Exchange Your Driving Licence in Valencia

The basics

Exchanging a licence (canje) means handing in your foreign licence and receiving the Spanish equivalent from a Jefatura Provincial de Tráfico, the provincial office of the DGT. The rules are in the General Drivers Regulation, Royal Decree 818/2009, and they depend on where your licence was issued.

Licences from the EU and the European Economic Area stay valid in Spain under the conditions in which they were issued (article 15.1). Exchanging them is voluntary and can be done at any time once you have your normal residence here (article 18.1). Two points change when you settle: Spanish rules on validity periods, medical checks and penalty points start to apply to you, and a licence with no expiry date has to be renewed in Spain two years after you become resident (article 15.4). Licences from other countries are different. They let you drive for at most six months from the day you acquire normal residence (article 21.2.c). After that they are no longer valid, and only licences from a country with an exchange agreement can be swapped without a full driving test (articles 21.3 and 22). The DGT list of agreement countries includes the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Japan, Morocco, Ukraine, New Zealand and much of Latin America, but not the United States, Canada, Australia or Mexico.

The DGT treats you as normally resident when you live in Spain at least 185 days in each calendar year. In Valencia the exchange is handled by the Jefatura Provincial de Tráfico, in person and with a cita previa. The DGT asks for proof that you live here legally, so the exchange usually comes after your TIE card or, for EU citizens, the EU registration certificate. If your NIE is still pending, start with the NIE.

Who it is for

• EU and EEA citizens who want a Spanish licence or must renew one without an expiry date.
• UK residents in Valencia with a British licence.
• Residents from agreement countries such as Morocco, Colombia, Argentina or Ukraine.
• New residents who are near the end of their six months of driving on a foreign licence.

Paperwork checklist

• The official DGT application form, signed.
• Your passport or ID document, and your TIE or EU registration certificate.
• The foreign licence you want to exchange, in force, with a photocopy.
• A recent colour photo, 32 x 26 mm, on a plain light background.
• A written declaration that you are not banned from driving and hold no other EU licence of the same class.
• For non-EU licences: a medical fitness report from an authorised driver testing centre.
• For non-EU licences: an official translation into Spanish where needed, and proof that you obtained the licence before becoming resident.

Some agreement countries require the DGT to confirm the licence with the issuing authority first, and Argentina asks for a specific certificate. We tell you exactly what your country needs before you book.

Step by step with us

1. Your licence. We check the country, the class and the date it was issued against the rules and the DGT list of agreement countries.
2. Your deadline. We work out when your six months of driving on a non-EU licence end, counted from your normal residence.
3. The file. We fill in the form, pay the fee and list any translation, certificate or medical report still needed.
4. The visit. We book the appointment at the Jefatura Provincial de Tráfico and tell you what to bring on the day.

Waiting times in Valencia

For non-EU licences, the clock starts when you acquire normal residence in Spain: from then you may drive on your licence for six months at most (Royal Decree 818/2009, article 21.2.c). You can apply for the exchange as soon as you are resident, without waiting for those months to pass (article 22.2), and it is wise not to leave it late. EU and EEA licences can be exchanged at any time (article 18.1), but one with no expiry date must be renewed two years after you become resident (article 15.4).

The regulation does not fix a separate decision period for the exchange. According to the DGT, a provisional permit is given at the appointment and the definitive card follows later. Licences from countries in which the DGT must first check validity with the issuing authority can take longer. If a medical fitness report is needed, the DGT gives it a validity of 90 days, so we time it close to the appointment.

Living outside Valencia city? We handle this for the whole region: see our local pages for Gandia, Alicante and Castellón, or the Valencian Community overview.

Fee for our help

Ask for a quote. We confirm a fixed fee in writing before starting, once we know the country and class of your licence. State fees are paid separately: the DGT exchange fee is currently 28.87 € (tasa 2.3) when no driving test is required. If a practical test is required, tasa 2.1 applies instead. The medical report, translations and certificates from abroad are not included.

A typical case

As an illustration: a Moroccan engineer moves to Paterna with a work permit and collects his TIE. Morocco is on the DGT list of agreement countries, and he got his car licence there years before moving, so the exchange can be direct. We note the date he became resident so he does not pass the six-month limit, send him for the medical report at an authorised centre, prepare the form and the fee, and book the Jefatura de Tráfico in Valencia. He leaves the visit with a provisional permit.

Frequently asked questions

Source: Royal Decree 818/2009, articles 15 to 23 and annex III (BOE). Last checked against the BOE on 14 November 2026. Laws and fees change, so we confirm the current ones for your case before you pay.