How to get a driver’s license in Spain

Well, it’s time to sum up and share my experience of learning to drive in Spain. The article will be helpful for everyone who also wants to get a driver’s license, who wants to know more about the process itself and its features and pitfalls.

Let me start with my background. I already have 8 years of experience driving in my home country, but, because I’ve relocated and lived in Spain for more than 6 months, I have to pass the exam here once again.

There is a certain list of countries, from which you can just exchange your license for a Spanish, without the necessity to go to an auto school once again, but Russia is not on the list. In this light, with the article, I also want to highlight differences in passing the exam in the two countries.

Where to start

First, you should find an auto school and unfortunately, you cannot avoid this, because the auto school provides you with a car for a practical exam. After several comparisons, I’ve decided to choose Gala, the biggest auto-school in Spain, as they offer training in English too. I checked other schools and prices are not very different. As you are there, in one of the offices, speaking with a manager, you instantly realize, that the whole cost is split into several payments and you can get only an estimation of what you could pay in total. And there is the first distinction — in Russia, I paid once for the whole course, but in Spain, you pay little by little as you go. It’s harder to compute, but you fill less pressure not having the whole sum at the start.

There are 4 main steps:

1. Learn theory
2. Pass a theory exam at DGT (Directorate-General for Traffic)
3. Take practice classes
4. Pass a practice exam

In contrast, in Russia,

1. you can start practicing even before passing a theory (theory and practice exams are on the same date, one after another).
2. before showing your skill in a city you should demonstrate that you can conduct maneuvers in a closed area (it was 5 in total when I passed the exam several years ago), such as parallel parking and starting uphill.

Theory

The theory exam consists of 30 questions with 3 answers each and you have 30 minutes to answer them with no more than 3 mistakes. 30 minutes could sound like too much when you practice at home, but at the exam center, time goes by very quickly.

To be prepared for the theory exam, Gala offered me a manual with rules in English and a web application, where I could practice questions. Also, they propose an intensive course online, where during a week you can learn all chapters of the book in a vivid manner. Honestly, I didn’t find them useful, though, as I already know how to drive, but I like, that they have this option for people who consume information better from classes, not from a book.

As I already know most of the rules, I’ve decided to spend a couple of weeks going fast through the book and start taking tests as soon as possible.

Although rules, signs, and speed limits in both countries are similar, there are some differences. In general, I got the impression that the Spanish rules have more nuances. For instance — speed limits within a city. In Russia, you should remember 2 speed limits only: 60 km/h in general and 20 km/h for residential areas, whereas, in Spain, speed is changed according to a number of road lanes: 50 km/h on roads with two lanes per direction, 30 km/h for one lane per direction, and 20 km/h on roads shared with pedestrians.

During that time I used a trainer from Gala and solved every test 4–5 times. As it was in Russia, you have to embrace these questions. One thing is to know how to drive, but another — to pass the test. Some questions are tricky, and some are too direct and you fail them because you overcomplicate things.

A typical question is:

Q: How far can an undivided load project from the front of a goods vehicle which measures less than 5 meters in length?

1. The load must not project
2. A third of the length of the vehicle
3. 15 percent of the length of the vehicle

It took me exactly 2 months to prepare for the theory exam and … I didn’t pass by making 4 mistakes.

While waiting for the second attempt, I practiced even more, making my responses automatic. In the end, I answered by reading not more than a couple of words from a question. With this automation, nervousness, and surroundings fade into the background, so I was more confident during the exam.

The approach gave results - my second attempt was successful with 0 mistakes! An observation — the second test was much simpler than the first with more questions that can be answered from common sense, thus to some degree, it depends on luck.

After I passed the exam, the school reached me and asked for my availability to take driving lessons. In addition, they warned me that I can be in a queue for up to 2 months. This load is expected, as not so many instructors speak English.

Practice

Time passed by and only one month later I was delighted to hear, that I can start taking practice lessons and can have an exam in one week, as I know how to drive. As a rule, I had to take at least one lesson before the exam, but I took 5, as the last time I drove more than one year ago. Besides, in Spain roads are narrow and people can appear out of nowhere.

