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How to read this page

• This page only repeats what the Spanish traffic authority (DGT) and the Portuguese Institute for Mobility and Transport (IMT, with gov.pt) publish. It is general information, not legal advice. Your licence's country, your category and your residence date decide your case, so read the linked official page and ask the DGT or IMT if unsure.
• The clock starts from your residence, not from the day you landed. Spain counts from when you acquire normal residence; the IMT counts from the date of your residence authorisation. Write that date down first.
• We read the DGT pages on dgt.es and the IMT and gov.pt pages. The DGT electronic office (sede.dgt.gob.es) did not load for us on 27 Oct 2026, so nothing here is taken from it.

Spain (DGT)

• Licence from the EU/EEA: The DGT page on driving with a foreign permit says EU/EEA permits are fully valid for driving in Spain while they remain valid, and sets no time limit on that page. Check the DGT's separate guidance for people who move their residence from another EU country.
• Licence from outside the EU/EEA: The same page says these permits stay valid for at most six months, counted from when you acquire normal residence in Spain; the permit must still be in force and you must meet the minimum age for the equivalent Spanish permit. After that period the permits "carecen de validez para conducir en España" (are not valid for driving in Spain). You then exchange the permit for an equivalent Spanish one or, if your country has no exchange agreement with Spain, obtain a new Spanish permit.
• When exchange is possible: The DGT exchange page says the permit must come from a country with an exchange agreement and must have been obtained before you became a resident in Spain. Exchange is not possible if your country is not on the DGT list, if your permit was itself obtained by exchange from a country without an agreement, or if you obtained it while already a legal resident in Spain.
• Medical report and documents: You need a fitness report (informe de aptitud psicofísica) from an authorised driver recognition centre (Centro de Reconocimiento de Conductores), stating that it is for a permit exchange. It is valid for 90 days and the application must be filed before it expires. Documents named by the DGT: a valid residence card and proof that you were not resident in Spain when the permit was issued (a residence, student or EU residence card, or a foreigners-registry certificate). Some countries need extra documents; the DGT page links the details.
• Tests and timing: Classes A1, A, B and B+E: no tests, the exchange is direct. Classes C, D, C+E and D+E: usually a practical test and sometimes a theory test, with a per-country list on the DGT site. You get a provisional permit when you apply and the definitive one in about one and a half months. The fee amount was not shown on the page we read; check it with the DGT.
• International permit: The DGT describes the international permit as a complementary document valid for one year, carried with your passport and your foreign permit. It recommends getting it in your home country before travelling to Spain from a non-EU country.
• Source: DGT: conducir con un permiso extranjero; DGT: canje de permisos de otros países

Portugal (IMT and gov.pt)

• Licence from the EU/EEA: The IMT page says you may drive in Portugal on an EU/EEA licence until the expiry date shown on it, and that you must register your residence with the IMT, online or at a counter. It describes the service as free and says it must be done "no prazo de 60 dias após fixação de residência em Portugal" (within 60 days of settling in Portugal). Documents: an ID document, a residence declaration from the Câmara Municipal if you have no Cartão de Cidadão, and the valid licence. The summary we read puts the 60-day wording next to licences with no printed expiry date, so read the IMT page for your case.
• Licence from a convention or agreement country: The IMT page says you may drive for 185 days after entering Portugal, before you establish residence. After your residence authorisation: up to 90 days you can keep driving on the foreign licence, but you must file the exchange request with the IMT in that period. From day 90 up to 2 years you can still file the request but cannot drive on the foreign licence. After 2 years you cannot drive on it, and to exchange it you must pass a practical driving test. gov.pt states the same 2-year limit: residents must exchange "no prazo de 2 anos depois de ter residência em Portugal".
• OECD and CPLP licences: Under Decree-Law 46/2022 (in force since 1 August), the IMT lists licences from CPLP states (Brazil, Cabo Verde, Angola, Moçambique, São Tomé e Príncipe) and non-EU/EEA OECD states that are convention signatories (Australia, Canada, Chile, South Korea, USA, Iceland, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, UK, Switzerland, Turkey). Conditions listed: the state is a convention signatory or has a bilateral agreement, no more than 15 years since issue or last renewal, the holder is under 60, and the licence is valid and not seized, suspended, expired or revoked. A medical assessment is required, and exams are waived for the categories you exchange.
• Countries outside the conventions: The IMT page says these licences "não são válidos para conduzir em Portugal" (are not valid for driving in Portugal). gov.pt says to exchange immediately. You may request an exchange but must pass a multimedia theory test and a practical exam for each category, at an extra EUR 30 per test according to the IMT page.
• Documents and how to apply: The IMT lists: residence permit, passport if biometric data is not on the residence document, a tax-domicile certificate from the Finanças portal if no address is shown, the valid licence, a psychological assessment for categories C, D and E, an authenticity certificate from the issuing authority or consulate, and an authenticated translation if the licence is not in Portuguese, French, English or Spanish. You complete an online form, then the IMT contacts you to register at a counter where biometric data is taken. Delivery of the Portuguese licence averages 60 days (longer if a practical exam is needed), with a provisional permit to drive meanwhile, per gov.pt.
• Source: IMT: tenho carta de condução estrangeira; gov.pt: trocar carta de condução estrangeira por portuguesa

Practical checklist

• Write down the date your residence started: your residence card or authorisation date. Every deadline above is counted from it.
• Find where your licence was issued: EU/EEA, a convention or agreement country, or neither. The rule is different for each.
• Spain, non-EU/EEA licence: aim to file well inside the six months. Book the medical report first, because it is valid for only 90 days.
• Portugal, convention country: file the exchange request within 90 days of the residence authorisation if you want to keep driving meanwhile.
• Keep the original licence, a copy of your residence document and your ID together, and ask the DGT or IMT about translations or certificates your country needs.
• If a deadline has already passed, do not drive on the foreign licence until you have checked with the DGT or IMT.

Related

• First 30 days checklist
• Which ID number you need first
• Emergency numbers
• Winter tyres and chains in France and Italy
• Flu and COVID jabs in Spain and Portugal

Frequently asked questions

• Do I have to exchange my EU driving licence in Spain? The DGT page on foreign permits says EU/EEA permits are fully valid for driving in Spain while they remain valid and sets no time limit on that page.
• How long can I drive in Spain on a US, UK or other non-EU licence after moving? The DGT says non-EU/EEA permits are valid for at most six months from when you acquire normal residence in Spain. After that they are not valid for driving in Spain and must be exchanged, or replaced with a new Spanish permit if your country has no agreement.
• Do I need to take a driving test to exchange a car licence in Spain? For classes A1, A, B and B+E the DGT page says there are no tests and the exchange is direct. For trucks and buses it is usually a practical test and sometimes a theory test.
• How long do I have to exchange a foreign licence in Portugal? Per the IMT, from your residence authorisation you can keep driving for up to 90 days if you file the exchange request in that time. You can still file until 2 years, but cannot drive on the foreign licence after day 90, and after 2 years you must pass a practical test. gov.pt gives the 2-year limit.
• What if my country is not in the road traffic conventions? The IMT says those licences are not valid for driving in Portugal. You can request an exchange but must pass a theory and a practical exam for each category.

Sources

• DGT: conducir con un permiso extranjero
• DGT: canje de permisos de otros países
• IMT: tenho carta de condução estrangeira
• gov.pt: trocar carta de condução estrangeira por portuguesa

Last checked: 27 October 2026 (Tuesday). General information, not legal advice. The authorities can change rules at any time; confirm with the DGT or IMT on the linked official pages.