Driving in Spain: What UK drivers need to know

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Thursday, 16 Jul 2026 15:18 0 4 autotech

Taking your car to Spain, or hiring one when you get there? Here’s what UK motorists should check before setting off.

Spain is one of the most popular European destinations for British holidaymakers, and it can be a very rewarding country to explore by car. The motorway network is extensive, the scenery is hugely varied, and driving can open up places that are much harder to reach by train or public transport.

Quick checklist before driving in Spain

Documents you need to drive in Spain

You must carry your full UK driving licence when driving in Spain. For most UK drivers with a photocard licence, you do not need an International Driving Permit for a short visit to Spain. If you still have a paper licence, or your licence was issued outside Great Britain, check the latest UK government guidance before travelling.

You should also carry your passport. If you are taking your own car, carry proof of insurance and the car’s V5C registration document. If your car is more than three years old, take the MOT certificate as well.

If the car is not registered in your name – for example, if it is leased, financed, hired or borrowed – you should take written permission from the registered keeper. For leased or hired cars, this usually means a VE103 certificate.

You no longer normally need a European insurance “green card” for Spain, but you should still check with your insurer before you go. Some UK policies only provide the minimum third-party cover abroad unless you arrange extended European cover.

Hiring a car in Spain

For many UK visitors, hiring a car in Spain is more realistic than driving all the way from Britain. It is usually straightforward, but the cheapest headline price is not always the cheapest final cost.

Check the insurance excess before you book. Some rental deals come with a large excess if the car is damaged, stolen or returned with certain types of damage. Windscreens, tyres, wheels, underbody damage and lost keys may be excluded from basic cover.

If you buy separate excess insurance before travelling, make sure you understand how it works. You may still have to pay the rental company first and claim the money back afterwards.

Also check the fuel policy. “Full to full” is usually simplest, because you collect the car full and return it full. Other policies can be more expensive or less transparent.

Before driving away, take photos or video of the car, including the wheels, bumpers, glass and interior. Make sure any existing damage is marked on the rental paperwork or app. Check that the car has the required safety equipment, and ask the rental company how to contact them if you break down or have an accident.

If you plan to drive outside Spain – for example into Portugal, France, Andorra or Gibraltar – check that the rental company allows it. Cross-border travel may need permission and extra cover.

UK stickers and number plates

Your car must show that it is from the UK. A number plate with a UK identifier and Union flag is accepted in Spain. If your number plate still has a GB badge, an EU flag, a national flag such as England, Scotland or Wales, or no country identifier at all, you need to display a separate UK sticker on the rear of the car.

The old GB sticker is no longer valid for UK cars driving abroad.

Rules of the road

Spain drives on the right. Roundabouts run anticlockwise, overtaking is on the left, and you should move back to the right after passing another vehicle on motorways and dual carriageways.

For UK drivers, the first few miles can feel strange, especially when leaving an airport, ferry port, petrol station or hotel car park. Take it gently at first and pay particular attention at roundabouts, junctions and slip roads.

Do not turn right on a red light unless a sign or signal specifically allows it. Traffic lights do not work like some countries where right turns on red are common.

Use of indicators is important, especially when changing lanes or leaving roundabouts. A solid white line means you must not cross it to overtake. Overtaking is also restricted where visibility is poor, such as near bends, brows of hills or junctions.

Horns should not be used casually. In built-up areas, they are generally for emergencies or avoiding danger rather than expressing frustration. Flashing your lights is often a better way to warn another road user if needed.

Mobile phone use while driving is not allowed unless you are using a proper hands-free system. Headphones and earphones are not allowed while driving. Set your navigation, music and calls before moving off.

Seatbelts must be worn where fitted. Children under 135cm tall must use an approved child restraint suitable for their size and weight. They should generally travel in the rear seats, although there are limited exceptions. If you are travelling with children, it is safest to bring the correct seats with you or confirm in advance that your rental company can supply suitable equipment.

Dogs and other pets should be properly restrained so that they cannot distract the driver or be thrown around in a crash.

Speed limits in Spain

Spain uses kilometres per hour, not miles per hour. Speed limits can vary by road type, vehicle type and local signs, so always follow the signs in front of you.