When you start taking classes, you know where you will have the exam (there were 2 possible locations), consequently it’s better to drive there at least one time. For this purpose, I utilized 3 lessons together in order to have time to drive there (I had the exam in Alcalá de Henares) and return back to Madrid.

Each practice exam has 3 parts:

1. One question about a car. For example - “Show me, where the battery is”. They are simple, but asked in Spanish, which makes them a little harder.
2. Autonomous driving. You drive anywhere for 10 minutes approximately. No, you cannot drive in circles ☺, otherwise an inspector has the power to direct you a bit.
3. Directed driving. You hear driving directions, such as “turn right”, “turn left”, “take the second exit on the next roundabout”, “park here”. Different instructors appreciate different places in the city and take a student there to evaluate how he is doing. Some want to see how you handle roundabouts, others — that you can stop at a stop sign.

The whole exam lasts approximately 30 minutes. The main purpose of the exam is to validate your ability to drive naturally and safely. In order to pass, you cannot lose more than 10 points:

1. for small mistakes, you lose 1 point
2. for medium — 5 points
3. for the biggest — 10 points

For example, if you forget to blink a turn signal, it costs you only 1 point. All in all, the idea is to inspect your driving abilities, not to screw you up. I was pleasantly surprised, that you have 2 minutes to park and if you cannot park from the first try, you can try again, up to 2 minutes.

In contrast, in Russia (having a maximum of 5 points to lose and it costs 3 points if you forget to blink), an inspector tries to fail you by catching on prohibited movements. For example, he asks to turn right or park when it’s prohibited and you have to make up your mind and not let it happen. Back then, although I passed the driving exam by myself, I heard many stories about how people “buy” a driver’s license.

On the first attempt at the practice exam, I was confused and failed. I accept that it was my fault indeed as if I forgot everything. I had to get up very early that day and was the last person who was probed.

After two weeks, taking 3 more classes in between, I successfully passed the exam. It was calmness and luck. While driving autonomously somehow I went to a very quiet area without cars and people at all, and it was a real pleasure to drive there. When I was told to park in the end, I didn’t park at the same moment, but drove a little further and saw several free parking spots together in a row, so there were no difficulties to stop the car there either.

On the same day, I was informed that I passed my driving and now all that remains is to wait for a driver’s license.

Receiving a driver’s license

A newbie plate, that I’m obliged to install (a gift from Gala)

You know what — I’m still waiting for it and this is what I cannot understand.

So, after you pass the exam, the process is:

1. On the next day after the exam, you can download a temporary driver’s license from a DGT website. It’s a .pdf page, that says that you pass the exam and are eligible to drive. The temporary license is valid for up to 3 months.
2. In 1–2 months you should receive an actual driving license at your home address (I’m still here). From this point, you can use the license fully.

Getting the temporary license, I tried to register on car-sharing services in the city, but they don’t accept it, and ask to wait for the real one. Nevertheless, my colleague once mentioned, that I can use offline rental services for now.

I’m writing the article on the 20th day after I passed the exam, and already at a fast start to fulfilling my dreams of driving and visiting remote areas within the country.

What I cannot understand is why the process takes so long. My first driving license (not temporary) I got on the next day after the exam. I went to a traffic police station and in 10 minutes a policeman printed out and laminated my driver’s license (after taking a photo on the spot).

Sum up

To summarize, getting a driving license in Spain is a long process, but after passing the exam, you are confident in driving inside the country. Spain has its own specifics — i.e. streets are narrow and people often tend to cross streets on corners, without having a marked crosswalk, so you have to get used to it.

In conclusion, my experience of getting a driver’s license in numbers:

1. Time: 5 months (3 months for theory, 2 months for practice)
2. Attempts: 4 (2 — theory and 2 — practice)
3. Practice lessons: 8 (5 before the first try, 3 before the second)
4. Cost: 1060 euros (it includes everything, such as — school enrollment, medical tests, lessons, exams, and taxes)

If you are planning to get your driving license — good luck! and remember, that the main purpose of the exam is not to fail you, but to see, that you can drive safely.

If you’ve passed the exam in one of the European countries let me know if there are differences in the process.