Spain on a Chinese Licence 2026: Sworn Translation Needed

Spain drives on the right, as China does, and its motorways top out at the same 120 km/h. What decides whether a Chinese visitor gets the keys at a Málaga or Barcelona rental desk is a document most people leave too late: the translation of the licence.

The licence needs a Spanish translation

A Chinese licence is printed in Chinese and does not follow the model in the Geneva or Vienna road traffic conventions, and China does not issue the convention International Driving Permit. Spain’s General Drivers Regulation, article 21, solves this with a second route: a foreign licence is valid if it is in Spanish or comes with an official translation. The article lists who may make that translation: a sworn translator, a Spanish consulate abroad, the consulate in Spain of the country that issued the licence, or another authorised body. Arrange it before you travel and carry it with the licence and your passport. The Driving Permit Checker covers neighbouring countries.

How long the licence is valid

Article 21.2 sets the clock. A visitor who does not take up residence may drive for six months from regular entry into Spain; someone who becomes resident has six months from the start of residence, after which a Spanish licence is needed.

A higher limit is not a reason to drink

China’s limit is 0.2 g/l. Spain’s is 0.5 g/l in the blood (0.25 mg/l in breath), dropping to 0.3 g/l in the first two years of holding a licence. The gap is not an invitation: exceeding the limit is a very serious offence carrying a EUR 500 fine, and EUR 1,000 for a reading above twice the limit or a repeat within a year. Roadside testing is routine.

Speeds, fines and the beacon

Spanish town speeds depend on the street: 30 km/h where there is one lane in each direction, 20 km/h where road and pavement share one level, and 50 km/h only with two or more lanes each way. Ordinary roads outside towns are 90 km/h and motorways 120 km/h. The lowest speeding band costs EUR 100 without points, for example up to 150 km/h on a 120 km/h motorway; the next bands add points. The speeding fine calculator shows the steps.

Spanish-registered cars, including hire cars, must carry a connected V-16 beacon, which replaced warning triangles for them on 1 January 2026; check it is in the car before you leave the depot. Emergencies: 112. For a camera ticket that arrives through the rental company, see who pays driving fines abroad, and the Spain driving guide has the rest.

Sources

• Reglamento General de Conductores (RD 818/2009), art. 21 (valid licences, official translation, six-month rule): boe.es
• DGT, driving with a foreign licence: dgt.es
• Reglamento General de Circulación (RD 1428/2003), art. 20 (0.5 g/l; 0.3 g/l for new drivers) and art. 50 (urban 20/30/50 km/h): boe.es
• Real Decreto Legislativo 6/2015, art. 80 (EUR 500 and EUR 1,000 alcohol fines) and Annex IV (speeding bands): boe.es
• Real Decreto 159/2021 (V-16 beacon): boe.es
• WHO Global status report on road safety 2023, China profile (0.02 g/dl; 120 km/h motorway): who.int
• WHO Global status report on road safety 2023, Spain profile (90 km/h rural, 120 km/h motorway): who.int