However, the DGT traffic authority in Mallorca at least, never mind the rest of Spain, is still refusing to accept the paper licence.
A British Embassy Madrid spokesperson told the Bulletin: “UK Nationals who hold a valid paper UK licence without a photo are eligible to exchange it for a Spanish one. We are raising this with the Spanish.”
However, I was told by the DGT today that they have not been informed that the paper licences are valid for exchange.
I was told that they were in previous windows, but so far, during this latest exchange period which runs until the middle of September, they have not been instructed otherwise. So in Palma, for example, paper licences are being rejected.
The DVLA in the UK has told the Bulletin that it is aware of the problem, having received numerous complaints and confirmed that paper licences are valid and should be accepted in Spain as part of the exchange deal.
It appears there has been a breakdown in communication or something has got lost in translation. It remains to be seen if the Embassy will provide a document for people being told that paper licences are not valid to prove that in fact are, so that they can exchange their licences during this current and last window of opportunity.
The Bulletin has contacted the Embassy again and is waiting for a comment.
2 comments
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Paper licences went out in the UK years ago. Finally abolished in 2015 to be exact. It’s still Legal to have them unless some details have changed, like your address. If your address is now in Spain then it should have already been changed and should have been transferred to a Spanish licence anyway. If you have an old Uk address, well, where are you resident? Living under the radar here was never going to last for ever and so just get on with taking a Spanish driving test. If you’ve been here that long then you should have enough Spanish to cope. Sure it will cost a bit but then everyone had the opportunity to change earlier.
You could always just go get a licence. If you're legally resident, it's actually not that difficult or expensive. But if you're just living here completely unregistered, then ETIAS will likely flag you whenever you leave the Schengen area, and that could lead to deportation and reentry refusal, so you may as well go get legal.