Driving in Spain on a UK licence, and getting around Málaga without a car

On holiday you can drive on your UK licence as long as you like; once you live here, the clock starts ticking at six months.

The short version

• Visitors: you can drive in Spain on a UK photocard licence. You don't need an International Driving Permit (IDP) [3].
• Residents: a UK licence is valid for six months from when you become resident. After that you must have swapped it for a Spanish one [1][2].
• Apply to the DGT (Spain's DVLA) before the six months is up, with a check code from the DVLA or the DVA [1].
• You can't renew or replace a UK licence once you live in Spain [1].
• In Málaga, buses, the metro and the coastal train mean plenty of people manage without a car, at least in the city and along the line to Fuengirola.

Pound conversions use the Bank of England spot rate of 5 November 2026 (£1 = EUR 1.20).

Driving on your UK licence

Your status decides the rules.

The DGT puts it plainly: a licence from outside the EU and EEA is valid only for six months from the date you became normally resident in Spain, after which you're obliged to exchange it to keep driving [2]. The UK and Spain have an agreement on recognising and exchanging licences, so you don't have to take a test, but it only helps if you use it in time [1].

Exchanging a UK licence for a Spanish one

This is the canje, and the FCDO's advice is to start early, because applications take time and you need the Spanish licence to drive legally [1].

1. Get your TIE and padrón sorted first. The exchange is for residents, and the DGT will want your residence card and address. See NIE and TIE: Spain's foreigner numbers explained.
2. Get a check code. For licences from England, Scotland and Wales, use the DVLA's "view driving licence" service; for Northern Irish licences, the DVA [1]. The code expires after a short time, so get it close to your appointment.
3. Book an appointment (cita previa) at the DGT. The Jefatura Provincial de Tráfico in Málaga handles exchanges for the province. Appointments can be scarce, so book well before the six-month deadline.
4. Fill in the application form and pay the fee (tasa). Both are on the DGT's site [2].
5. Hand over your UK licence. You always give up the original; the DGT checks it with the UK authorities [2].
6. Get a medical report. Spanish licences need a psychotechnical check at an approved centre (centro de reconocimiento de conductores), a short eyesight and reflexes test.

Ask at your appointment what you can drive on while the card is being made. Note that the DGT won't exchange a foreign licence obtained after the relevant agreement was signed if you were already legally resident in Spain when you passed your test [2].

Our guide to driving abroad on a UK licence covers the DVLA side, including what happens if you return to the UK with a Spanish licence.

Bringing a UK car

You can bring a UK-registered car for a visit, with insurance and your V5C log book. In Spain you must display a UK sticker whatever is on your number plate [3]. Once you're resident, a UK car must eventually be registered in Spain (matriculation), pass the ITV (the Spanish MOT) and carry Spanish plates. Most people find it simpler to sell the right-hand-drive car before they leave and buy here. See moving pets and belongings from the UK.

Driving on the Costa del Sol

A few things that surprise Brits:

• The A-7 and the AP-7. The coast road from Málaga to Marbella and beyond is the A-7, free and busy, with lots of junctions. The AP-7 runs parallel inland and is a toll road (autopista de peaje), quieter and faster.
• Roundabouts work the Spanish way, and you'll see plenty of drivers leave from the inside lane. Keep your wits about you.
• City-centre restrictions. Like other big Spanish cities, Málaga has been bringing in a low-emission zone, and many streets in the historic centre are closed to through traffic. Check the council's current rules and your car's environmental label (etiqueta ambiental) before you drive in, and don't count on parking near Calle Larios.
• Carry your documents. Licence, insurance and the car's papers should be in the car.

Getting around Málaga without a car

Málaga is a compact city, and between buses, the metro and the coastal train, you can go a long way without a car.

EMT buses. The city buses are run by the EMT and cover the whole municipality, including the Línea A airport express to the centre. Fares are cheap by UK standards. In 2026 the council began approving a new bus ordinance that, according to press reports, would put up the single fare and bring in new transfer and monthly cards [4]. When we checked, the new prices still had to pass a public consultation and we couldn't confirm them with the EMT, so check the current fares on the EMT's website or at a kiosk before you buy.

Málaga also has reduced and free passes for over-65s on a pension and for young people who are registered in the city, so being on the padrón pays off [4].

The metro. Málaga's metro runs from the centre out to the west of the city, the university area and the Carretera de Cádiz neighbourhoods. It's handy if you live in Teatinos or Huelin.

The coastal train (Cercanías). The C1 line is the one Brits use most. It runs from Málaga's centre past the María Zambrano main station and the airport to Torremolinos, Benalmádena and Fuengirola. Trains are frequent, and it beats driving to the airport.

Beyond Fuengirola. The train stops there, so Mijas, Marbella and Estepona are reached by intercity coach from Málaga's bus station or the airport, or by car.

Long distance. High-speed AVE trains run from María Zambrano to Madrid and other big cities, and the airport has year-round flights to most UK airports.

If you're choosing where to live, being near the C1 line is worth a lot. Our guide to renting in Málaga looks at the neighbourhoods, and our community group for Brits in Spain is a good place to ask how long the DGT is taking in Málaga right now.

Sources

1. GOV.UK (FCDO): Living in Spain – driving in Spain (last updated 3 July 2026)
2. DGT (Dirección General de Tráfico): Canje de permisos extranjeros
3. GOV.UK (DfT, DVSA and DVLA): Driving in the EU (last updated 1 April 2024)
4. El Español (Málaga): new EMT ordinance and bus fares, 7 July 2026

Keep reading

• Moving to Málaga as a Brit: visa and residence routes
• NIE and TIE: Spain's foreigner numbers explained
• Driving abroad on a UK licence
• Moving pets and belongings from the UK