British expats face driving ban in Spain after Brexit delays

I still cherish my French driving licence acquired in 1968, having passed the French test a few years after the UK one. I look so young in the photograph!

Yes urmston, the speed, friendliness and quality of care I had was superb. I have private cover for Europe. At our age, it’s wise to invest in good travel insurance

And yet post Brexit you still had a great check up Iam ?
Glad you were so well covered. I too have a GHIC card now but always bring private health insurance as belt and braces!

Yes my pals are in the mountains. It’s heaven there,friendly, fab food. I was ill during one visit last year. My old eu health card worked (I now have a new one). I saw the dr in the village on a Sunday, within 15 mins of phoning. She spent 45 mins with me, friend translating back n firth. Covid test, various other things, she checked my current meds , pronounced the need for urgent treatment, antibiotics, steroids, pain relief, etc. Instructions to return if not much better in 48 hours. Appointment free. 5 lots of meds €24
This during the period when seeing an emergency doctor in the UK was extremely difficult
Big mistake to leave the EU - we disagree on this urmston ?.

? Iam
My sister is ‘up in the hills’ (campo) and needs a car to get anywhere. As I say, she researched everything in advance to be compliant. She’s very organised and efficient. (Not like me at all - good job our holiday apartment is on the flat down on the coast in the thick of things so no car needed!).

I think we should all have a license issued where we live tbh.

My son cannot renew his UK licence as he no longer resides in the UK he was informed. He told me this yesterday. It's 10 years old so he needed to renew.

Hello urmston, thanks for the update. Trains in Spain are great. My limited experience of taxis and local buses also good.
Friends who have a cottage in the miuntains spend the time allowed there and as you say, get on with it. They’re Remainers but hey ho

Iam64

We do have one regular poster who has a Second home in Spain who voted Leave. Be Interesting to get her views on this

Me?
Doesn’t affect me at all. I fly out here on a holiday & then either walk everywhere or use the train or a taxi (supporting the local economy).

My sister on the other hand retired out here with her husband 18 months ago. She knew all about the regulations and just got on with them.

You need to change your licence notgran. You do not need to take a test.

It seems quite sensible to me. You emigrate to another country you take their driving test. OK BREXIT has made this now compulsory, so you can complain about it but ultimately if you want to live in another country then you have to go by their rules. Like MIDGEY, I can't get worked up about it.

Dinahmo

I suspect that those who didn't exchange their driving licences were living under the radar and may not have registered with the tax authorities as residents, assuming that they were living in Spain for most of the year.

We were required to switch to French driving licenses which we did several years ago.

In our village there has been a fallout between some of the Brits with those Brexit supporters calling some of their friends traitors. One French lady of my acquaintance complained about the Brexiteers living in France who boast about their big houses and the amount of land that they have but don't make an effort to integrate.

Not the case. I was allowed to drive on a British license when I lived and worked in Spain. Resident, tax payer. I didn't want to give up my British license because I knew I would be returning to the UK eventually.

We do have one regular poster who has a Second home in Spain who voted Leave. Be Interesting to get her views on this

Mamie

We also switched to French driving licences many years ago Dinahmo, but I didn't think it was a requirement until Brexit? You certainly had to change to a French one if your UK plastic licence expired, you got points on your licence or if you lost your UK one.
I thought there had been some delays at the online centre processing new ones, but I think it is all resolved now.

I may well be getting confused with re - licensing the car which we were supposed to do within 6 months I think, but we didn't. A few people we know were stopped by the gendarmes and reminded about it - I think that they were recognised by the gendarmes.

Another point - When in France we switched to french licences very smoothly. Gave up UK one.
When we returned we were told that our french licences here would be valid for 3 years, then we had to get a british one.
I expect that has changed too.
Husband changed his early on, but I decided it was time for me to stop driving anyway. But kept my french license for sentimental reasons. Driving there was such a pleasure (apart from the tailgaters) but here it's the opposite.

This is what happens when exiting the UE won the vote

We also switched to French driving licences many years ago Dinahmo, but I didn't think it was a requirement until Brexit? You certainly had to change to a French one if your UK plastic licence expired, you got points on your licence or if you lost your UK one.
I thought there had been some delays at the online centre processing new ones, but I think it is all resolved now.

Well, what did anyone expect? Those living and driving in Spain need to get their paperwork in order and they have had plenty of notice. If they did vote for Brexit then I am overjoyed that it has worked out so well for them.

I suspect that those who didn't exchange their driving licences were living under the radar and may not have registered with the tax authorities as residents, assuming that they were living in Spain for most of the year.

We were required to switch to French driving licenses which we did several years ago.

In our village there has been a fallout between some of the Brits with those Brexit supporters calling some of their friends traitors. One French lady of my acquaintance complained about the Brexiteers living in France who boast about their big houses and the amount of land that they have but don't make an effort to integrate.

CountessFosco

When we moved from Oz to Belgium in 1991, the registering authorities simply took away our DVLA licences and replaced them with Belgian ones. Fair enough, we lived there, we should abide by their rules. No choice.

Australia requires drivers to exchange their British licences for Australian ones if they are there on a permanent basis.

When we moved from Oz to Belgium in 1991, the registering authorities simply took away our DVLA licences and replaced them with Belgian ones. Fair enough, we lived there, we should abide by their rules. No choice.

I think the problem lies with the post Brexit withdrawal agreement where UK residents were able to exchange their UK licence for a French /Spanish one. I don't know what happened elsewhere. France got everything agreed and sorted within the allotted time, Spain obviously didn't. British people living in Spain were led to believe this would happen so didn't make alternative arrangements.

I dont have a lot of sympathy for people who move to another country and then live a half-in half-out existence. They want their bread buttered on both sides.

Some of these es-pats (how I hate that expression) just socialise within their own little enclave and dont even bother to learn Spanish or observe Spanish customs. Then they whinge when the rules change.

I sell on a Spanish website and communicate with my customers in Spanish. I dont expect them to learn English.

Biggest brexit benefit to date - blue passports made in France.

You are missing the point, Septimia

Just tell me what we have gained from losing benefits such as this?