Last Updated on April 18, 2026 by Bruno Bianchi
How Long Can You Use a UK Registered Car in Spain?
Hi folks, after a long 6 months we have just got our NLV. We will be traveling from the UK on Sunday and towing our touring caravan to Antequera where we have a mobile home. My question is how long can we drive our UK registered car in Spain ? We will return to the UK to tie things up at the end of June, beginning of July but then will be resident in Spain. I know we need to take a Spanish test but if we buy a Spanish registered car I believe we cannot drive it until we have a Spanish license, am I correct?
UK Car Rules and Time Limits in Spain
These are the answers of some Facebook group members:
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Start the Moving to Spain Hub →“You get 6 months from residency to drive on a UK licence. So book lessons and theory on arrival as driving schools are full and you may wait months.”
“6 months from residency the uk licence is valid for. (Regardless of the car you drive).
Limited time to swap the uk car plates over, I think 30 days”
“You can drive on your UK licence for six months from the time you take residency, which is the start date on your TIE card. If you want to continue to drive in Spain after those 6 months, you will need a Spanish licence, which means taking a Spanish driving test.”
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Explore Cities →“Uk car can only be kept in Spain for 90 days unless you re-matriculate it to Spanish plates”
“You can drive it for 6 months after gaining residency on your UK licence. An often hidden piece of information is that you should support your UK licence with an IDP 6 months after arriving in Spain if you haven’t passed your test by then to cover the 6 months after arriving up to 6 months after residency gap.”
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