If you are over 65 in Spain you will have to renew your driving licence every five years, here’s how you go about it.
There is no age limit to driving in Spain. According to the General Directorate of Traffic (DGT), whether you continue driving doesn’t depend on age, but rather your abilities and skills.
Usually in Spain you will renew your licence every 10 years, but when you turn 65 your driver’s license validity period will be reduced to every five years instead.
This is reduced again to every three years for those with licences to drive buses and trucks.
This means more frequent medical and fitness checks so that it’s safe for you to continue to drive, as well as other drivers on the road.
READ ALSO: The changes to driving licence renewals for seniors in Spain in 2025
How to renew your licence?
You can renew your licence online or in person, but you must of course go for your psychophysical exam in person.
If you want to do the renovación process in person, you can renew it at the Medical Examination Centre where you will complete your medical exam or at your local DGT office.
Renewing your permit early doesn’t mean you’ll lose any days of validity, as the renewal period for your permit starts from the date your old permit expired.
Even if it has already expired, you can still renew your permit, but it’s important to keep in mind that you can’t drive while it’s expired.
READ ALSO: What is the ‘psicotécnico’ medical test drivers might need to take in Spain?
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In person
Go to an authorised Driver’s Licence Recognition Centre and tell them you want to renew your driver’s license.
There are hundreds of Centros de Reconocimiento de Conductores across Spain, so this map will help you find the one closest to you.
According to the DGT, if you are 65 or older, you can visit any office during opening hours and complete your application in person without an appointment. Here you will take your psicotécnico exam. These can be done at any Driver Recognition Centre or Centros de Reconocimiento de Conductores around the country. They are listed on the Directorate-General for Traffic (DGT) website and can be found here.
It will consist of a health questionnaire, as well as a test to assess your psychomotor abilities, reaction speeds and balance skills. Remember, this medical report will expire 90 business days after it is issued, so you will need to do the renewal soon afterwards, if you’re not doing it at the same time.
New changes being introduced at some point this year will mean that the medical exams become stricter and in some cases you may have to renew your licence every two or three years instead of five.
It’s important to note that the application you are completing must be for yourself – you cannot complete the application on behalf of someone else.
You can also complete the full renewal process at these offices and they will even take your photo then and there if needed.
You will be charged a fee for the medical examination and the traffic fee at a cost of €24.58, but if you are over 70, you are exempt from paying.
Once the renewal process is complete, you will be given a provisional permit that will allow you to drive in Spain until you are issued with your renewal. The process will take approximately a month and a half, and you will receive your licence through the post to your home.
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Online
You can also renew your permit online via the following link.
If it’s your first time doing so you will click on nuevo registro (new register). You will need a cl@ve pin in order to do this.
The online form will ask for all your personal information. You will also have to upload your medical exam and any necessary new photos.
