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Driving in Spain
At the risk of stating the obvious the main thing you need to remember when driving in Spain is that you drive on the right.
The new EU driving licence (with a photograph and ring of stars) is recognised throughout Spain and can be used until it expires when you can apply for a Spanish licence. If you have an old style licence and take up permanent residence in Spain you need to obtain a Spanish licence (el permiso de conducer) within 12 months. If you don’t have an EU number plate on your car you must display a badge indicating the car’s country of origin – eg., GB. You can drive an EU registered car over the border into Spain with no formalities, so long as you have the following documentation: passport, current driving licence, valid insurance documents and vehicle registration documents. If, however, you drive it in Spain for more than 6 months in any calendar year you are classed as resident and must obtain full national plates and pay vehicle registration tax (impuesto municipal sobre circulacion de vehiculos).
Road tax in Spain is paid directly to local Government with the fee based on the individual vehicle, and varying between areas. All vehicles over four years old must have an annual inspection (ITV, similar to an MOT in this country) – there are ITV stations in most towns and cities.
Seat belts are compulsory front and rear, and children under 12 are not permitted to travel in the front seat unless restrained in a suitable car seat. All children up to the age of 12 or 150 cms should use a car/booster seat, failure to do so can lead to a fine of up to 90 Euros. The Spanish Police come down very hard on drivers breaking the speed limit – and radar traps are becoming more and more commonplace. The drink drive laws are much tougher in Spain than in the UK – with acceptable blood alcohol limits about half what they are in the UK (even less for new drivers). As in the UK the best policy is not to drink and drive at all. You can lose your licence on the spot if you are caught drink driving in Spain.
It is also important to note that the use of mobile phones whilst driving is banned. It is permitted to use a hands-free kit but not with an ear connection. The fines can be as much as 300 Euros. In case of emergency, the driver may pull over to the side of the road to make a telephone call.
Speed limits are as follows and are usually clearly indicated:
Spain also has Autopista (toll) roads. They are generally well maintained and have service stations every 40-50 kilometres. The downside is that the tolls are expensive – they are calculated by the kilometre. If you use the Autopista you need to remember that when you reach the toll booths you will be faced with a choice of different lanes. The telepago lane can only be used by cars fitted with a special microchip in the windscreen; in the automatico lane you can pay via credit card or with the exact money; in the manual lane you pay an attendant – so you can get change.
When driving in Spain you need to carry the following documentation at all times (there are on the spot fines if you cannot produce documentation):
You also need to have in the vehicle at all times:
This law was introduced in 2004 and the rules are quite specific – the jacket must be government approved (you can buy them in most supermarkets), you must keep the jacket in the car (not in the boot), on view so it can be seen from outside the car, and you must put the jacket on before leaving the car in case of a break-down or accident on an unlit (ie., non urban) road. You can be fined if you do not adhere to these rules – so, for example, if you break down on a motorway you must put on the reflective jacket before leaving the car to walk to a recovery telephone.
For further reading, please click on the following links:
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