Can i use us driver license in spain

Full, valid drivers license with paper counterpart. All applicants for a spanish drivers license must be living in spain. Also, if you already have a driving license, a car like this would help. Aaa accepts applications by mail, but processing time may be. Can i drive in spain using a united states drivers license. How to apply for an international driving licence in the. You can drive in spain using a foreign driver s license for a set period, after which all overseas nationals driving in spain must obtain a spanish driver s license. Youd have to get the idp from spain before you leave. International drivers license for spain rick steves travel. If you are an american driving in spain, you will need to carry both your valid u.

A foreign license to drive in the united states will be considered valid in 49 states, except for georgia, which requires a us drivers license for foreigners, known as an international driving permit idp. Spain drivers license guideline or requirments free cancellation. However, an international driving permit is required to translate it, as us licenses are not issued in spanish. That would depend on whether you are a permanent resident or a tourist. An international driving permit idp translates your stateissued driver s license into 10 languages so you can show it to officials in foreign countries to help them interpret your driver s license. At this time, there is no agreement between the united states and spain for the validation of a u.

Drivers license requirements in the united kingdom, ireland and germany. Yes, if you are over 18, you can drive in spain on a full american license at 15, you dont have a full license. American traveling to spain what type of drivers license. However, the following countries do require international driver s permits in conjunction with valid united states driver s licenses. Everyone that comes to live in spain and is over that age can use the driving license of their country for a sixmonth period, even if you do not have an official residence in the country. Whether youre american or canadian, your passport and drivers license are all you need in. Have no fear though, my brave american and any other rightsideoftheroad drivers friends. There is no agreement between the united states and spain for the validation of a u. Its a good idea to get one if youll be driving in austria, bosniaherzegovina, croatia, greece, hungary, italy, poland, romania, slovenia, slovakia, or spain countries where youre technically required to. You could simply get an international driving permit. American citizens can enter spain or andorra visafree for periods of up to three. A reflective jacket must be used when getting out of the car on the road or the hard shoulder. These countries are myanmar, laos, cambodia, vietnam, brunei, malaysia, indonesia, singapore, thailand, and the philippines. In france they have a tendency to confiscate your license for violations, so you.

Sep 15, 2007 you will need to obtain an international drivers license to drive in spain and this must accompany your u. You can legally drive in spain using your existing driving license for. You can drive with a us license in ireland and northern ireland, as long as it is valid while you are traveling. Driving in the philippines with a foreign driver license. The license is valid for 12 months following the date of issuance, not the day of arrival in the country.

Tell us what companies you like, what tips you used to find a good deal. Madrid the capitol of spain is in the hinterland, and a long way from the spanish coast all the international car rental companies have offices in the main cities, and you can read on the right of the tripadvisor page, about driving in spain. Many foreign driving licences are recognised in spain under reciprocal agreements, including all eu licences and some us state licences, in. Us and canada drivers license requirements enterprise rent. Us driving licenses are as valid over here as your costco card. And its a good idea to have an international license, when you do. In the us, having a drivers license has limited guarantee if any about the owners driving skills. Driving permit often referred to as an international driving licence does not.

In order to drive in spain, you will have to carry the following. If you find a better price, do not hesitate to use that as leverage to get your. So i would just get itits good for a year and you can specifiy the date on which you want it to begin. Driving in ireland with a us license and staying calm. American drivers must have both their domestic license and idp in their. If you have a valid eu or eec drivers licence for drivers who have a valid eu european union community or an eea european economic area driving licence and meet the minimum driving. Slovakia, or spain countries where youre technically required to carry a permit.

The american automobile association and the american automobile touring alliances national automobile club are the only entities in the united states to issue idps as for recognising your country license, each eu country is different. International drivers license translate your official drivers license in multiple languages. You will need to present your international drivers permit to the car rental. How long can you drive in spain with a foreign drivers. Temporary driver s licenses may be refused if the renting location is unable to otherwise verify the customers identity or verify the authenticity of the temporary license. If your driving license is suspended, you can drive a bellier, chatenet or aixam without any problem. If you are planning to rent a car in spain, applying for an international driving permit is. Us and canada drivers license requirements enterprise.

