Exchange of a foreign driving licence in Mallorca

If you live in Mallorca and hold a driving licence issued in another country, you may need to exchange it for a Spanish licence in order to continue driving legally.

The exchange of driving licence in Mallorca depends mainly on the country that issued the licence, when we obtained it, our residence in Spain and the categories of vehicles we want to exchange.

At Gestoría G1 we specialise in managing exchanges of foreign driving licences. We offer an online service for 390 € with the official DGT fees included, previously checking whether the licence can be exchanged and managing the file to avoid unnecessary travel and administrative errors.

What is the exchange of a driving licence in Mallorca

The exchange of a driving licence in Mallorca consists of replacing a foreign licence with the equivalent Spanish licence issued by the Directorate-General for Traffic.

Not all foreign permits follow the same procedure.

Licences from the European Union and the EEA

Permits issued by countries of the European Union and the European Economic Area are valid for driving in Spain as long as they remain in force.

Therefore, the exchange is generally voluntary.

There are specific rules for permits without an expiration date or with validity periods longer than those accepted by Spanish regulations.

Licences from countries with an agreement with Spain

Spain maintains exchange agreements with numerous countries.

In those cases, we may apply for an equivalent Spanish permit as long as we meet the conditions set out in the agreement.

For car and motorcycle permits, such as categories A and B, we normally do not need to take additional tests. For professional truck or bus permits, theory or practical tests may be required depending on the country.

Licences from countries without an agreement

If the country does not have an agreement with Spain, for ordinary permits we will normally have to obtain a Spanish permit through the corresponding procedure.

Before ruling out the exchange, we recommend checking the current situation directly, since international agreements may be modified.

When we must exchange a foreign licence

For non-EU permits, we must pay special attention to the moment when we acquire our normal residence in Spain.

The general six-month period

The DGT establishes that certain foreign permits are valid for a maximum of six months from the time we acquire normal residence in Spain.

Once that period has elapsed, if we want to continue driving and an agreement exists, we must process the exchange.

The licence must have been obtained before residence

As a general rule, to be able to carry out the exchange of a driving licence in Mallorca from a non-EU country with an agreement, we must have obtained the licence before becoming legal residents in Spain.

There are specific exceptions provided for in certain agreements, so we always review the country before starting the file.

Requirements for the exchange of a driving licence in Mallorca

The specific requirements change depending on the country and the type of licence, but there are several elements that we must review in most files.

Residence in Spain

To carry out the exchange, we must prove our normal residence in Spain in accordance with the applicable requirements.

Valid foreign licence

We must have the licence we wish to exchange and meet the conditions established in the corresponding agreement.

Psychophysical fitness report

For certain exchanges, we must personally attend an authorised Driver Recognition Centre to obtain the psychophysical fitness report.

The DGT currently states that this report is valid for 90 days, so we must coordinate it correctly with the submission of the file.

Verification of the issuing country

In some exchanges, the DGT must verify the authenticity and validity of the permit with the authorities of the country of origin.

This verification may affect the total time of the procedure.

Documents to exchange a foreign driving licence

To correctly prepare a driver's license exchange in Mallorca, we first review what documentation the DGT requires for the specific country.

Among the usual documentation we can find:

• Identity document or passport.
• Documentation proving residence in Spain.
• Foreign driver's license.
• Psychophysical fitness report when applicable.
• Additional documentation required by the specific agreement.
• Official translation when necessary.

We do not recommend preparing the file using a generic list found on the internet. Requirements can change depending on the country and the category of the licence.

How we manage the online exchange at Gestoría G1

Our goal is to simplify as much as possible the exchange of a driving licence in Mallorca.

1. We check whether the licence is exchangeable

Before starting the procedure, we verify the country, the applicable agreement, the date of issue of the licence and the categories we want to transfer to the Spanish licence.

2. We review all the documentation

We check that the file is prepared before submitting it to reduce requests and delays.

3. We submit the procedure to the DGT

We handle the submission as representatives when the procedure allows it.

