The agreement comes first
If your country has an exchange agreement with Spain, the licence is swapped without a test. If it does not, there is no exchange and you must obtain the Spanish licence. The list is in countries with an agreement and the opposite case in no exchange agreement.
In the province of Alicante this procedure comes up constantly among residents from the United Kingdom, Norway, Ukraine, Russia and Latin America, and each of those origins has its own documentary quirks. The applicable fee also varies with the type of exchange.
The order that avoids repeating the procedure
- Check the agreement and that the original licence is valid. An expired licence cannot be exchanged.
- Sworn translation if the licence is not in Spanish. A plain translation is not accepted.
- Psychophysical assessment at an accredited centre. It is in person and it expires, so do not do it too early.
- Filing and fee, which we do on your behalf.
- Handing over the foreign licence when the Spanish one is issued. The original stays with the administration.
Doing it in another order usually means paying for the assessment twice or finding out late that the licence was not exchangeable.
You do not need to come to the office
Most of the work is done online, with a digital certificate or a power of representation, so where the client lives does not limit the service. There are two routes and both are routine:
- Digital certificate: you sign from wherever you are, and we prepare and file the application.
- Power of representation or electronic authorisation: we act on your behalf using the professional certificate of a registered gestora.
The exception is strictly personal acts, which nobody can do for you: proving your identity to obtain the digital certificate, giving fingerprints for the TIE, and taking the oath in a citizenship file. Those must be done in person, and always in the province where you are registered.
Shall we handle it for you?
Registered gestora administrativa, ICGA Valencia. Fixed quote before we start and a free first consultation.
Frequently asked questions
Can I exchange if I am registered in Torrevieja or Benidorm?
Yes. Both towns are in the province of Alicante, so the file is handled by the Alicante provincial headquarters.
How long can I drive on my foreign licence?
It depends on the licence and your residence status. There are specific periods, and exceeding them turns driving into a serious offence, so check beforehand.
Can I do the psychophysical assessment at any centre?
It must be an accredited driver assessment centre. It can be in any province.
Do I get my home-country licence back?
No. When the Spanish licence is issued, the foreign one is handed over to the administration.
What if my licence is in Cyrillic?
You need a sworn translation into Spanish. It is a documentary requirement, not an obstacle.
Legal basis
- Royal Decree 818/2009, General Drivers Regulation, art. 18 on exchanging foreign licences
- Law 16/1979 on Directorate-General for Traffic fees (consolidated text)
Official sources
- Provincial Traffic Headquarters (DGT)
- DGT electronic office: licence exchange
- Alicante City Council
- Official College of Gestores Administrativos of Valencia
Written by Irina Klein. Reviewed by Elena Alonso Volostnova, registered gestora administrativa (ICGA Valencia). Updated on 5 October 2026. This page is general information and does not replace personalised advice on your case.