Exchanging your driving licence (canje) step by step

Terms used

• Jefatura Provincial de Tráfico — The Jefatura Provincial de Tráfico is the provincial office of the traffic authority (DGT) where licence exchanges are handled.
• Cita previa — A cita previa is an appointment you must book in advance before an office will see you.
• Tasa — The tasa is an official fee you pay to a public body for a procedure.
• Empadronado — Empadronado means you are registered on the town hall's list of residents, the padrón.
• Gestoría — A gestoría is a private agency that handles paperwork with public offices on your behalf.
• NIE — The NIE is the foreigner identification number given to non-Spanish residents.

Key rules

• Where: You exchange at the traffic office of the province where you are registered as a resident.
• In person: The exchange is filed in person and is not normally done by post.
• Old licence: You hand over your foreign licence and keep any provisional receipt until the Spanish card arrives.
• Medical certificate: Get it close to your appointment, because it is only valid for three months.

The short version

You do the exchange in person at the traffic office of the province where you live. Prepare everything first, pay the fee, book your appointment, then attend. You cannot normally complete it by post.

1. Check that your licence qualifies

Your licence's country must have an exchange agreement with Spain, and you must meet the residence conditions at the time it was issued. The process block above explains who qualifies. Do this first, because everything else costs money.

2. Get your medical certificate

You need a medical certificate for drivers from an approved driver assessment centre (Centro de Reconocimiento de Conductores). These centres are often near driving schools. The centre sends the certificate electronically to the traffic authority.

• It is valid for three months, so time it close to your appointment.
• Each centre sets its own price. For a standard car licence (category B), expect roughly €30 to €60.

3. Get a translation if you need one

If your licence is not in Spanish or an EU format, you need a sworn translation or a certificate. The documents list below gives the full set of papers.

4. Pay the exchange fee

The fee is €27.86. It is the standard licence fee (tasa 4.1). Pay it online by card or bank charge, or at a collaborating bank. Do it before you book your appointment or when you book it. Keep the proof of payment.

5. Book your appointment

An appointment (cita previa) is required. Book it at the Jefatura Provincial de Tráfico of the province where you are registered as a resident (empadronado). You must be legally resident in that province.

6. Attend in person

Take the application form, your ID or NIE and proof of residence, your original licence and a photocopy, the medical certificate, a photo and the fee receipt.

Requirements and appointment systems vary between offices, so check your Jefatura's instructions before you go.

Online options and representatives

The traffic authority's online office is mainly for booking the appointment, paying the fee and some other procedures. The application itself is filed in person. A representative with a power of attorney, or a gestoría (a private administrative agent), can sometimes file for you. Ask your Jefatura whether it accepts this.

What happens to your old licence

The traffic authority keeps your foreign licence. It is normally sent back to the issuing country's authorities. You usually get a provisional document or receipt to use in Spain meanwhile, so keep it.

Your new Spanish licence arrives by post, typically within a few weeks. Make sure your address is correct on the form.

Your lawful path to a Spanish driving licence

• Find out where your licence was issued (EU/EEA or outside the EU) and the date you became a resident, and check whether your country has an exchange agreement with Spain on the DGT list.: before you start

• Exchange is for licences from agreement countries that were issued before you became a resident, are valid and have no restrictions. An EU or EEA licence stays valid until it expires and you renew it in Spain, so exchange is optional. If your country has no agreement, or you got the licence after becoming resident, you take the exams instead.: before you choose a route

• Book an appointment (cita previa) at the DGT provincial office. Get your medical certificate and photo, pay the fee, gather your documents and attend the appointment. The DGT keeps your foreign licence.: within your window, in this order

• Apply for the exchange while your non-EU licence is still valid for driving in Spain.: within 6 months of becoming a resident

• For the exchange, bring the application form, your passport or NIE/TIE with proof of residence, your original licence with a certified translation if needed, the medical certificate from an approved centre, a photo and proof of the fee. For the exams, bring the medical certificate, your ID and proof of the fee.: at your appointment or enrolment

• For the exchange, go to the DGT Jefatura Provincial de Tráfico and ask for a licence exchange. For the exams, enrol with a driving school (autoescuela), or as a free candidate in some cases, then take the theory test followed by the practical test at the DGT.: when you apply

• If your licence is from an agreement country, was issued before you became a resident and you are within 6 months, exchange it. If not, or if you want a Spanish licence from the start, take the exams. The theory test is available in several languages.: at the decision point

• If your exchange is refused, read the refusal notice and appeal it, with an administrative appeal (recurso de alzada) or a contentious-administrative appeal, within the deadline in the notice. If you cannot win it, take the exams.: if the exchange is refused

• If you missed the 6 months, your licence no longer lets you drive in Spain, and a late exchange is generally refused, so enrol for the exams. Driving meanwhile counts as driving without a licence, which can mean a heavy fine, a criminal offence in serious cases, and no insurance cover. Until you pass, use public transport, taxis, ride-hailing, car sharing or ride as a passenger.: if you missed the window or the exchange route is closed

Documents needed to exchange your licence

• The application form for exchanging a foreign licence.

• Your ID: your NIE or residence card, or your passport, together with proof that you live in Spain.

• Your original foreign driving licence, plus a photocopy of it. The DGT keeps the original.

• A sworn translation of your licence, or a certificate, if it is not in Spanish or an EU format. If it is in Spanish or an EU format, you do not need a translation.

• A medical certificate from an approved driver assessment centre (Centro de Reconocimiento de Conductores). It is valid for three months.

• One recent colour passport-style photo, 32 x 26 mm, with a plain light background and your face fully visible and uncovered. Many offices take it digitally at the recognition centre or on site.

• Proof that you paid the exchange fee (tasa).

• A declaration that you have not been issued another licence.

Checklist

• Get your medical certificate at an authorised driver recognition centre, and use it within three months.

• Get a translation of your licence if it is needed.

• Pay the €27.86 exchange fee (tasa 4.1) online or at a collaborating bank, before or when booking your appointment.

• Attend in person with your documents, fee payment proof and original licence.

• Hand over your foreign licence and keep any provisional receipt you are given.

• Wait for your Spanish licence to arrive by post, typically within a few weeks.

Frequently asked questions

Can I do the licence exchange online or by post?

No, the exchange is not generally completed online or by post, because you file it in person at the Jefatura after booking a cita previa. The DGT website is mainly for the appointment and the fee payment.

Which Jefatura do I have to go to for the exchange?

You go to the Jefatura Provincial de Tráfico of the province where you are registered as a resident. You must be on the padrón (local residents' register) and legally resident in that province. An appointment is required.

What happens to my old licence at the exchange?

The DGT normally keeps your foreign licence and sends it back to the issuing country's authorities. You often get a provisional document or receipt to use in Spain meanwhile. The new card usually arrives by post within a few weeks.

How much does the medical certificate for the exchange cost?

The certificate typically costs roughly €30 to €60 for category B, and each centre sets its own price. Centros de Reconocimiento de Conductores are often near driving schools. The centre sends the certificate electronically to the DGT.