Driving in Spain
Certain documents must be carried while driving in Spain, and specific procedures must be adhered to in the event of an accident.
Whilst driving in Spain you be carrying the following items:
- Valid Driving Licence.
- Your Residence Card, passport or identity card.
- Insurance Policy and payment receipt.
- Accident Report Form.
- Car Registration documents.
- Road Tax receipt. (Paid at the Town Hall)
- ITV (MOT equivalent)
- Two Red Warning Triangles
- Spare set of Light Bulbs and Fuses
- Spare Wheel (plus tools for changing)
- Reflective jacket (which must be worn when leaving the car during an emergency such as a breakdown)
- Drivers who wear spectacles must carry a spare pair.
You do not need the originals of the above documents in the car as they may be stolen. You can carry stamped photocopies. To have a photocopy officially stamped, take the original documents to your Town Hall where they will make the photocopies and stamp them free of charge. This can also be done at the local Guardia Civil station.
What to do in a Car Accident in Spain
If you have a car accident in Spain you will need to fill out an Accident Report Form. These are provided by the insurance company along with your Insurance Policy and you will need to provide the following information:
- Names of the drivers involved
- NIE, DNI or Passport numbers
- Registration numbers of the vehicles involved
- Insurance companies names and addresses
- Passenger names and addresses
- Witnesses names and addresses
- Circumstances of the accident, including weather and road conditions, speeds involved, signs present etc.
- Personal injuries
- Vehicle damage
- Accident report which includes a drawing of the position of the vehicles involved.
- Guardia Civil or Local Police Report details if they were present at the scene of the accident.
When both parties agree about the circumstances of the accident, the report form is signed (by both parties) and should be sent to the insurance companies. If agreement cannot be reached, the Guardia Civil (062) or Local Police (092) should be called by one of the drivers and an official report of the accident will be made.
If any person needs an ambulance (112), you should call either the Guardia Civil or Local Police to attend as well.
