Ukrainian refugees who arrive in Spain will be able to use their driving license for at least one year, without the need to carry out any formalities.
This is established by the instruction approved by the Ministry of the Interior, through the DGT, and which allows displaced persons from Ukraine to legally use their driving licenses in Spain for at least one year.
In a statement, Interior and the DGT explain that the measure “is included in an instruction signed by the General Director of Traffic, Pere Navarro, issued in response to the extraordinary and exceptional nature of the situation created by the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the magnitude of the massive influx of displaced people”.
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The Ukrainian driving license will be valid in Spain as long as the holder meets the requirements
On March 4, given the expected arrival of Ukrainian refugees in Spain, the Council of Ministers of the Interior of the European Union decided to activate the temporary protection directive, applied and extended by agreement of the Council of Ministers.
With the support of these two agreements, the instruction extends the validity of the Ukrainian driving license to drive in Spain to a period of one year from obtaining temporary protection, as long as the driving license is valid and its holder has the age required in Spain to obtain an equivalent Spanish permit.
Ukrainian nationals, stateless persons and nationals of third countries other than Ukraine residing in that country before February 24, 2022 and their families may benefit from this measure. Also Ukrainian nationals residing in Spain (even if their stay was irregular) before February 24, 2022 and who, as a result of the conflict, cannot return to Ukraine.
Exchange to the Spanish permit
In addition, these citizens will be able to exchange their Ukrainian driving license for a Spanish driving license if they wish.
To do this, they may prove their residence in Spain by submitting the temporary protection application or the documentation submitted when resolving it, and the verification of the driving license will be replaced by a statement of responsibility signed by the applicant.
“In relation to Ukrainian citizens already resident in Spain prior to February 24, 2022, and given the impossibility of receiving the verification of the driving license by the issuing Ukrainian authorities, it will also be replaced by a responsible declaration of the holder of the permit”, they clarify from the DGT.