4. DGT fees are included

Our online service has a price of 390 € with the official DGT fees included.

In this way we know from the beginning the cost of our management and of the administrative fee included in the service.

5. We carry out the follow-up

We follow up on the file and handle any administrative issues that may arise during its processing.

How much does exchanging a driving licence cost in Mallorca

At Gestoría G1 we offer the online exchange service for 390 € with DGT fees included.

What the €390 service includes

• Prior feasibility study.
• Verification of the applicable agreement.
• Review of the documentation.
• Preparation of the file.
• Submission to the DGT when applicable.
• Official DGT fees included.
• Administrative follow-up of the file.

The psychophysical fitness examination, when necessary, requires attending a Centro de Reconocimiento de Conductores in person and should not be confused with the official fee included in our service.

Fixed price from the start

One of the main objectives of the service is that we know how much the management costs before starting.

We do not present the price as a fee to which the ordinary DGT fee must subsequently be added: the 390 € already include the official fees corresponding to the managed exchange.

Do we need to take an exam to exchange the licence?

It depends on the categories and the country.

Car and motorcycle licences

The DGT states that, as a general rule, licenses from countries with an agreement corresponding to motorcycles, cars, and light vehicles are exchanged without the need to take tests.

Trucks and buses

For professional truck or bus categories, it may be necessary to take a practical test and, in some agreements, also a theory test.

Before starting the driving licence exchange in Mallorca we check exactly what the agreement corresponding to our country requires.

How long does it take to exchange a foreign license

There is no single deadline that we can guarantee.

It depends on the verification with the issuing country, the category of the licence, possible tests and the administrative workload of the DGT.

What happens when the process ends

The DGT indicates that, once the exchange has been completed, a provisional driving permit is issued for driving in Spain while the definitive one arrives.

The definitive permit is usually sent later to the home address, and the DGT indicates an approximate period of a month and a half for its receipt.

This period should not be confused with the full time that the prior verification of the file may require.

Can I drive while processing the exchange?

It depends on our permit.

EU and EEA licenses

If we hold a valid EU or EEA driving licence, as a general rule we can drive with it in Spain as long as it remains valid.

Non-EU licenses

For many third-country licences, their validity in Spain ends once six months have passed since we acquired normal residence.

Therefore, starting the exchange should not automatically be interpreted as authorisation to continue driving indefinitely with the foreign licence.

At Gestoría G1 we review this point before starting the file to indicate what our specific situation is.

Common mistakes when exchanging a foreign license

Not checking whether an agreement exists

It is the first piece of information we must verify.

Having obtained the license after becoming residents

As a general rule, this may prevent the exchange of certain non-EU permits, although we must review the exceptions provided for in each agreement.

Letting the psychophysical report expire

Its validity is limited and we must coordinate it with the rest of the procedure.

Assuming that all categories are exchanged without an exam

Professional permits may require additional tests.

Continuing to drive after the allowed period

The fact that the licence remains valid in our country of origin does not necessarily mean that we can use it indefinitely after becoming residents in Spain.

Gestoría G1: specialists in driving license exchange in Mallorca

At Gestoría G1 we manage the exchange of foreign driving licences for residents in Mallorca and we can process a large part of the procedure online as the client's representatives.

When we receive a file, we first check:

• Country that issued the licence.
• Date of issue.
• Date of residence in Spain.
• Licence categories.
• Applicable agreement.
• Required tests.
• Necessary documentation.

This way we avoid starting a procedure without first knowing whether the permit meets the DGT's conditions.

The exchange of a driving licence in Mallorca service has an online price of 390 € with the DGT fees included.

Conclusion: managing the exchange online avoids errors and travel

The exchange of a driving licence in Mallorca can be straightforward when we know from the outset which agreement applies, which documents the DGT requires and whether we need to take any additional test.

The most important thing is to check feasibility before starting the procedure, especially for non-EU permits.

At Gestoría G1 we are specialists in this type of procedure and we offer an online service for 390 € with DGT fees included, taking care of preparing, submitting and carrying out the administrative follow-up of the file.