Driving license
The UK, and all other countries in the EU, issue driving licences which are valid without restriction throughout the Community. However, you must be at least 18 years of age to drive either a car or a motorcycle in Spain ! Many car rental companies will not allow drivers under the age of 21 years.
You must carry your driving licence at all times while in charge of a motor vehicle - failure to do so will result in an immediate fine !
For residents, the situation can be a little confusing:
- The new plastic card and the pink and green driving licence are both acceptable without restrictions and do not have to be exchanged for a Spanish licence. However, the police seem happier with the photocard licence than with the paper version, as they sometimes find it difficult to believe that a country can issue a document of this kind without a photograph !
- You will need to take the licence to the police in order for it to be stamped (it is not quite clear how they manage to stamp the photocard). According to the British Embassy in Spain, 'British residents in Spain, no longer have to exchange their British driving licence for a Spanish one but should register it at their local Police station every three months'. Firstly, we have been led to believe that this is a one time registration which is valid until the expiry date of the licence and secondly, at least in the case of Almeria province, the local police do not handle this - it must be done at an office in the provincial capital.
- According to the DVLA, failure to notify them immediately of a change of address could cost you a £ 1000 fine. Unfortunately, the change of address section on the paper version of the photocard licence only caters for UK addresses, and we have been told that the DVLA will only accept a UK address. This is obviously somewhat problematic if you have moved away permanently. We will monitor this situation and update this page accordingly when clearer details are available.
- The green British driving licence is only allowed in Spain for visitors, and you must have an official translation into Spanish.
Probably, the easiest way to overcome any of these problems is to apply for a Spanish driving licence. This is relatively uncomplicated, and we have even heard of cases where the licence was issued on the same day !
Links to other documents on the subject of driving licence:
The British Embassy in Spain has a website, www.ukinspain.com which offers quite a lot of useful information for UK expats living in Spain. For more detailed information on the question of 'Driving licences', click on this link.
A Spanish web site (in English) giving the official word is the Dirección General de Tráfico; the Dirección Provincial de Tráfico is the office in each province which handles these matters.
Bank Accounts in Spain
Spain is now part of the EURO-zone - the Peseta was phased out at the end of February 2002.
The Spanish banking system is modern, efficient and, in general, very friendly. Opening a bank account is usually much simpler than in the UK. In our experience, all you need to do is to go to the bank (take your passport with you), give them your details (they do not necessarily want any money !) and you will have a bank account within 15 minutes. Most banks in the Almeria area have English speakers.
Most of the banks will offer the following services as part of a normal current account:
- Debit card
- Cheque book
- Internet banking
These are generally Visa Electron, and can be used at all cash points (which offer a variety of services, including purchase of credit for pay-as-you-go mobiles) as well as at most shops and supermarkets. The card can be setup for your language (or at least, English, German and French), so the cash machine will default to that language when you insert the card.
Credit cards (normally Visa) are also available, but the bank will normally want to know you better before issuing them. We have noticed that, if you already have credit cards from another bank, Spanish banks will often issue you with their own credit cards.
Depending on the bank, cards will be made available to you in as little as 3 working days.
Cheques
Spain no longer issues cheque guarantee cards (this disappeared with Eurocheques), and there is a general suspicion of private cheques. Most payments are made by credit transfer, or in the case of utilities (water, electricity, telephone), by direct debit.
Cheque books are however available, and can be issued in a very short space of time.
Internet banking
Most banks now offer Internet banking, allowing you to view balances and transactions on your account(s), make electronic transfers to other Spanish accounts (there is usually a daily limit on this) and charge up your pay-as-you-go mobile.
Recently, the banks have started to offer this service in a number of foreign languages.
Other services
All of the banking services which you would expect at home are also available from most Spanish banks, including:
- Mortgages
- Personal loans
- Term deposits
- Foreign transactions
- Insurances
Mortgages are available from all banks; there is normally a limit of a 70% mortgage on any property (residents can sometimes have 80% finance) and the mortgage will be entered against the property in the Registry of Property.