UK Drivers in Spain: Photocard Works, Keep Right, 0.05 Limit

Where do British drivers trip up in Spain? Not on paper, and not on speed. It is the side of the road, and then the alcohol arithmetic.

The drink-drive comparison most people look up

Spain applies 0.05 to experienced drivers. In England and Wales the figure is 0.08. GOV.UK describes Spain’s drink-driving laws as strict: police regularly run roadside checks for alcohol and drugs, and penalties include fines, loss of licence and a prison sentence. A pint of strong lager and a glass of wine at lunch could take you over in Spain and not at home. Plan for none while you are driving.

Is your UK licence enough?

GOV.UK says you can use a UK photocard driving licence to drive in Spain. If you still have an old paper licence, you may need to update it to a photocard. Provisional licences are not valid in Spain. You must carry the licence and ID, and the minimum age is 18 for a car or a motorcycle over 125cc, 16 for a smaller motorcycle. For a visit, Spanish rules treat a non-resident’s licence as valid for six months from entry. The Driving Permit Checker shows the position for other destinations.

Your own car or a rental

If you take your British car, carry your insurance certificate. GOV.UK warns that it is generally valid for a stay of under 3 months, and tells you to check your cover applies in Spain and for how long. You may also need a UK sticker on the car. A hire car avoids both questions.

Right, not left

The UK keeps left; Spain keeps right. Pick the car up somewhere quiet rather than central Madrid, give yourself a slow first drive and be deliberate at every roundabout, which now flow the opposite way. After a fuel stop, check which way traffic is facing before you pull out.

Limits, in miles per hour

In towns, 50 km/h applies on roads with two or more lanes in each direction, 30 km/h where there is one lane each way, and 20 km/h on single-platform streets. That makes most old-town streets slower than a British 30.

What a ticket costs

Spanish fines are fixed in euros, and points go on a Spanish record:

• Seatbelt: EUR 200 and 4 points. Seatbelts are compulsory for everyone in the car.
• Phone: EUR 200 and 6 points. GOV.UK adds that using a phone is illegal even if you have pulled over, and so is an earpiece. Only fully hands-free units are allowed.
• Red light: EUR 200 and 4 points.
• Speeding: EUR 100 on a 120 km/h road up to 30 km/h over; EUR 300 and 2 points from 31 over; EUR 400 and 4 points for 51-60 over.

GOV.UK says police can issue on-the-spot fines for offences such as speeding, and if you accept and pay within 20 days, the fine is reduced by 50%. Use the speeding fine calculator for a particular case.

Children and low emission zones

Children under 1.35m must use an approved child seat on the back seat, and car hire companies can provide one if you ask when booking. Some cities have low emission zones. The stickers are not issued to foreign plates, but some cities, Barcelona for one, require you to register the vehicle in advance. The Spanish government helpline is 060 (+34 902 887 060 from the UK).

In the boot and on the phone

Spain requires a reflective vest, and hire cars carry the beacon or triangles needed. The emergency number is 112, which also works in the UK, so this one will feel familiar. The specific Spanish lines are 091 for police, 061 for ambulance and 080 for fire.

Read next

Everything else, from tolls to parking, is in the Spain driving guide.

Sources

• GOV.UK, Foreign Travel Advice: Spain, Safety and security (photocard licence, insurance certificate, UK sticker, drink-driving, 50% reduction for fines paid in 20 days, phone and seatbelt rules, child seats, low emission zones): gov.uk