Sworn translation to exchange your foreign driving licence

What exchanging your driving licence involves

If you've moved to Spain and drive on a foreign licence, sooner or later the DGT will expect you to swap it for a Spanish one. That swap is the canje: you hand in your original licence and, where it applies, you get the Spanish equivalent without sitting an exam.

Whether it's quick comes down to one thing: whether Spain has an exchange agreement with your country. Where there's an agreement, it tends to be straightforward. Where there isn't, you can't simply swap, and depending on the case you'll have to take the Spanish driving tests. Even so, some countries without an agreement still run administrative steps that do require your licence translated into Spanish. That's where we come in.

A heads-up before going further: this page isn't a legal guide to the procedure. The requirements, fees, deadlines and the list of countries with an agreement are set by the DGT, and they change. Always confirm them on the DGT's online portal or at your local Jefatura de Tráfico. What we handle here is one specific piece of the file: the sworn translation.

Which documents need a sworn translation

Not everyone needs a translation, but when the DGT asks for one it has to be sworn: signed by a translator accredited by Spain's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAEC). A do-it-yourself version or an unaccredited agency translation won't do. In a typical exchange, you'll translate:

• The foreign driving licence itself. This is the core document. We translate the categories, the issue and expiry dates, the restrictions and any note on the reverse, so the DGT can transfer your details onto the Spanish licence without ambiguity.
• The seniority certificate or driving history, when your country issues it separately and the DGT wants proof of how long you've held a licence. Depending on where you're from, that's an extract from your national driving authority.
• A foreign medical certificate, if you submit one instead of, or alongside, the Spanish psychophysical test. Bear in mind that many Jefaturas require the assessment at an approved centre in Spain; check first.
• The apostille or legalisation, when the document carries one. It's part of the original and is translated with it, in the same sworn translation.

The pairs we work in right now: English→Spanish and French→Spanish. If you're not sure what needs translating in your case, send us what you have and we'll confirm before you order anything.

How we do it at Textualia

Everything is online, with no office visits. Upload a sharp photo or scan of your licence and certificates, pick the language pair, and see the price straight away. A translator accredited by the MAEC does the work, then stamps, signs and certifies that the translation matches the original faithfully.

By default you get a digitally signed PDF, handy for online steps and easy to attach to your file. Asked for a paper copy at your Jefatura? We issue it on official Spanish stamped paper too and post it to you. You choose the format: one, the other, or both.

We look after the details that matter on a licence. Category codes, dates and restrictions are transcribed precisely, because one misread entry can stall the exchange or leave you with a licence carrying the wrong categories.

Why Textualia

Because this is all we do. We recognise the layout of a British, Irish, US or French licence at a glance, and we know how to present the translation so the DGT reads it without friction. Pricing is by word count, VAT included, and you know it before confirming. If your appointment is close, you've got 24h or 12h rush options.

A word on validity: a MAEC sworn translation is fully valid in Spain, which is where you do the exchange. We don't certify your licence's validity before authorities in other countries, nor decide whether the DGT accepts your application; that's down to the administration. What we answer for is the translation itself: that it arrives flawless, on time and in the right format.

Gather your licence and any certificates you're asked for, check whether they carry an apostille, and order the sworn translation. We'll send the documents back ready to file at Tráfico.