A car driven in Spain from the UK needs a UK photocard licence, insurance and vehicle papers, and a UK sticker whatever the plate shows. The connected V16 beacon that Spanish cars carry is not needed: the DGT says foreign-registered cars comply with warning triangles. The general limits are 120 km/h on an autopista or autovía, 90 on a conventional road and 50 in town on roads with two or more lanes each way. Below are papers, equipment, limits, the speeding fine table, alcohol, phone and radar rules, from GOV.UK, the BOE and the DGT, read on 17 October 2026. It is a summary, not legal advice.
Papers and sticker
GOV.UK says a UK photocard licence works in Spain; a paper licence may need updating to a photocard, and a provisional licence is not valid. You must be 18 to drive a car, and carry your licence and ID. UK insurance should be carried as a certificate, which GOV.UK says is generally valid only for stays of under three months, so check the cover and its length. GOV.UK's Driving in the EU page adds that no international driving permit is needed, that the V5C or the VE103 for a hired or leased car should be with you, and that a UK sticker is required in Spain, Cyprus and Malta whatever is on your plate. The rest of the checklist is in driving in Europe from the UK.
Equipment: the V16 beacon and the vest
From 1 January 2026 the connected V16 beacon is the only legal way to signal an immobilised vehicle in Spain, replacing triangles, the DGT says. For other countries' cars the DGT's instruction announced on 24 January 2025 says that vehicles registered elsewhere and in international circulation in Spain comply with the rules if they use the triangles. On that reading, a UK-registered car on a trip does not need a V16.
Article 118.4 of the Reglamento General de Circulación (RGC) separately requires drivers of cars to wear the high-visibility reflective vest that forms part of the vehicle's compulsory equipment when they leave the car and stand on the carriageway or hard shoulder of an inter-urban road. GOV.UK also notes that seatbelts are compulsory in front and back and that children under 1.35 metres need an approved child seat on the back seat.
Speed limits for driving in Spain
| Road | Car | Car with trailer |
|---|---|---|
| Autopista or autovía | 120 km/h | 90 km/h |
| Conventional road | 90 km/h | 80 km/h |
| Town: two or more lanes each way | 50 km/h | |
| Town: one lane each way | 30 km/h | |
| Town: single-surface street | 20 km/h |
Article 48 sets the first two rows. For conventional roads with a physical separation between the two directions, the road owner may fix 100 km/h for cars. In built-up areas Article 50 sets the three generic limits, a 50 km/h limit through towns on a through road, and 80 km/h on an autopista or autovía inside a built-up area, and the municipality can lower them with a sign. Signs always take priority.
Speeding fines
Annex IV of the traffic law lists fines for speeding recorded by a speed camera. For a car, the table below gives the euro amount by the speed recorded against three common limits.
| Limit | 100 euro | 300 euro | 400 euro | 500 euro | 600 euro |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 km/h | 51 to 70 | 71 to 80 | 81 to 90 | 91 to 100 | from 101 |
| 90 km/h | 91 to 120 | 121 to 140 | 141 to 150 | 151 to 160 | from 161 |
| 120 km/h | 121 to 150 | 151 to 170 | 171 to 180 | 181 to 190 | from 191 |
The annex also assigns licence points to the bands from 300 euro upwards (2, 4, 6 and 6 points). GOV.UK says the police can give on-the-spot fines for speeding and other offences, and that if you accept a fine and pay within 20 days it is reduced by 50 percent. If you pay on the spot, ask for a receipt.
Alcohol and phones
Article 20 sets the alcohol limit at 0.5 grams per litre of blood or 0.25 milligrams per litre of breath. For any driver in the first two years after getting a licence it is 0.3 grams and 0.15 milligrams. GOV.UK says police run regular roadside checks for alcohol and drugs, and that penalties include fines, loss of licence and prison.
Article 18 bans using a mobile phone or any other means of communication while driving, except a call made without hands and without headsets or earpieces, and bans headphones. GOV.UK puts it more sharply: using a phone is illegal even if you have pulled over at the side of the road, an earpiece is illegal and only fully hands-free units are allowed.
Radar detectors and warnings
Article 18.3 of the RGC, in the version in force from 1 October 2026, bans installing or carrying in vehicles radar or speed camera jammers and any other instruments meant to evade or interfere with traffic surveillance systems, and bans carrying devices that detect radars or speed cameras. Its last sentence reads: "Quedan excluidos de esta prohibición los mecanismos de aviso que informan de la posición de los sistemas de vigilancia del tráfico" (warning mechanisms that inform of the position of traffic surveillance systems are excluded from this ban). Article 18.4 classes breaches as serious. The law on speed camera apps sets out the rules country by country.
Low emission zones and tolls
GOV.UK says some Spanish cities have permanent low emission zones, that the stickers are not issued to cars with foreign plates, and that some cities, Barcelona for one, require you to register the vehicle in advance. Tolls are covered in Spanish road tolls. If you drive down through France, the France requirements guide covers that leg.
What BlitzBuddy does in Spain
BlitzBuddy gives no speed camera warnings in Spain. Your speed and your trip log still work, with distance and time, while the trips setting is on; camera warnings switch on by themselves when you arrive in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, France or Türkiye. BlitzBuddy is free, with no ads and no subscription. It is available for iPhone; the Android version is coming soon. More guides are under driving abroad.
Sources
- Spain travel advice: Safety and security, GOV.UK
- Driving in the EU, GOV.UK
- Reglamento General de Circulación (Real Decreto 1428/2003), texto consolidado, Boletín Oficial del Estado (in Spanish)
- Ley sobre Tráfico, Circulación de Vehículos a Motor y Seguridad Vial (Real Decreto Legislativo 6/2015), texto consolidado, Boletín Oficial del Estado (in Spanish)
- DGT recuerda la obligación de disponer de la baliza V-16, Dirección General de Tráfico (in Spanish)
- Instrucción sobre el uso de la señal V-16 en circulación internacional, Dirección General de Tráfico (in Spanish)
Sources read on 17 October 2026 and checked again the same day.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a UK sticker in Spain?
Yes. GOV.UK says that in Spain, Cyprus and Malta you must display a UK sticker whatever is on your number plate.
Do I need a V16 beacon in a UK car in Spain?
No, on the DGT's reading. Its instruction of January 2025 says vehicles registered in other countries and in international circulation in Spain comply with the rules if they use the warning triangles. From 1 January 2026 the connected V16 is the only legal signal for Spanish vehicles.
What is the speed limit on Spanish motorways?
Article 48 of the Reglamento General de Circulación sets 120 km/h for a car on an autopista or autovía and 90 km/h on a conventional road, with 100 km/h possible on some conventional roads with the two directions physically separated, where the road owner sets it.
What is the drink-drive limit in Spain?
Article 20 says 0.5 grams of alcohol per litre of blood or 0.25 milligrams per litre of breath, and 0.3 grams or 0.15 milligrams for the first two years after getting a licence.
Is a speed camera detector legal in Spain?
No. Article 18.3 of the Reglamento General de Circulación bans installing or carrying radar jammers and bans carrying devices that detect radars or speed cameras. The same paragraph says warning mechanisms that inform of the position of traffic surveillance systems are excluded from the ban.
