Brits residing in Spain have been dealt a blow as they’ve been banned from driving after post-Brexit talks broke down.
From Might 1, tens of hundreds of British expats will not be capable of use their UK driving licence on roads in Spain, sparking a transport disaster - though vacationers are exempt from the cruel new coverage.
The UK and Spanish governments have failed to achieve an settlement about DVLA-issued licences by the April 30 deadline, with Tory MP Sir Iain Duncan Smith blaming the European authorities.
“It’s a case of ‘mañana, mañana [tomorrow, tomorrow]’,” he informed the Mail on Sunday.
“It’s time they pull their finger out and do what they agreed.”
A International Workplace spokesman mentioned: “An settlement to swap UK driving licences for Spanish licences has not but been reached.
“From Might 1, UK licence holders who've been resident in Spain for greater than six months and didn't trade their licence in the course of the transition interval will not be capable of drive legally in Spain.
“Now we have agreed to quickly speed up talks and are urging the Spanish Authorities to deliver ahead interim measures.”
Till now Brits residing in Spain have been permitted to make use of their DVLA-issued licences on the roads, whereas each different European nation has come to a post-Brexit settlement about UK drivers.
The change doesn't apply to holidaymakers, who can nonetheless use their Brit-issued driving licence whereas within the nation, report Mirror On-line.
Anybody affected by the ban is suggested to take instant steps to use for a Spanish licence, which can contain each a concept and a sensible take a look at.
The official steerage on the UK authorities’s web site says the next.
“When you have a sound UK driving licence:
- From 1st Might 2022 should you had been residing in Spain earlier than 1st January 2021, your legitimate UK driving licence will not be legitimate for driving in Spain.
- In case you moved to Spain after 1st January 2021, your legitimate UK licence will probably be recognised for six months from the date you obtained residence.”
One expat informed the Mail she’s tried to get right into a driving faculty to acquire a Spanish licence however “nothing is on the market”.
It’s the newest Spanish crackdown on foreigners after the introduction of a “six-drinks-a-day” restrict on boozy vacationers in an try to restrict anti-social behaviour in hotspots.
The brand new regulation will apply to resorts on islands together with Ibiza and Majorca, in addition to some accommodations within the Balearic Islands, and means holidaymakers will probably be compelled to pay additional if they need greater than three free alcoholic drinks per meal.
First introduced again in January, the booze rule has caught out a whole bunch of British holiday-makers who at the moment are arriving within the islands for a spring getaway.
Jason Walker, 42, solely realized in regards to the rule when he arrived in Majorca for his cousin’s birthday this week.
“We solely came upon after we checked in and solely budgeted a lot as a result of thought all our food and drinks can be coated,” he mentioned.
“We had been very upset and offended.
“We’ve come as a household of eight to have fun my cousin’s fortieth and whereas we've nonetheless had fun, we've incurred additional prices in consequence.”
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