The law in spain requires noneu drivers license holders to posses an. To obtain a spanish drivers license, you need to take a class at a local driving school and pass the required exams. Weve never gotten an international driving permit before those trips and no. You can drive in spain using a foreign drivers license for a set period, after which all overseas nationals driving in spain must obtain a spanish drivers license. When driving in spain, you must have the idp to assist foreign agents in validating your license. That is extended to the first two years of living in spain if you are a citizen of any of the european union or eea countries. Yes, for up to six months after one becomes a resident a year if no residency is sought. The only documents considered official with legal validity that is in europe are. Americans visiting italy as tourists and intending to drive should obtain an international driving permit before leaving the u. Typically, you need an international driving permit, which is basically a tra. It is also possible to apply for a secondary permit.

The minimum ages for driving in spain are 15 for a motorcycle up to 50cc, 16 for a motorcycle up to 125cc an a1 license is needed and 18 for a motorcycle with an engine capacity over 125cc or for a car. Do i have to get an international drivers license for rental cars in spain or is my us. Should your time in spain extend past this 12 month period, a permanent license should be considered. Once you receive your international drivers license, you can use it to drive outside the u. The minimum age at which you can obtain a driving licence is.

In the end, i stopped using them and decided to pay more in advance for a. International driving license online apply drivers. If you have a valid spanish license you may be able to rent a car in the us, however that alone may not be enough. Aug 16, 2018 yes, for up to six months after one becomes a resident a year if no residency is sought. Simple and easy to be used for any language speakers. Sorry young us citizen you may be able to drive at 16 back home but. If you want to drive in spain, you can use your foreign driving license for the first six months if you are from outside the european union eu area, or for up to two years. It is required for every type of motorized vehicle. In my state, frequent dui offenders seldom get their licenses suspended. Drivers licenses international drivers permit, renew your.

If the permit expires while abroad, you may apply for a new one by mail through the american automobile association aaa, worldwide travel dept. Austria, bosniaherzegovina, greece, germany, hungary, poland, italy, slovenia, and spain. Most countries will accept a foreign license if you are there temporarily and for a short time. Every country has its own take on who can rentdrive a car. Temporary drivers licenses may be refused if the renting location is unable to otherwise verify the customers identity or verify the authenticity of the temporary license. Malaysia drivers license guideline or requirments free. Contact us for more information on an international. How long can you drive in spain with a foreign drivers license. How to drive in spain with us driver license international driving. The minimum age to drive such a vehicle is 16 years old.

Additional governmentissued identification may be required. Driving in ireland with a us license and ingrained american rules of the road can be tricky at first, so staying calm is half the battle. For us drivers, bear in mind that because each state has its own rules, foreign countries make agreements with individual states. If you need your license in a hurry, go in person so you dont have to wait on the mail. You dont need to get an international drivers license. Nov 18, 2011 yes, if you are over 18, you can drive in spain on a full american license at 15, you dont have a full license. The law in spain requires noneu drivers license holders to posses an international drivers permit, which you can obtain through aaa. International drivers license for spain rick steves. Is my us driving license valid to drive in spain or do i need. If youre thinking of staying less than 6 months, and if the issuing country of your licence is a contracting party of either the 1977 vienna convention on road traffic or the 1949 geneva convention on road traffic, then your licence is valid and you should not face any trouble driving in spain. This takes at least a few weeks by mail, so plan in advance. Does one need international driving license to drive in europe or will us license do. To get a drivers license in spain, you must be 18 or older. Driving in the philippines with a foreign driver license posted on june 30, 2019 foreigners who hold a valid drivers license issued by the road authority of their home country can drive here in the philippines for up to 90 days after their arrival provided that their license is in english.

Depending on the state youre visiting, you probably need to also have an international driving permit with you. Consider that international driving permit does not replace valid us state license. Mailed applications can take several weeks to process. The rental car company has never asked me for it, but if youre stopped, the police officer might expect you to to have it. The international drivers license in spain is valid for 12 months and cannot be renewed. It is important to understand that the permit is not a replacement for the license. You can find more information on the spanish traffic authority website. Having said that, since both the geneva and the vienna conventions are widely adopted across the world by many countries i d suspect your us license would suffice to drive anywhere in europe. Requirements for americans driving in spain sanitas health plan. You will need to obtain an international drivers license to drive in spain and this must accompany your u. The process of establishing reciprocity continues to be slow, since many informal agreements require individual tailoring to meet the requirements of each u.

