THE DGT (Spanish Traffic Authority) STATES THE FOLLOWING:
In addition to licences issued in Spain by the Directorate General of Traffic, the following are valid for driving in Spain:
EU and EEA citizens (Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway): your driving licence will be valid for driving in Spain as long as it has not expired.
Licences issued in third countries: Only driving licences that comply with Article 21 of the General Drivers Regulation will be valid for driving in Spain. Their validity is subject to the following conditions:
The driving licence must be current and valid.
The holder must meet the minimum age required in Spain to obtain an equivalent Spanish licence.
No more than six months must have passed since the holder established normal residence in Spain.
Article 21. Licences valid for driving in Spain.
The following driving licences are valid for driving in Spain:
Those issued by nationals of other countries in accordance with Annex 9 of the International Geneva Convention of 19 September 1949 on road traffic, or with Annex 6 of the International Vienna Convention of 8 November 1968 on road traffic, or which differ from those models only by the addition or omission of non-essential headings.
Those issued by nationals of other countries that are written in Spanish or accompanied by an official translation. An official translation is one carried out by sworn interpreters, by Spanish consuls abroad, by the consuls in Spain of the country that issued the licence, or by a body or entity authorised for that purpose.
International licences issued abroad in accordance with the model in Annex 10 of the International Geneva Convention of 19 September 1949 on road traffic, or in accordance with the models in Annex E of the International Paris Convention of 24 April 1926 on motor vehicle traffic, or in Annex 7 of the International Vienna Convention of 8 November 1968 on road traffic, where the issuing nations have acceded to those Conventions but have not signed or acceded to the Geneva Convention.
Those recognised under specific international multilateral and bilateral agreements to which Spain is a party, under the conditions set out in those agreements.
The validity of the licences referred to in the preceding section is subject to the following conditions:
The driving licence must be current and valid.
The holder must meet the minimum age required in Spain to obtain an equivalent Spanish licence.
No more than six months must have passed since the holder established normal residence in Spain, duly evidenced in accordance with Organic Law 4/2000 of 11 January on the rights and freedoms of foreign nationals in Spain and their social integration — unless, in the case of licences referred to in paragraph (d) of the preceding section, a different rule has been established in the relevant agreement.
If the holder cannot demonstrate normal residence in Spain (i.e. is visiting as a tourist), those licences will only be valid for driving in Spain if no more than six months have passed since the holder's regular entry into Spanish territory, in accordance with the provisions of the aforementioned Organic Law 4/2000 of 11 January.
Once the six-month period referred to in paragraph (c) above has elapsed, the licences referred to in section 1 will no longer be valid for driving in Spain. If their holders wish to continue driving, they must obtain a Spanish driving licence after meeting the relevant requirements and passing the corresponding tests.
For tourists only: Spanish law permits driving for up to 90 days from the date of arrival, provided the minimum authorised age is met and the licence is valid. Nationals who only need to meet these requirements are those from EU member states or from countries with a bilateral agreement with Spain, which are:
Algeria, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Morocco, Nicaragua, Peru, Dominican Republic, Panama, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela, Brazil, El Salvador, Philippines, Guatemala, Serbia, Turkey, Tunisia, Ukraine, Macedonia, and Moldova.