Unless signs say otherwise, the usual limits for cars are:

Road type	Speed limit
Shared-space urban roads, where pavement and carriageway are on one level	20km/h (12mph)
Urban roads with one lane each way	30km/h (18mph)
Urban roads with two or more lanes each way	50km/h (31mph)
Conventional roads outside built-up areas	90km/h (55mph)
Motorways and dual carriageways	120km/h (74mph)

Older advice about being allowed to exceed the limit by 20km/h when overtaking on some roads is no longer reliable. Spain removed that general overtaking allowance, so treat the posted limit as the limit.

Lower limits are common around schools, residential streets, roadworks, tunnels, town centres and mountain roads. Speed cameras, mobile enforcement and average-speed checks are used, and fines can be issued to foreign drivers.

Speed camera location alerts are treated differently across Europe. Before travelling, check whether your satnav or phone app’s speed-camera warning function is legal in Spain and in any countries you pass through on the way.

Alcohol limits

Spain has a lower drink-drive limit than England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The standard blood alcohol limit is 0.5g/l, while a lower 0.3g/l limit applies to new drivers and some professional drivers.

The safest advice is simple: if you are driving, don’t drink. Even a small amount of alcohol can affect judgement and reaction times, especially when you are driving on the right, reading unfamiliar signs and dealing with heat, glare or busy tourist traffic.

Spanish police can carry out roadside checks, and drivers involved in collisions or traffic offences may be breathalysed.

Motorways, tolls and breakdowns

Spain has a good motorway and dual-carriageway network. Some motorways are free, while others are toll roads, and the balance has changed over time as some toll concessions have ended.

Toll roads are usually marked as autopistas, often with the AP prefix. Free motorways and dual carriageways are usually marked as autovías, often with an A prefix. This is a useful guide, but it is not a substitute for checking your route before travelling.

Tolls can usually be paid by card or cash, although payment methods vary. Electronic toll tags may also be available, but most visitors will simply pay as they go.

If you break down, move as far away from traffic as you safely can. Put on your high-visibility jacket before leaving the car, use your hazard lights and follow the current rules for warning other drivers. If you are in a dangerous place, do not walk along the carriageway to place equipment unless it is safe to do so.

Spain has emergency phones on many motorways, and you can also call 112. If you are in a hire car, contact the rental company as soon as it is safe to do so and follow its instructions.

European breakdown cover is strongly recommended if you are taking your own car. Recovery, storage, replacement transport and repatriating a car to the UK can become expensive very quickly.

Low-emission zones in Spain

Spain has low-emission zones, known as ZBE zones, in a growing number of towns and cities. Madrid and Barcelona are the best-known examples, but they are not the only places affected.

This is one of the areas where older advice can be misleading. It is not safe to assume that foreign-registered cars are simply exempt or that the rules only apply to local vehicles. Low-emission-zone rules are set locally, and access, registration and enforcement can vary by city.

If you are driving into Madrid, Barcelona or another major city, check the official local rules before you travel. Some cities may require foreign vehicles to be registered in advance, while others may use different arrangements. Hire cars registered in Spain may already carry a Spanish environmental label, but that does not mean every route or zone is automatically allowed.

Be careful with unofficial websites charging inflated fees. Use official city, regional or DGT-linked sources where possible.

What you must carry in the car

You should carry a high-visibility jacket in the car and keep it somewhere you can reach from inside the cabin. If you need to leave the car after a breakdown or collision, put it on before getting out.

Spain has changed its rules around breakdown warning equipment. From 1 January 2026, Spanish-registered vehicles must use a connected V-16 warning beacon instead of traditional warning triangles. Foreign-registered vehicles travelling in Spain can still comply by carrying warning triangles, although the V-16 beacon is designed to reduce the need to walk along the road after a breakdown.

This is an important point to check before publication and before travel, because the rules are recent and advice from older travel guides may be out of date.

Your headlights must not dazzle oncoming traffic. Some modern cars allow you to switch the beam pattern or tourist mode through the settings menu. Others may need stick-on beam deflectors.

