My Philippine licence cannot be exchanged, or I never had one. How do I get a Spanish licence?

You sit the DGT’s two exams — a theory test and a practical driving test — usually through an autoescuela, though you can also apply “por libre” on your own. The state fee is €94.05 and covers two attempts. The autoescuela’s own charges are on top of that and are not published by the DGT. Checked 15 September 2026 against the DGT’s exam-application page and its requirements page.

Does this apply to me

Anyone who cannot use the exchange route: a Philippine licence obtained after you became resident in Spain, a licence obtained by exchange from a non-agreement country, or no licence at all. The DGT’s requirements for a foreigner are normal residence or a study stay in Spain of at least six months, and the Reglamento General de Conductores adds that only residence in regular status counts. For a non-EU citizen, the identity document the DGT accepts at the counter is a residence authorisation in force. So this is a procedure for someone with papers; without them, the first stop is SAIER, not an autoescuela.

The minimum age for a class B (car) licence is 18. The DGT lets you take the theory test up to three months before you reach it.

Steps

• Get an informe de aptitud psicofísica from an authorised Centro de Reconocimiento de Conductores, saying it is for obtaining a licence and which class. It is valid for 90 days, so the application must go in before it expires.
• Prepare for the theory test. The DGT publishes free practice tests online with real questions in the exam format — no registration needed. An autoescuela’s theory course is the usual route; the DGT’s guide to choosing one says a school must publish its tariffs and what they include, give you a written teaching contract, and it recommends at least 20 hours of theory.
• Apply for the tests. Through an autoescuela, the school files for you. Por libre, you file in person at any Jefatura or online through the DGT’s Registro Electrónico with a digital certificate or Cl@ve.
• Pass the theory, then the practical driving test on open roads. The DGT recommends practical lessons of at least 45 minutes on all kinds of road, and says to trust the instructor on when you are ready.
• On passing you are given a provisional licence to drive on while the card is posted to your address.

What to bring

• The official application form for the aptitude tests. Signing it declares you are not banned from driving and hold no equivalent licence from another EU state.
• The psicofísico report, within its 90 days.
• Proof of payment of the fee, or a card to pay at the office — never cash.
• A talón-foto with a colour photo, 32 × 26 mm, plain background, first application only; the school gives you the slip.
• Your residence authorisation, original and in force.

What it costs

What goes wrong

• Running out of attempts. The fee buys two; a second fail, in either exam, means paying again.
• Choosing a school that will not show its price list. The DGT says an authorised school must publish tariffs, hours and the teaching contract before you sign.
• Sending a school or an online “tutor” photos of your passport or TIE over WhatsApp. The school needs to see your documents; nobody needs unredacted copies stored on a phone.
• Studying the test in a language you read slowly. Ask the school which languages the DGT theory test is offered in before you enrol.

Useful words

Read next

• Can I drive in Spain on my Philippine driver’s licence?
• How do I exchange (canje) my Philippine licence for a Spanish one?
• Where do I get free legal advice on immigration, arraigo or family reunification?

Official source

DGT sede electrónica, “Solicitud examen por libre”, for the documents, identity rules, fee and the two-attempt rule; DGT “Requisitos, preparación y presentación a examen” and “Elegir autoescuela” for the tests, the free practice tests and what a school must show you; the DGT’s 2024 regulations manual for article 7 of the Reglamento General de Conductores on residence.