Known as carnet de conducir in Spain or even licencia de manejo in some Latin American countries this is the document that allows its holder to drive a particular type of vehicle.
In Spain it is issued by the DGT or Dirección General de Tráfico (which is the National Traffic Department). The organism that issues this document varies depending on the country of origin. For example, in the United States there is no document similar to the Spanish DNI (ID card) and one of the most common forms of identification they use is the driver’s license. In addition, each state has its own.
In any case, it is an official document and if we need to get a translation of the same it will have to be done by a sworn translator certified and recognised by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Do I need a sworn translation of my driver’s license?
Not always. We may find two different situations:
- Our license comes from Spain or from another country within the European Union or the European Economic Area. In this case, a translation is not necessary since the document is accepted by all Member States. At the time of leaving our country all we have to take care about is that the license is in force.
- Our license comes from a third country (not a member of the European Union and outside the European Economic Area). In the case of Spain, we will have to present the sworn translation of the license which will have to be valid for at least 6 months. Sometimes, it will also be enough with the international driver’s license. It is a complementary document that will have to accompany the passport and the foreign driver’s license.
We would recommend you to be previously informed about what is going to be useful or what you are going to need.
When to present the sworn translation of my driver’s license?
- If we travel abroad and we want to rent a car some countries will require us to present a sworn translation accompanying the license.
- There are agreements between countries that allow the citizen not to get this license again, therefore, if we want to homologate our driver’s licences we will have to present a sworn translation.
- In case of an accident, if a lawsuit is filed or a judicial process is started in this regard, the driver’s license will have to be amongst the documentation that will have to submit along with the corresponding translation.
Normally, this document will not need any Apostille or legalisation.
Do you need a sworn translation of your driver’s license? Don’t hesitate any longer and contact us by filling out the questionnaire!