A first-aid kit and spare bulbs are not usually the main legal issue for visiting UK drivers, but they are still sensible to carry where practical. Many European driving kits include a warning triangle, high-visibility jacket, beam deflectors and other useful items, but check the contents rather than assuming everything is covered.

Parking in Spain

Parking rules vary by town and city, and enforcement can be strict. Do not park where signs or road markings prohibit it, near junctions or bends, on pedestrian crossings, in cycle lanes, at bus stops, or anywhere that blocks access.

In many towns and cities, coloured road markings are used. Blue zones usually mean paid or time-limited parking. Green zones are often residents’ or restricted parking areas, although visitor parking may be allowed in some places. Yellow markings usually mean no parking.

You should normally park in the direction of traffic. On two-way roads, that means parking on the right-hand side facing the direction of travel. Parking on the left may be allowed on one-way streets, but check local signs and markings.

If you park illegally, your car may be towed. Wheel clamps may also be used in some places, particularly where a vehicle is not causing an immediate obstruction.

Fuel, charging and route planning

Petrol is gasolina and diesel is gasóleo or diésel. Unleaded petrol, diesel and LPG are widely available, although rural areas and mountain routes need a bit more planning.

Fuel stations on motorways and main roads are common, but prices can be higher than away from the motorway. Opening hours vary, and some unmanned stations may require card payment.

If you are driving an electric car, Spain’s public charging network has improved, but coverage and reliability can still vary by region. Plan charging stops in advance, especially if you are heading away from major cities or tourist areas. Take more than one payment option and check whether your charging app or RFID card works in Spain before you travel.

In summer, plan around heat as well as distance. Keep water in the car, avoid running the fuel or battery too low, and be realistic about long journeys in very high temperatures.

Emergency numbers in Spain

If you need emergency help in Spain, dial 112. This is the European emergency number and can be used for ambulance, fire or police assistance.

The European emergency number 112 can be called free of charge from a mobile or landline. You should be able to get help in English, although this may depend on where you are and who answers the call.

If you break down on a motorway or fast road, do not stay in the car if it is unsafe. Put on your high-visibility jacket, move everyone away from traffic if possible, and call for help from a safe place.

If you are in a hire car, contact the rental company once everyone is safe. Do not arrange repairs yourself unless the rental company has told you to do so.

Common mistakes by UK drivers in Spain

The first mistake is underestimating distance. Spain is a large country, and journeys that look simple on a map can become tiring in heat, traffic or mountain terrain.

The second is relying on old speed-limit advice. The former overtaking allowance on some roads is no longer a safe assumption, and urban speed limits can be much lower than UK drivers expect.

The third is ignoring low-emission zones. Madrid and Barcelona are the obvious examples, but ZBE rules are spreading across Spanish towns and cities. Check the city you are actually visiting rather than relying on a general Spain guide.

Hire-car insurance is another common trap. A cheap rental can become expensive if the excess is high, the fuel policy is poor or the damage inspection is vague. Take photos, read the agreement and know who to call if something goes wrong.

Finally, remember that right-hand-side driving becomes hardest when you are tired, distracted or doing something routine. Petrol stations, car parks, roundabouts and quiet rural roads are all places where UK drivers can accidentally drift back into familiar habits.

Final checklist for driving in Spain

Before leaving the UK, check that you have:

Driving licence
Passport
V5C registration document, if taking your own car
Proof of insurance
MOT certificate, if required
UK sticker or UK number plate identifier
VE103 or written permission, if needed
Warning triangle or legal alternative
High-visibility jacket
Headlamp beam adjustment or deflectors
Low-emission-zone registration, if needed
European breakdown cover
First-aid kit
Torch
Phone charging cable
Offline maps or paper map
Water and screenwash

If you are hiring a car, check before driving away that you have:

Rental agreement
Insurance and excess details
Emergency contact number for the rental company
Fuel policy
Cross-border permission, if needed
Required safety equipment
Photos or video of any existing damage

Spain is usually a straightforward country for UK motorists once you are used to driving on the right. The key is to prepare properly, watch the signs, check city restrictions before you arrive and avoid relying on old advice.

This article was originally published in September 2023. Last updated July 2026.

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