Before you investigate how to drive in Spain, I would like to implore you to pursue a car-free lifestyle first. There are multiple reasons to consider going car-free:
- It is impossible to budget the NALCAP stipend if you include the costs of driving. Unless you plan on coming to Spain with a lot of savings, forget about driving.
- Public transit is much better in Spain than it is an America, and you will likely find great options to get around. Moreover, you are more likely to find pedestrian friendly infrastructure. Life isn’t based around the car in Spain.
- Parking, car storage, and driving itself are much more difficult in Spain. There are narrow roads, aggressive drivers, busy streets, and different rules and signs.
For temporary purposes, you are allowed to get an international permit which, alongside your American driver’s license, provides you with 6 months to legally drive in Spain.
Getting an International Driver’s Permit
Even though this permit grants you the right to drive on the road, it doesn’t mean you understand how to drive in Spain. They use different signage, lane markers, and have a different approach to driving altogether.
If you want to get actual training or if your international driver’s permit expires, you will have to go through driver’s training to get a Spanish driver’s license. After including all the lessons and exams required, getting a license would typically cost between 500 and 1,000 euros. The blog below describes the process in great detail. For those of you considering going through this process, I highly recommend you give it a thorough read.
Navigating the Challenges of Getting My Spanish Driver’s License in Galicia – by Felix Wong
Personally speaking, I am yet to get a driver’s license in Spain. Even after 5 years of living here, I haven’t found the need. My Spanish partner, however, has encouraged me to pursue it so we can take more spontaneous trips to the beach. For now at least, I can’t afford the time or money to go through the process of getting a license.
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