The Directorate-General for Traffic

Canje del permiso de conducción

The Directorate-General for Traffic (DGT) is the authority responsible for issuing driving licenses in Spain.

The first step to get an appointment ( cita previa ) on the https://www.dgt.es/inicio/ in the province where you reside.

A license exchange consists of the homologation of a driving license you have for another equivalent issued by the DGT. If you are a resident of Spain and as long as the necessary administrative requirements are met, you can exchange driving licenses from:

• Countries of the European Union and the European Economic Area (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway), as there is a treaty between them.
• Other countries with which there is an agreement to exchange driving licenses for residents in Spain.

The countries with an exchange agreement are the following: Popular Democratic Republic of Algeria, Argentine Republic, Republic of Bolivia, Republic of Chile, Republic of Colombia, Republic of Ecuador, Kingdom of Morocco, Republic of Nicaragua, Republic of Peru, Dominican Republic, Republic of Panama, Republic of Paraguay, Republic of Uruguay, Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Federative Republic of Brazil, Republic of El Salvador, Republic of the Philippines, Republic of Guatemala, Republic of Serbia, Republic of Turkey, Tunisia, Ukraine, Macedonia.

However, you can consult the list of countries that have bilateral agreements with Spain and their dates, in the https://sede.dgt.gob.es/es/permisos-de-conducir/canje-permisos/index.shtml

The conditions for exchanging a driving license vary depending on the country of origin:

https://sede.dgt.gob.es/es/permisos-de-conducir/canje-permisos/paises-convenio-bilateral/index.shtml

You will not be able to exchange your permit. If you want to continue driving in Spain, you will need to obtain a new permit.
Exceptionally, if you are a professional driver resident in Spain and you have a driving license issued by a non-EU country with which Spain does not have an agreement, you have the possibility of exchanging it for a Spanish one by meeting a series of requirements.

What documents are needed?

Exchange application completed on an official form, which includes a declaration that you are not deprived by a court decision of the right to drive motor vehicles and mopeds and that you do not have another EU or EEA permit of the same type as the one requested or that has been been restricted, suspended or cancelled. In the official form you can expressly authorize the DGT to electronically verify your registration address and IAE. However, if the DGT does not obtain valid information, you must correct it by providing documentation.
https://sede.dgt.gob.es/sede-estaticos/Galerias/modelos-solicitud/03/Mod.03-ES.pdf

• Valid foreign driving license to be exchanged. At the Provincial Traffic Headquarters you may be asked for the reports that, based on the circumstances, are deemed appropriate in order to verify the authenticity, validity and validity of the driving license, in addition to compliance with the rest of the requirements.
• Identification of the interested party: valid original to prove identity: DNI, residence card, or valid passport.
• Residence accreditation: Valid residence card. (in Spanish – certificado de empadronamiento) that is no older than 3 months.

Proof that you were not residing in Spain when the permit to be exchanged was obtained:

If you have a DNI, and Spanish nationality was obtained in your country before residing in Spain, you must provide a Certificate of Registration and Consular Deregistration issued by the Spanish Embassy of the country in which you obtained the permit.

• Residence, Student or Community Card.
• Certificate of registration in the registry of foreigners. POLICIA – CERTIFICADOS CONCORDANCIA .
• If you had had a Residence Card before obtaining the DNI, Immigration Certificate. If on the appointment request form, you check the corresponding box authorizing the comparison of identity data, you will not need to provide said certificate.
• Psychophysical aptitude report, issued by an authorized Driver Recognition Center.

• Number or proof of payment of having paid the corresponding fee, depending on whether the exchange requires any test or not.
• Rate 2.3 for exchanges that do not require additional testing. In general, the permit to be exchanged only includes authorization to drive type A and B vehicles – motorcycles, cars and light vehicles. For exchanges of permits that do not require taking any test, in general permits that only include authorizations to drive type A1, A, B, B + E vehicles – Motorcycles, cars and light vehicles: The rate is 2.3 of 28.87 euros
• Rate 2.1 for exchanges requiring additional testing. In general, those permits that include authorizations to drive type C and D vehicles – trucks and buses. For exchanges of permits that require some test, in general permits that include authorizations to drive type C or D vehicles – Trucks and Buses: The rate is 2.1 of 94.05 euros This rate gives you the right to make 2 calls to take the tests. If you exhaust both calls, you will have to pay the fee again to apply.