The DGT has a page of frequently asked questions relating to driving and the Coronavirus state of alarm here in Spain.

You can read the FAQ’s here: http://www.dgt.es/es/covid-19/ under the tab, ‘Preguntas Frecuentes’, and we have translated some of the key ones below:

Questions about driving licenses

Can I drive with an expired licence?

A licence which expires during the state of alarm will be automatically extended for the duration of the alarm and until sixty days thereafter.

I am a foreign driver, how does this situation affect me?

You can continue driving in the same way as before the alarm situation was declared.  In addition, the duration of the alarm situation does not count towards the six-month period in which you can drive in Spain with your foreign licence.  The calculation of the six-month period is frozen, resuming as soon as the state of alarm ends.

Vehicle Questions

What happens if the ITV expires during the state of alarm?

If your vehicle’s ITV has expired during the period of alarm, it will be considered temporarily extended, and you can drive without any problem for the duration of this exceptional period.

Also remember that ITV centres will be closed for the duration of the state of alarm.

Can I take my car to the workshop for repair?

Yes, the opening of motor vehicle repair and maintenance workshops is permitted, as well as complementary services for vehicles with special authorisation to be driven. However, we recommend that you first contact the chosen workshop to make sure it’s open.

Can I rent a vehicle from a hire company?

Yes, the establishments dedicated to the leasing of vehicles remain open, although remember travel on public roads is subject to certain restrictions.  See below for the circumstances in which you are allowed to drive.

Questions about Driving

In which circumstances can I drive?

In general, it is prohibited to drive on public roads during the period of the alarm state. You can only drive, if it is to carry out any of the following activities:

1.       Acquisition of food, pharmaceuticals and basic necessities.
2.       For assistance at health centres, services and establishments.
3.       Travel to the workplace to carry out your usual work, professional or business.
4.       Return to the place of habitual residence.
5.       Assistance and care for the elderly, minors, dependants, people with disabilities or especially vulnerable people.
6.       Visiting financial and insurance entities.
7.       Due to force majeure / unforeseen circumstance beyond your control.

Any other activity of a similar nature must be done individually, unless the accompanying people are those with disabilities or there is other justified cause.

Which vehicles are exempt from the traffic limitation during the alarm state?

There are vehicles that by their nature need to continue to provide service during this exceptional period that we live. These vehicles may circulate without the limitation to which the rest are subjected.

How many people can travel in a car?

The private public transport of people in vehicles of up to nine seats, including the driver, in which more than one person must travel in the vehicle, will respect that there is a maximum of one person for each row of seats, maintaining the greatest possible distance between occupants.

In the case of freight, are restrictions on movement still in force?

No, due to the exceptional state we are in, restrictions on movement for the transport of goods are temporarily suspended and while the state of alarm lasts.

Specifically, restrictions are suspended for :

• Transportation of goods in general, whose maximum authorised mass exceeds 7,500 kg.
• The transport of dangerous goods.
• Special vehicles that due to their technical characteristics or due to the indivisible load transported, exceed the values ​​of the masses or maximum dimensions allowed

Questions about service in DGT offices

Are the headquarters and traffic offices open? How can I carry out my procedures?

Offices will be temporarily closed to the public for the duration of the state of alarm, cancelling appointments that were previously assigned.

Although you cannot go in person to our offices, the DGT provides the option of accessing practically all of its procedures electronically, ask if it is possible to carry out your procedure through its online services, electronic registration or telephone.

Check the online service catalog at the electronic headquarters

What will happen with my appointment?

In-person services for carrying out procedures at Traffic Headquarters has been temporarily suspended for the duration of the state of alarm.

All appointments at DGT offices have been cancelled through email sent to those with assigned appointments. Once normal activity is resumed, the system will reactivate.

‘Semana Blanca’ and ‘dia de Andalucia’ (white week and Andalusia day), are a school holiday week in Málaga and a regional holiday in Andalucia.

Semana Blanca

During ‘Semana Blanca’ the majority of the schools are closed for a week to ‘catch up’ with the number of  the number of school days off for public holidays, compared to the rest of Spain.

Every province or region in Spain has their own traditions and festivities for which schools are closed.  Some places have a few less public holidays than others, so to be fair to students in Málaga, they give extra time off in ‘la Semana Blanca’ to balance things out.

Why is it called Semana Blanca?

Boris Johnson and his Conservative Party swept to victory in a decisive election outcome, winning on the promise to ‘Get Brexit Done’.  His withdrawal agreement wasvoted through, and albeit with a handful of challenges, the Bill was passed.

The agreement has now been signed by both sides, and will be passed by EU parliament.  The deadlock surrounding Brexit, and a lot of uncertainty has now come to an end.

The UK will be leaving the EU on the 31st January, with ‘a deal’. Brexit is going to happen. But those who voted Conservative because they just want to ‘get Brexit done’, need to think again if they are feeling relieved and think that it’s now all done and dusted.

A Place in the Sun is one of the UK’s most highly recognised names when it comes to property abroad and overseas lifestyle, and the A Place in the Sun magazine is always full of features and top tips help people with their property searches and plans for their life abroad, be that a holiday home a permanent move.

In the current issue, we’ve provided an editorial feature in the Ask the Experts section, offering a insight into the important considerations and steps to becoming a Spanish resident.

As Brexit draws closer, the subject is all the more poignant.  And for Brits planning to move to Spain, those here already who are thinking about taking up Spanish residency, the article is a must read.

Also of interest in the issue

Can you buy two homes for a budget of £150,000 on the eastern Costa del Sol?

With Brexit creeping closer, valuable information to help you prepare for the transition period next year (and/or beyond).

Why and how it’s not too late to find your perfect home in the next six months.

The magazine is available in stores and online now.

When buying holiday money or sending money abroad, many banks and brokers include hidden fees and or a mark-up in the exchange rate.  Not surprising, a recent study into international money transfers and payments found that 75% of consumers do not know about, or do not understand currency exchange rate mark-ups.

In recent years specialised currency exchange companies have broken the monopoly on the supply of currency exchange services.  Banks and high street exchanges are no longer the go to choice for changing currency.

These currency exchange companies deliver much more competitive exchange rates to consumers, more personalised service, and faster transfer times than banks offer. It’s no surprise than savvy overseas property buyers and expats choose these companies to get a better deal.

A high street bank may seem like the easy or convenient option, and may be your choice through habit, however using a specialist foreign currency exchange company is just as easy and more importantly works out much cheaper!

As in the UK, Spain has a system to identify and recognise Classic Cars. Under Spanish rules, cars that meet the various criteria, can achieve the status of being of ‘historical’ and registered as Classic Car with ‘historical’ licence plates. with the owner being able to enjoy the kudos of having their beloved motor officially recognised and adorned with ‘H’ plates.

Historical status for a Classic Car in Spain, also brings with the added perks of cheaper insurance, longer gaps between ITV´s and road tax exemption. The main identifying criteria is the age of the car, and in May 2018, that was raised, from 25 years to 30 years.

Police in Spain are becoming much more proactive in taking action and removing UK registered cars that don’t have MOT or tax paid, from public roads. By law they are perfectly justified in doing this, though it seems there are examples where their assertiveness has been spilling over into over zealousness and they have been removing completely road legal cars from the road as well.

Based on the cases we’ve seen, it appears that where the online vehicle check, for example on an MOT returns ‘no details held’, the Police are assuming “guilty until proven innocent”.  The DVLA register of course doesn’t hold MOT details for most cars under 3 years as an MOT isn’t required, so unfortunate drivers of relatively new UK registered cars are being grossly inconvenienced.

What to do if you UK registered car is taken by Police in Spain?