Rules of the road
Driving in Spain
Every value below links to the official source it was checked against, with the date it was checked. What is not verified yet says so.
Which side of the road
Speed limits
Speed limit on country roads
90 km/h
Conventional roads outside towns.
Checked 6 Aug 2026 · official source
Speed limit in towns and cities
50 km/h
Only on streets with two or more lanes in each direction. Streets with one lane each way are 30 — which is most city streets — and single-platform streets where the pavement and road share a level are 20.
Checked 6 Aug 2026 · official source
Speed limit in living and residential zones
20 km/h
Streets where the road and pavement share one level.
Checked 6 Aug 2026 · official source
Alcohol
Alcohol limit for drivers who passed their test recently
0.3 g/l
For the first two years of holding a licence. Zero for drivers under 18.
Checked 6 Aug 2026 · official source
Your licence and age
Whether you need an International Driving Permit
Depends on where your licence is from
EU and EEA licences are accepted as they are. Tourists from elsewhere may drive for up to 3 months but must carry an International Driving Permit, issued at home before the trip, alongside their national licence.
Checked 6 Aug 2026 · official source
How long you may drive on your own licence
3 months
For non-EU tourist licences, counted from entry into Spain.
Checked 6 Aug 2026 · official source
What you must carry in the car
What you must carry in the car
- Reflective warning light
- High-visibility vest
The warning light is the V-16 connected beacon — since 1 January 2026 it is the only legal way to signal a broken-down vehicle, and warning triangles are no longer valid. Rental cars should have one; check before driving off. The vest must be worn by anyone stepping onto the road or shoulder outside towns.
Checked 6 Aug 2026 · official source
Phones at the wheel
Holding a phone while driving
Not allowed
Holding the phone at all is the offence — including at red lights and in jams. 200 euro fine and 6 licence points, enforced by camera.
Checked 6 Aug 2026 · official source
Seatbelts and children
Height below which a child needs a child seat
135 cm
A child 135 cm or shorter needs an approved seat for their size, and must ride in the back. The front is allowed only if the car has no back seats or they are full of other children in seats.
Checked 6 Aug 2026 · official source
Tolls and city charges
Low-emission zones
In many cities
Every municipality over 50,000 people must run a low-emission zone — about 150 cities including Madrid and Barcelona. Access depends on the vehicle's emissions label; foreign-plated cars may need to register with the city before entering. Check the destination city's scheme before driving in.
Checked 6 Aug 2026 · official source
If something goes wrong
Fines
29 rules not yet verified for Spain
These rules exist, but no value has been checked against an official source yet. Missing beats wrong.
- Which side you overtake on
- Speed limit on a dual carriageway
- Speed limit in rain or snow
- Speed limit for drivers who passed their test recently
- Speed limit when towing a trailer or caravan
- Youngest age you may drive
- Youngest age you may rent a car
- What you should carry, but do not have to
- When you must switch your headlights on
- Headlights in tunnels
- Hands-free phone calls
- Turning at a red light
- Who has priority at a roundabout
- Priority to traffic coming from the right
- Who must wear a seatbelt
- Age below which a child needs a child seat
- Youngest age a child may sit in the front
- What the lines and painted kerbs mean
- How you pay to park
- Parking on the pavement
- Parking facing against the traffic
- How far you must park from a junction or crossing
- What happens if you park wrongly
- Winter tyres
- When winter tyre rules apply
- Snow chains
- How you pay for motorways
- Congestion charges
- Whether police can fine you on the spot