You can use your great britain gb or northern ireland drivers license in all european union eu or european economic area eea countries, and switzerland. Sep 22, 2017 therefore, us driver license can be valid for 90 days. Driver s license requirements in the united kingdom, ireland and germany. Jun 30, 2019 driving in the philippines with a foreign driver license posted on june 30, 2019 foreigners who hold a valid drivers license issued by the road authority of their home country can drive here in the philippines for up to 90 days after their arrival provided that their license is in english. This document contains a translation booklet, translate your national driver license in 9 languages which are english, arabic, russian, japanese, portuguese, chinese, german, spanish and french. Apr 29, 2020 if you need your license in a hurry, go in person so you dont have to wait on the mail. I generally get the idp when i plan to drive in europe, but have never been asked for it, neither in spain or france. Travel passport it is required to determine the validity of the drivers license not more than 90 days. A priority issue for american citizens resident in germany is the reciprocal recognition of drivers licenses from the two countries.

International driving license online apply drivers license. Spanish drivers arent the best in europe but certainly not the worst either. Drivers licenses international drivers permit, renew. We use cookies to enhance your website experience, by continuing your visit, you. International driver s license translate your official driver s license in multiple languages. In france they have a tendency to confiscate your license for violations, so you can hand over this one instead of your real license. People who drive rental cars say the idp is overrated, but can come in handy as a complement to your passport and drivers license. An international driving permit idp translates your stateissued drivers license into 10 languages so you can show it to officials in foreign countries to help them interpret your drivers license. The law in spain requires noneu driver s license holders to posses an international driver s permit, which you can obtain through aaa.

International drivers license for spain rick steves travel forum. Americans may use an international driving permit for six months from the date of entry into poland. For the first 6 months you live in spain, you can use your official drivers license from the united states. National id cards which you dont use in the us, passports, idps and if youre an eu resident also driving licenses issued in any of the eu countries which were harmonized eu jargon for standarized a few years ago. In every other state, your foreign drivers license, together with your biometric passport for the u. The legal age for driving in spain, as in any other european country, is 18. Driving around spain can be a bit of a challenge, from renting the right car to knowing. Drivers holding a valid drivers license of the 10 asean member countries can use their national drivers license in the nine other countries without the need to obtain an idp. Also, get information on renting a car and what other documents you may need while driving in the u. If you already have a drivers licence, see if you can use it. This can be useful for teenagers as they can gain more driving experience. Take a look at this guide specially prepared by qeeq before you hit on the road. Do i need an international driving permit in spain. Getting a drivers license in spain in english in spain, a driving license is similar to the one used in most eu countries, made of plastic and the same size as a credit card with a photograph attached to the document.

Unfortunately, spain and the united states do not have a reciprocal agreement in the validation of the u. You can read more about this at our spanish driving licences page. However, the following countries do require international drivers permits in conjunction with valid united states drivers licenses. If you plan on staying in spain longterm and become a resident here, you will need to take a spanish driving test and obtain a spanish driving license. For more information regarding driving or traveling in spain then visit the website below, about 34 of the way down is the section on traffic safety and road conditions which gives you more details. But again, ask the spanish embassy in washington to be sure or your local aaa can also help here as pointed earlier. Whether youre american or canadian, your passport and drivers license are all you. Travel agents and aaa can help you book a rental car in spain, but for.

A small investment to put you in full compliance with the law and perhaps. If tourists or residents those who applied for a residence permit in spain are going to drive a car further, they should get driving licenses for spain. But for just visiting and driving around, the idp should be fine within the eu. You must also meet the usual car rental age requirements check rental car agency for details. Talking on a mobile phone is prohibited while driving, unless you use a handsfree system. However youll need to keep a translated copy with you. You can drive in spain using a foreign driving license for a set period, after which foreigners driving in spain must obtain a spanish driving license.

Do pay attention to drivers especially taxi drivers suddenly switching lanes. In spain the driving licence is a governmental right given to those who request a licence for any of the categories they desire. This, coupled with your us drivers license, is recognised in over 70 countries. In the united states, apply through any local branch of the american automobile association aaa. Slovenia, slovakia, or spain countries where youre technically required to carry a permit. Aside from the application form, the driving schools autoescuelas are the key players during the process of getting a valid driving license in spain and you can also do all the procedures online by. In order to drive in poland, american citizens must have either an international driving permit or a polish national drivers license. Is my us driving license valid to drive in spain or do i. However, if a tourist has applied for a multiple entry visa and it allows him to visit spain for many years, then a 90day period starts anew. How to drive in spain with us driver license international.