Spanish driving licence in the UK: exchange, not renewal
If you hold a Spanish driving licence and live in the UK, the consulate is no longer where you renew it.
Since March 2023 Spain and the UK have a bilateral agreement on recognising and exchanging driving licences, and London and Manchester say plainly that, because of it, they do not handle renewals or duplicates of Spanish licences.
What to do instead
The general rule on the consulates' pages is that a Spanish licence holder living in a country with an exchange agreement must exchange the Spanish licence with that country's authorities.
In the UK, that means swapping it for a British licence; London's page links to the information on the exchange.
Who does the exchange depends on where you live: the DVLA in England, Scotland and Wales, and the DVA in Northern Ireland. Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man issue their own licences and are not part of the UK, so ask the island's licensing office whether the agreement applies there.
Edinburgh's page
Edinburgh's page keeps the general renewal procedure, with the medical report and the fee paid to Spain's traffic authority, and does not mention the agreement. London's and Manchester's pages are the explicit ones: check with Edinburgh before preparing anything.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Exchange agreement | since March 2023 |
| Renewal at the consulate | no (London and Manchester) |
| Edinburgh | page without the notice |
If you are moving to Spain
The same agreement works the other way: a British licence held by a resident in Spain is exchanged there. The consulates in the UK do not take part in that step.
If you live in Scotland or the north, confirm with Edinburgh: its page does not mention the agreement.Related guides
Checked against the official pages on 10 November 2026.
We are not an official body. spanishconsulates.co.uk collects and checks information on Spanish consulates in the UK, with no link to the Government of Spain.
No appointments are booked here and nothing is charged for. Always confirm the detail with the office that covers you.