How to renew a Spanish driving licence in 2025

If you wish to drive on Spanish roads, you should make sure your licence is in date (not expired). Once the end validity date has passed, you can no longer legally drive.

Once you are resident in Spain, you cannot renew a driving licence from your home country. You will need to obtain a Spanish licence instead. You can find out how to do this in our article How to exchange a foreign driving licence for a Spanish one.

Some changes have been introduced for the renewal process from 2025, which are detailed below.

Can you renew your Spanish driving licence before it expires?

You can renew your Spanish driving licence up to three months before its expiry date. This way, you can avoid being without a valid licence whilst awaiting your new one.

You can renew your Spanish driving licence if it has already expired, but cannot drive until you receive your new one.

How often should you renew your Spanish driving licence?

• Renewing your Spanish driving licence when you're aged 64 or younger

Your driving licence will be renewed every 10 years for Class A and B (cars, motorcycles and other light vehicles). Renewal is also once every 10 years for LVA (agricultural vehicles) and LCM (vehicles for reduced mobility).

If you hold a licence authorising you to drive Class C vehicles (lorries), Class D (buses and coaches), or ADR (hazardous merchandise vehicles), these categories must be renewed every five years.

• Renewing a Spanish driving licence at age 65 or older

If you are aged 65 or over, your driving licence must be renewed every five years for Class A and B (cars, motorcycles and other light vehicles), and for LVA (agricultural vehicles) and LCM (vehicles for reduced mobility).

If you are authorised to drive Class C vehicles (lorries), Class D (buses and coaches), or ADR (hazardous merchandise vehicles), these categories must be renewed every three years.

There is no upper age limit in Spain for driving. As long as you pass the criteria for renewing your licence, you can continue to drive for as long as you wish.

Can you renew a Spanish driving licence online?

No, you cannot renew your driving licence online. You must do this in person. You cannot send a representative to do so on your behalf, either, as you will need to take a basic medical and coordination test. This is known as a psycho-physical aptitude test (prueba de aptitud psicofísica).

Where to renew your Spanish driving licence

You do not need to go to the traffic authority (Tráfico) office. Instead, you should go to an authorised Drivers' Assessment Centre (Centro de Reconocimiento de Conductores). Most towns have at least one of these. Your financial and legal advisor (gestor or asesor) can tell you where to find your nearest. Otherwise, you can find them in a local directory online, or in the Yellow Pages (Páginas Amarillas).

Do you need a Spanish driving licence renewal form?

You do not need to fill in a form to renew your Spanish driving licence. The Centro de Reconocimiento de Conductores will carry out the entire process for you. In most cases, they will also take your photograph for your new licence. If they do not, you can get yours from any photo studio or a photo booth in a shopping centre.

All Centros de Reconocimiento de Conductores have at least one medical doctor and one ophthalmologist (eye doctor) on the premises. As they are authorised by Spain's traffic department, they are permitted to transact the complete licence renewal on your behalf.

What happens at the Drivers' Assessment Centre

You will be given a basic medical test. This includes an eyesight test. You must bring with you any spectacles (glasses) or contact lenses you use to drive with. You will also take a hearing test. If you use a hearing aid, you must bring this with you to the test.

You will be asked about any pre-existing health conditions you have, and any prescription medication you take. It is likely you will have to show a copy of your prescription documents. You will be asked about your blood pressure and family history of certain health conditions, such as diabetes. Depending upon the nature of any existing health conditions you have or medication you take, you may need to request a report from your doctor.

You will take tests to evaluate your coordination and reaction times. One of these involves clicking a button before an icon on a screen hits the edge of a frame. Another involves clicking a button when the icon disappears off screen, to anticipate how long it will take to reappear.

Changes to Spanish driving licence renewal from 2025

In addition to the above, you will be asked to supply further medical information if you have one of the 35 conditions listed by the DGT. These include:

• Eyesight conditions – existing, or of a degenerative nature which means your eyesight may become worse over time
• Hearing conditions – loss of hearing of over 45% means you may need to apply for an 'extraordinary licence', which only lets you drive an adapted car. People born deaf or hearing-impaired are permitted to drive, but the licence renewal process may be different
• Cardiovascular conditions such as heart arrythmias, aneurysms, or a history of strokes or heart attacks
• Neurological conditions such as epilepsy
• Mental health conditions and neurodiversity such as schizophrenia, depression, attention deficit disorder, or personality disorders.

Having one of these conditions does not necessarily mean your licence won't be renewed. But you will need to supply a copy of your medical history to prove that your health situation does not impair your ability to drive safely.

If you do not pass the medical and coordination test

If you fail the test, this may be because you have a temporary medical condition. For example, if you have cataracts, you may not pass the eyesight test, but would be able to do so once these have been successfully operated on. In these cases, the Drivers' Assessment Centre will invite you to come back for a repeat test when you have recovered. Some centres may charge a smaller fee for a repeat test, or even do so at no charge.

If you fail the medical test and do not agree with the result, you can try taking it at a different Centro de Reconocimiento de Conductores. If your usual doctor believes your medical condition or medication do not affect your ability to drive, you can provide a report from him or her stating this. The Centro de Reconocimiento de Conductores may ask for further medical evidence, such as a doctor's note, before deciding whether or not you have passed.

How long does it take to renew a driving licence in Spain?

Once you have passed the medical and coordination tests, you will complete a simple form with your personal details and signature. The Drivers' Assessment Centre will send all the documents, electronically, to the Tráfico headquarters. Your new licence will arrive by post at your home address - typically within about a month and a half.

Whilst awaiting your new licence, the Drivers' Assessment Centre will give you a temporary permit, to allow you to continue driving legally.

Cost of Spanish driving licence renewal

You will have to pay two separate fees to the Drivers' Assessment Centre. One of these is for the psycho-physical aptitude test. Each centre sets its own price, which can be anywhere between €20 and €80.

The other fee to pay is the traffic authority's licence renewal tax. This is currently €24.58 for everyone aged 70 or younger. When renewing a Spanish driving licence aged over 70, you do not have to pay this tax; the only charge is for the psycho-physical aptitude test.

You might like to find out more about Spanish road traffic laws. If so, you may be interested in our article Rules for driving in Spain.