HEALTHPLAN MAGAZINE

As the driving licence negotiations continue between the British Embassy in Madrid and the Spanish government, many Brits are still being kept off the roads of Spain.

Since May 1, British nationals who still hold a British driving licence and have been resident in Spain for more than six months, have been barred from driving in Spain.

This has seen many expats struggling to continue with their day-to-day living, and with the uncertainty of a deal coming to fruition, many have decided to heed the advice of the British Embassy and take a Spanish driving test in order to get a Spanish licence.

This however has led to a new fear of whether British expats who sit a Spanish driving test in Spain, will be considered a new driver by insurance companies and car rental firms.

After passing their test, the DGT Spanish traffic authorities will view them as a new driver and this could then lead to them paying higher insurance premiums and also see drivers with decades of driving experience, banned from renting a car because of their ‘lack of driving experience.’

In Spain, insurance companies, along with car rental firms are private businesses, that are under no obligation to offer their policies or services to new Spanish driving licence holders.

In fact, car rental companies in Spain have a policy that bans anyone who holds a Spanish driving licence for less than two years from renting out a vehicle.

As for car insurance, if you own a car in Spain it is obligatory to have third-party insurance. However, many insurance companies refuse to insure new drivers who they class as high-risk, or they charge them much higher rates. They also refuse to offer them no-claims discounts on their insurance premiums.

Of course, rules vary between companies, so it is imperative that you shop around for a company that will accept you as a new Spanish licence holder and will offer you a deal that suits your budget.
British Ambassador to Spain, Hugh Elliott, posted a driving licence update on the Brits in Spain Facebook page on July 15.

He said that negotiations are still ongoing and that it is still the Embassy’s “top priority, to get you back on the roads as soon as possible.” He also confirmed that he has been “refining the text with Spain and working through some legal clarifications that we need before the whole agreement can go to final legal and political approvals.”

He confirmed that he had “received some key documents from the Spanish,” and is “expecting more to arrive early next week.”

Mr Elliott declared that he “shares your frustration about how long this is taking but the truth is, creating an international treaty is complex.”

A final date for getting back on the roads was not given, but back in June the British Ambassador said “our best estimate is that we’re looking at a date of having you back on the road around the end of July.”

With just ten days to go until the end of July, British driving licence holders living in Spain will be hoping that an agreement can be found soon to simplify the exchange process so they can avoid having to take lessons and resit their driving test.

Source

https://spanishnewstoday.com/brits_with_new_spanish_driving_licences_may_face_higher_insurance_and_car_rental_prices_1804111-a.html