Gibraltar drivers get green light to drive in Spain without an international license

DRIVERS from Gibraltar will now be able to drive in Spain without a separate international license and vice versa.

It follows a decision by the Spanish Council of Ministers to recognize UK licenses for those visiting the neighboring country of Gibraltar.

The agreement also grants a new six-month period for Gibraltarians legally residing in Spain to redeem their licenses without the need to take a theoretical or practical test.

Spanish drivers visiting Gibraltar will get the same equal treatment.

The decision gives Gibraltarians and Britons the same rights as when they were both in the EU.

Thousands of British expatriates had waited for this decision across Spain, often unable to use their vehicles without having to go through the arduous process of obtaining a new license from scratch.

Gibraltarians residing in Spain will only need to take a ‘psychotechnical’ test to check reactions and eyesight to obtain their Spanish license.

They will be able to redeem their licenses after six months, but their Gibraltar licenses will no longer be valid to drive.

The decision of the Spanish Council of Ministers allows the exchange of information between Gibraltar and Spain on vehicle ownership.

It will allow authorities on both sides of the border and in the UK to keep track of road safety offenses committed by drivers in the three jurisdictions.

These requests will be possible within four months following the application of the agreement.

This deal is completely separate from the EU treaty on Gibraltar which is being negotiated between the UK and Spain in ongoing talks.

More information about the agreement can be found at the Spanish government’s Directorate General of Traffic or on the social media page of the British Embassy in Madrid.

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