Getting around in Spain: the steps, from official sources
What applies everywhere in Spain on getting around, each with the official page that confirms it, then the regions whose own rules add to it.
Your plan, in your order. Documents, offices, hours and fees for your city, for your passport and visa.
Open the guideAcross Spain
Book a Traffic (DGT) appointment
Most in-person procedures at a provincial Traffic office (Jefatura de Tráfico) need an appointment (cita previa), which you book free of charge on the DGT website, in the miDGT app or by phone on 060.
A traffic fine (DGT multa)
A multa de tráfico is a penalty for a traffic offense.
Drive legally with a US license, then get a Spanish license
A US driving license (with an International Driving Permit or official translation) is valid in Spain only for up to six months after you become a resident; the US has no license-exchange (canje) agreement with Spain…
Exchange a driving license from outside the EU
A license from outside the EU/EEA lets a new resident drive in Spain for six months at most from becoming a normal resident.
Taxis and ride-hailing (VTC) in Spain
Spain has two kinds of paid car rides: regular taxis, and VTC cars (vehículo de turismo con conductor), which are booked in advance, usually through an app.
Buy and register a used car (transfer, taxes, ITV)
Buying a second-hand car in Spain means checking the DGT vehicle report, signing a purchase contract, paying the regional transfer tax (Modelo 620/621), and transferring ownership at the DGT within 30 days (tasa 1.5…
Where a region adds its own rules
Andalucía
Aragón
Asturias
Canarias
Cantabria
Castilla y León
Castilla-La Mancha
Cataluña
Community of Madrid
Comunitat Valenciana
Extremadura
Galicia
Illes Balears
La Rioja
Navarra
País Vasco
Región de Murcia
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