Spain Driving Guide for Americans (2025): What to Know Before You Drive

1. Can Americans drive in Spain with a U.S. license?

• Yes, Americans can drive in Spain with a U.S. license, but only if you also carry a valid International Driving Permit (IDP) based on the 1949 Geneva Convention. If you are not an American, check out this blog we wrote about who is eligible to get an IDP.

• Requirements:

• Must be 18+

• Must carry original valid U.S. driver’s license

• Must carry IDP

IDPs for holders of U.S. driver’s licenses must obtain an IDP from an authorized issuer. PriorityIDP obtains legitimate IDPs on behalf of its customers from AAA and express ships them internationally. This is the fastest, most reliable way to receive an IDP if you are unable to visit a AAA branch yourself.

2. How to legally drive in Spain as a foreigner

Is an IDP required to drive in Spain if I have a U.S. license?

• Yes, Spanish law requires that U.S. license holders must carry both their valid U.S. license and valid IDP to drive in Spain. See the “Transportation” section on the US State Department’s website for Spain for more information. 

• These rules are based on two legal texts:

• 1949 Geneva Convention on Road Traffic: This is the international treaty that created IDPs and continues to govern them. There was a subsequent treaty called the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic that modernized IDPs, but the U.S. never signed that agreement and only issues the 1949 IDP format. Spain will accept these.

• Spanish Federal law (in Spanish): This law lists out the acceptable forms of driving licenses in Spain. For American license holders, the relevant section (Article 21) lays out the following rules:

• U.S. license holders may drive in Spain if their license is “in force” (not expired or revoked), they are at least 18 years old, and they have a valid International Driver’s License.

• New residents of Spain may use their U.S. license and International Driving Permit for up to 6 months after they gain residency. After that, they must obtain a Spanish license.

• Visitors / non-residents do not have a time limit on how long they can use their U.S. license and IDP so long as neither are expired or invalid for any other reason.

Who checks the IDP and what happens if I don’t have one?

Spain is relatively strict when it comes to requiring International Driving Permits. Here are the policies of the main three groups who will check for an IDP:

• Police

• Fines: Police can issue fines as high as 500€ (~$575) for a first time violation. In 2024, 21,606 fines were issued for driving with a license that wasn’t valid in Spain – that includes people driving with a valid U.S. license but no accompanying IDP.

• Driving ban: You may be immediately prohibited from driving your car any further since you are not properly licensed to drive in the country. Though this is rare, we’ve had customers tell us that this happened to them.

• Rental car agencies 

• Many European rental companies such as Europcar and Fox Rent-a-Car regularly require U.S. license holders to present a valid IDP at the rental desk and will refuse rental to anyone who doesn’t have one.

• American rental companies such as Hertz and Budget don’t typically ask to see an IDP, but the rental agreement will state that you must have one.

• Insurer 

• If you paid for a collision damage waiver (CDW) through your rental car company, the contract likely has language requiring that you be properly licensed to drive in Spain. If they can show that you aren’t, they may claim that you violated the contract and refuse to cover any of the damage.

• If you paid for a travel insurance policy or have rental car insurance through your credit card, they may also refuse to reimburse your claim if you get into an accident and can’t prove that you were properly licensed.

How to get an International Driving Permit

IDPs for holders of U.S. driver’s licenses must obtain an IDP from an authorized issuer. PriorityIDP obtains legitimate IDPs on behalf of its customers from AAA and express ships them internationally. This is the fastest, most reliable way to receive an IDP while abroad.

3. Renting a Car in Spain (What to Expect)

Requirements

• Valid U.S. driver’s license

• International Driving Permit

• Credit card for deposit

• Minimum age of 18 – see our blog about the minimum age required to rent and drive a car / motorcycle

How does insurance work when renting a car in Spain?

Check out our blog on this topic.

What other fees should I look out for while renting a car / driving in Spain?

Check out our blog on this topic.

4. Spain-Specific Driving Rules You Must Know

Quick tips

• Road signs: Road signs are typically posted in Spanish. Make sure to review what different traffic symbols mean in Spain.

• Speed limits: Spain has many speed cameras set up to catch speeders. If you are renting a car, your ticket will be sent to your rental company who will bill you automatically.

• Tolls: About 30% of Spain’s motorways have tolls. Most are payable with credit card.

• Driving side: Spain drives on the right side of the road (like the U.S.).

• Headlights: Required at night, in tunnels, and in poor visibility (e.g. rain, fog, etc). Highly recommended at all times.

• Seatbelts: Mandatory for all passengers. 

• Car seats: Small children must be in car seats.

• Phone usage: Handheld phone usage while driving is strictly prohibited.

• Alcohol limit: 0.05% for most drivers and 0.03% for young drivers. This is significantly lower than the U.S. legal limit. 2 drinks can put many people over the limit. Police do breath tests randomly. Your best bet is to not drive if you plan on drinking at all.

• Right-of-way: 

• If not explicitly marked by a sign, traffic coming from the right has priority.

• Trams have the right-of-way unless marked otherwise.

• Yield to traffic already in roundabouts (unless posted otherwise).

• Must yield to pedestrians in walkways.

• Right turn on red: Not allowed unless there is a green arrow or flashing amber arrow, though you must yield to pedestrians and other traffic.

• Required equipment (generally provided by rental company):

• V16 flashing emergency beacon (new requirement starting January 1st, 2026)

• Reflective vest

What to do if you get pulled over

Check out our blog on this subject.

What to do if you get into an accident

The emergency number for Spain is 112.

Check out our blog for more information on this subject.

5. How to get an IDP quickly

Need an IDP? We can ship as quickly as next-day for domestic orders and 2 days for most major cities abroad. We can help figure out where to ship your IDP if you’re already abroad. Don’t panic! We’re here to help.