiento de Conductores, a private centre authorised by the DGT. For the exam, the report must be issued no earlier than 90 days before you apply.

   • I found an authorised centre in Barcelona
   • I brought my glasses or contact lenses, if I wear them
   • I applied within 90 days of the medical check

   Where: Centro de Reconocimiento de ConductoresTime: the report is valid for 90 daysCost: paid at the centre, ask there for the price

8. Pay the DGT tasa

   The exam fee for any licence category is tasa 2.1, €94.05 on the DGT page. It covers two attempts (convocatorias); for a third you need a new application and a new fee.

   • Paid tasa 2.1 on sede.dgt.gob.es and kept the receipt
   • I checked the amount on the day of payment: the DGT updates its fees at the start of the year

   Where: sede.dgt.gob.es, pago de tasasTime: before you applyCost: €94.05

9. Prepare for the theory test and choose a language

   Under form Modelo 04, the category B theory test can be taken in Spanish, in the regional language (Catalan in Catalonia), in English, French or German, and there is a lectura fácil option with simplified text. Russian is not on the list. dgt.es has free practice tests in a format close to the exam.

   • I chose the exam language and practise in that language
   • I do the free DGT tests regularly
   • I wrote down the Spanish terms for signs and rules, if I’m taking the test in another language

   Where: dgt.es, test de exámenesTime: up to youCost: DGT tests are free

10. Apply for the exam

    If you apply on your own, you submit form Modelo 04 online through the DGT electronic registry (Cl@ve or a certificate) or in person at the Jefatura by appointment. After processing, the exam date is sent by e-mail; the DGT doesn’t guarantee a timeframe.

    • Filled in Modelo 04 and chose the theory test language
    • I attached the medical report and the tasa 2.1 receipt
    • I received an e-mail with the date and place of the exam

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

11. Take the theory test

    The theory test is multiple choice. Results are published in the consulta de notas section of the sede DGT. A passed theory test stays valid for two years, and you must pass the practical test within that time.

    • I brought my 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 centre in the provinceTime: the result is valid for two yearsCost: the first and second attempts are included in tasa 2.1

12. Practise driving in a training car

    After the theory test, you start preparing for driving in town. At a driving school that means its dual-control car and an instructor; without one, a licencia de aprendizaje and a dual-control car with an L plate and a companion. The Spanish practical test assesses priority rules, roundabouts and manoeuvres against DGT criteria, not habits from another country.

    • I read the practical exam assessment criteria on dgt.es
    • I practised the category B manoeuvres from the “Maniobras B” section
    • I drove around the Barcelona districts where the exam takes place

    Where: driving school or your own training carTime: up to two years after the theory testCost: lessons paid separately

    When you need help: you have years of driving experience but no practice under Spanish rules: a few lessons with an instructor often save you an attempt.

13. 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 yourself: dual-controlled, with a companion who is responsible for the second set of pedals and for safety.

    • Confirmed the driving test date
    • If por libre: the car meets the requirements and the companion is ready
    • After a fail, I checked whether a second attempt was left under the same fee

    Where: DGT exam route in the province of BarcelonaTime: within two years of the theory testCost: included in tasa 2.1, a third attempt needs a new fee

    When you need help: both attempts are used up and the six-month period for your foreign licence has ended.

14. Get your licence

    After you pass the practical test, you receive a permiso provisional, a temporary permit that lets you drive only in Spain. According to the DGT page, it is valid for three months, and the plastic licence arrives by post within that time.

    • I got the temporary permit and carry it with me
    • Checked that my address with the DGT is up to date
    • Don’t drive abroad on the temporary permit

    Where: DGT, delivery by postTime: temporary permit for 3 monthsCost: included in tasa 2.1

15. Points, renewal and foreign licences

    Spanish licences work on points: new drivers start with 8, experienced drivers with 12, and the balance grows if you have no offences. A B licence is valid for 10 years, 5 years after age 65 (article 12 of the Reglamento). When you exchange, the original foreign licence is handed in to the DGT; if you took the exams, ask the Jefatura what happens to your old licence.

    • I check my points on the sede DGT or in miDGT
    • I put my licence expiry date in my calendar
    • I update my address with the DGT after moving so I receive notifications

    Where: sede.dgt.gob.es, miDGTTime: 10 years until 65, then 5 yearsCost: see the renewal fee on the DGT page

    When you need help: you plan to drive on your old licence outside Spain or in the country that issued it: that country sets the rules.