UK - Spain driving licence deal: Britons urged to take medical exams
The British Embassy in Madrid has updated Brits in Spain on the latest UK driving licence negotiations, urging them to get a medical certificate in advance of an agreement.
The previous update came just before Christmas when British Ambassador Hugh Elliott posted a video on the British Embassy Facebook page.
At that time, he confirmed that the deal on UK driving licences had been made and that they were waiting on a few changes to be made to the technical wording of the agreement before it could be passed on to the Spanish cabinet.
The new Facebook post on Monday followed on from this saying: “Work continued over the holidays and we are pleased to tell you that the legal checks have now been completed on both sides and the final processes required for an international treaty are now underway”.
It also confirmed that the agreement was now ready to be passed on to the Spanish Cabinet for final approval, although still didn't give an exact date on when drivers might be able to get back on the roads.
“These [cabinet] meetings take place each week and, while we have no control over the scheduling, we hope it will be tabled very soon,” they added.
The next step will be a formal exchange of notes before the final deal is published in the BOE or official state bulletin.
But, instead of just waiting for the deal to pass, the British Embassy has urged Brits without a valid licence to get their psicotécnico or medical tests done in anticipation.
“We recommend you get your psicotécnico test in place, as you will need a certificate showing you have passed the test in order to exchange your licence,” the post stated.
The psicotécnico test is a test approved by the Ministry of Health in compliance with world standards, which measures whether drivers are competent enough to use their physical and psychological abilities.
It aims to test your visual, auditory, coordination and reaction skills. It may also require you to have a brief interview with a doctor.
If you pass, you will be issued with a medical certificate confirming that there is no physical or mental problem to stop you from being able to drive.
“Certificates are valid for three months and if you fail it you can retake as many times as you need,” the post added.
The Directorate-General for Traffic or DGT has a list of centres where you can get these tests done here.
Those with UK driving licences, who were unable to exchange them in time, have been unable to drive in Spain since May 1st 2022, a total of 8.5 months.
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The previous update came just before Christmas when British Ambassador Hugh Elliott posted a video on the British Embassy Facebook page.
At that time, he confirmed that the deal on UK driving licences had been made and that they were waiting on a few changes to be made to the technical wording of the agreement before it could be passed on to the Spanish cabinet.
The new Facebook post on Monday followed on from this saying: “Work continued over the holidays and we are pleased to tell you that the legal checks have now been completed on both sides and the final processes required for an international treaty are now underway”.
It also confirmed that the agreement was now ready to be passed on to the Spanish Cabinet for final approval, although still didn't give an exact date on when drivers might be able to get back on the roads.
“These [cabinet] meetings take place each week and, while we have no control over the scheduling, we hope it will be tabled very soon,” they added.
The next step will be a formal exchange of notes before the final deal is published in the BOE or official state bulletin.
But, instead of just waiting for the deal to pass, the British Embassy has urged Brits without a valid licence to get their psicotécnico or medical tests done in anticipation.
“We recommend you get your psicotécnico test in place, as you will need a certificate showing you have passed the test in order to exchange your licence,” the post stated.
The psicotécnico test is a test approved by the Ministry of Health in compliance with world standards, which measures whether drivers are competent enough to use their physical and psychological abilities.
It aims to test your visual, auditory, coordination and reaction skills. It may also require you to have a brief interview with a doctor.
If you pass, you will be issued with a medical certificate confirming that there is no physical or mental problem to stop you from being able to drive.
“Certificates are valid for three months and if you fail it you can retake as many times as you need,” the post added.
The Directorate-General for Traffic or DGT has a list of centres where you can get these tests done here.
Those with UK driving licences, who were unable to exchange them in time, have been unable to drive in Spain since May 1st 2022, a total of 8.5 months.
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