'Drires Lisence, USA to Spain' Expat

Drires Lisence, USA to Spain

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Tags: us_citizen, driving_in_spain, spanish_resident, work_visa

Ben (3) from Barcelona (Contact Member) -

Driving as a non-tourist, resident from the US, in Spain.

I have a rather specific question for which I have come-up either with dead-ends or big dollars as answers. Neither of the two put me at an advantage and so turn to this message board for some other answer.

I moved to Spain a year ago and quickly (as well as luckily) landed a job with a traveling theater company.

After a year in the black, my boss agreed to sponsor me on a work-visa.

With our company we, the actors, do all of our own driving. I have had a valid US license for ten years.

I understand that as a tourist (here for less then 6 months I believe the law says) a US citizen can simply use their US driver’s license and it is valid to the Spanish authorities. I have read that after this six-month period their US license is no longer good.

So, given that in my new Spanish job there is driving to be done, I am searching for the way to go about getting a valid Spanish Drivers license.

Where, you ask is my dilemma? Well, the average cost of getting a Spanish drivers License is well over 1, 500 Euros I understand. Why should I pay this amount to go through a process that is almost completely of no value to me, as I already know how to drive?

I know that as a citizen of one of the Shengan Nations one can simply use their home country's license to drive here in Spain. This makes little sense as for example a Brit. or an Irish citizen drive on the opposite side of the road, but they aren't mandated to drop a dime for the Spanish License while an American who is accustomed to driving on the right side of the road must drop thousands of Euros.

I know it's a very specific question. If anyone has any experiences, ideas, places to begin my search, I would be most thankful.

Thanks

-Ben en BCN

Reply #1 Bubba from deep in your mind (Contact Member) -

Why not ask the drivers license office? Many countries accept a foreign license as your proof of driving ability and easily give you one of their own.

Ie: walking into the Costa Rica drivers license office with your USA license and walk out with a Costa Rica license.

If they accept licenses from other EU countries... maybe it would be easier to get one there?

Also what when does the six month period start? When you enter the country? Why not leave and return to start another six months?

Reply #2 Ben (3) from Barcelona (Contact Member) -

Hey Bubba,

Thanks for the reply. Truthfully I never expected anyone to reply so thanks! You caring means a lot.

To be totally honest I have yet to try to simply go to the Lisence office and say, "here's my US lisence, can I have a Spanish one?"

But I will. I just have to wait til my visa comes through in order to do this.

Which brings me to your questions:

Speaking rather generally: the law states (as far as Europe) that US citizens with tourist Visas cannot be in any EU country for more than 90 days in a six month period. This means, sure, i can be here for three months at a time, but after that 90th day I have to leave and not come back for another three months. Of course this is just the technical interpretation of the law and, at least for now it is not SO striclty inforced for Americans(I just visited NY after having living in Spain on a tourist visa for one year and come back to Spain with no problem).

Just don't go through the UK.

-Ben

Reply #3 Jill (88.27.148.56) -

Hello,

Costa Rica is NOT Spain. The laws here say that you need to get your driver's license here and so you need to pay out the bucks. . . or not get one. I have lived in Spain almost 14 years and when we first arrived, you could do just that - walk into a Trafico and ask for a license and hand in your own and voila. But the law changed and we didn't know it until it was too late. We had been using the International Driver's license from AAA in the USA. It is NOT valid. No matter what an insurance agent or someone else may tell you, it's NOT.

There is no quick easy way to get the license. You just have to bite the bullet and shell out the bucks. This is why I haven't been driving here for 6 years!!

Just wanted to let you know.

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