Are you thinking of driving to Spain from the UK this summer? Here’s what you need to know before you go, from the paperwork, insurance, driving rules, the gear you need to have in your car and more.
Driving down to Spain from the UK for your summer holiday instead of flying and hiring a car once you get here can be a rewarding experience, making a road trip of it through France or taking it on the ferry instead.
You can legally drive your UK registered car in Spain, although there are several factors you’ll need to keep in mind and paperwork you need to get in order before you leave.
If you’re driving through France, passport and customs checks will be carried out on travellers arriving from outside the Schengen zone. Once you get to Spain there shouldn’t be many more checks, although Spain can impose sporadic or generalised checks for a specific time period if they need to.
READ ALSO: What ferry routes are available between Spain and the UK and Ireland?
You can drive you UK registered vehicle for for up to six consecutive months in Spain, although it’s important to remember that as a UK national you only have the right to stay in Spain for up to three months – that is 90 days in any 180 days, without needing a visa.
Before you set off, you’ll need to make sure you have all your paperwork. This includes:
- Your full UK drivers’ licence
- Your passport
- Proof of insurance
- V5C registration document, which is your vehicle registration certificate or logbook in the UK.
You may also want to organise extra coverage abroad such as European breakdown coverage in case you find yourself difficult situation while driving to Spain.
Remember, although the legal driving age in the UK is 17, in Spain it’s 18, so even if you are 17 and have your UK driving licence, it will not be valid here.
READ ALSO: What you need to know about Spain’s campervan and motorhome rules
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As well as your documents motorists are also required by law to carry the following items when driving in Spain.
- Reflective jackets – these are mandatory to carry here and you could be fined for not wearing one if you’ve broken down on the hard shoulder for example.
- Warning triangles – this is compulsory in every vehicle with four wheels or more.
- Headlamp beam deflectors – depending on what type of car you have, you will either need deflector stickers or have to adjust the beam manually.
When driving your UK registered car in Spain you must also make sure you have a visible sticker with the letters “UK” on, no matter what shows on your number plate. This is to be able to clearly identify where the car is coming from.
READ ALSO: Six epic road trips in Spain to add to your bucket list
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If you are driving to Spain with young children, you will also need to make sure you abide by some extra rules here.
Children up to the age of 12 and less than 135cm travelling in the front seat must be in a car seat or booster seat, depending on their size and weight. Children measuring more than 135cm can use an adult seat belt.
Children measuring less than 135cm travelling in the passenger seats must also be in a special child seat adapted to their size and weight.
It is mandatory for all adults in the car to wear seatbelts, failure to do so could result in fines of up to €200.
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If you plan on driving in any major cities in Spain, you should be aware that many of them have low emission zones. This restricts the entrance of older cars or those that don’t meet the environmental requirements.
For some cities this means that you must be registered before you can drive in the low-emission zones. The verification process may take up to 15 days, so you’ll need to be prepared well in advance. You can usually do this online. Different cities may have different processes and websites to do register. You can access the one for Barcelona for example here.
Lastly, you need to familiarise yourself with the road rules in Spain. Here you must drive on the right and overtake on the left.
On motorways the general speed limit is 80 – 120km per hour, this will be reduced in built-up and residential areas.
Fines range from €100 for a minor speeding offence up to almost €6,000 for serious offences like having a vehicle with a radar jammer.
