Why do we not all come clean and say “what the heck is
going on” I for one will no longer accept, without question the information
coming from the various authorities and departments. Read the last ruling and decrees in the BOE
(State bulletin) and you, along with me and the departments who are there to
ensure the law is approved and adhered to, and you will be as confused as the
rest of us.
So, do we change our European licences once we become
residents? Do we stick to what we believe
to be the European ruling, stating that we can legally drive in Spain on any European
licence? Do we look at Spain’s internal
decrees and become even more confused? Maybe we can listen to the differing advice
from the traffic police. One recently
presented a traffic ticket to an expat for not carrying a medical certificate with
his licence. Should we now drive with an
outdated medical certificate? (Please
disregard this advice. These medical
certificates can only be issued for up to three months for non Spanish permits).
We can also take advice from the
numerous expatriate barstool legal experts, or we can choose to read a plethora
of contradictory information in several of our local newspapers. We could pay a visit to Trafico and accept
that we can register our licence with them, (looks like the safest bet at
present. At least we can put the blame
on them if faced with a hefty fine)
I revisited an office of a well established gestor of
vehicles, to see if they could shed any light on this controversial matter. They too had been in a quandary over the
issue. They asked the College of
Gestores for advice and confirmation on the law relating to the use of European
permits. Below is the relevant part of the
written response they received.
“We consulted with the department of traffic several times over this issue. There is an internal regulation but it is not in writing”. The
communication then follows to say:
That if a foreigner has
been living in Spain for two years or more, it is
mandatory that they redeem these permits and acquire the Spanish
version.
It is
also mandatory to redeem permits which are valid indefinitely
For expired permits it is also
obligatory to make the change.
Read the above as you will. To me the three points could have been made in
one sentence. (If you have been a resident in Spain for two
years or more, you should change your licence for the Spanish version).
Until this is formally verified with the date and number
of the relevant decree, we can say that we are none the wiser. For those who wish to continue using their European
licence (after all why call it such, if it is not valid in Europe). Be prepared
to take the matter up with your European MP, if you wish to argue this case if
penalised on the highway.
For once, I am
not arguing with the authorities. I take
to my vehicle, content in the knowledge, that in my possession, I have a
Spanish driving licence.
