Last updated on February 28th, 2020 at 11:36 am.
As in other countries, you can expect to be fined in Spain for a number of infractions of the traffic code. Speeding, parking where you shouldn’t, not having the right paper work in the car, all carry traffic fines in Spain – some substantial.
An unusual system operates whereby if you pay the fine within a specified amount of time you only have to pay half of the total amount. This makes a terrific difference if you are talking about paying 60€ rather than 120€ and can make the initial fine seem extortionate if you don’t pay on time.
You might receive your fine in different ways depending on what it’s for. Although speed cameras aren’t used as extensively in Spain as they are in some countries, they do exist. There is usually warning of them and if you break the limit you are likely to receive notification in the post.
Other fines might be delivered directly by police officers. It is a matter of routine here in Spain for cars to be stopped and checked. You should make sure that you carry the correct paper work with you including your insurance documents, driving licence, car registration details and that your latest ITV (MO) sticker is displayed if yours is an older car.
You can pay on the spot if you like or can keep your ticket and pay it at a local post office or in some branches of Santander. You can also call 060 to pay or enter the DGT website (Dirección General de Tráfico). If you do decide to pay online you will need a credit or debit card but do not need a digital certificate.
If you don’t pay
The system here in Spain is rather different from many other countries. You will not usually be chased for the payment of a traffic fine. This does not mean that they have forgotten it took place. An unpaid ‘multa’ or fine can still be registered against your car or bike and will need settling before selling or taking your vehicle off the road. In some cases non-payment might even lead to your bank account being embargoed.
If you feel you have been unfairly charged then you can appeal within 20 days in writing. However, by doing this you lose your entitlement to the 50% reduction in fine. In most cases it is probably best to pay the original fine.
Points on your licence
As a driver with less than three years experience in Spain you will have 8 points. Everyone else starts with 12. You can then lose points for various traffic offences – these can be deducted in blocks of anything from 2 to 6 points.
You can accrue more points for ‘good behaviour’. If you don’t lose any points during a two-year period you can get an extra 2 points and in three years you get an extra point. The maximum number you can have is 15.
You can have your licence taken off you if you lose all your points or the offence is severe, such as drink driving. You will then have to complete a short course after you have lost your licence. This course will be conducted in Spanish and you will need to take a translator with you if you are not fluent in the language. At the end you will receive a certificate.
Know the rules
Of course, the best course of action is to try not to break the rules in the first place. Whether you are driving in Spain for a short period of time or live here, you are advised to check what the laws are on the road. They may well be very different from those you are used to.
For example, in some countries it is customary to drive around a roundabout in the middle lane and pull into the outside lane when you are ready to leave the roundabout. In Spain it is usual to drive around the roundabout in the outside lane, whatever your exit point is. The inside lane is for overtaking only.
Making yourself familiar with these different rules will ensure that you drive safely and save yourself some money at the same time.
It might be of your interest...
32 comments
4 May, 2014 11:09 am
Hi, is there a book or web
Hi, is there a book or web site that I can study to know the rules of driving in Spain.
Regards,
Derek.
7 May, 2014 5:21 pm
I would like a book on this,
I would like a book on this, particularly parking laws.I do not understand the colours on pavements re parking
13 May, 2014 9:38 am
I think a book would be a
I think a book would be a very good idea. In the meantime I can refer you to Graham Shelton's website: http://www.spanish-number-plates.com and the article he wrote that is currently published in Spain Explained: http://www.abacoadvisers.com/spain_explained/life-in-spain/news/driving-legally-in-spain.
In this Graham explains about the different colour coding when you park and includes some other interesting information about driving in Spain.
12 October, 2014 10:09 pm
Hi, I just don’t get this
Hi, I just don’t get this roundabout rule, If I’m going straight I stay on the outside lane and leave straight ahead, however time and time again I get someone from the inside lane pull right across me intending to go left, Surely if you intend to turn left you should be in the outside lane hugging the roundabout.
This is so dangerous!! I’ve seen so many near misses, surely something should be done, I can’t understand why the Spanish are taught to do it.
14 October, 2014 9:16 am
I don’t think you’re on your
I don't think you're on your own feeling like this. Particularly in the summer, you do feel as though you take your life in your hands sometimes negotiating roundabouts. I suppose these different systems have developed over time. We tend to assume when driving in another country that the principles are the same. It can come as quite a shock when they're not.
8 May, 2015 9:26 am
I have received a document
I have received a document for a speeding fine, which I don’t dispute. I want to pay within the 50% window but the entire form is in Spanish. I cannot find anyway of paying. What do I do?
18 May, 2015 6:03 pm
Dear David
Dear David
The simplest way to pay a fine is to take the denuncia to any branch of the Santander bank as this bank handles DGT (Trafico’s) account. You must pay them in cash as I once tried to pay a speeding fine by card and they would not accept it. The bank will process the fine, stamp the denuncia and give it back to the payer.
Graham Shelton
6 June, 2015 10:50 am
I have just received a multa
I have just received a multa for 80 euros. my perfectly legal spanish car was deemed to have been parked for too long in the same spot, outside my house where the parking is unregulated. I have never had this problem before and have had the house for 8 years.
I live in a small mountain pueblo
Anybody else heard of this??
3 July, 2015 12:21 pm
Does anyone know how you find
Does anyone know how you find out what offence you committed as the DGT website just tells you the Reg number , date and penalty… Cant find out more, thanks…G West
16 June, 2016 4:45 am
Just a note Standards bank
Just a note Standards bank will only take payment of fines on certain days, I walked several km , after parking my car in Santa Pola , to pay my fine only to be told they wouldn’t take the payment I had together on Thursday, how ridiculous ! They say it is how trafico or whoever gets the cash request it.
Frustrating or what. Cya Bill
3 December, 2019 8:23 am
good day
how can i pay a traffic fine in Spain ? be noted am from Saudi Arabia and now in Saudi ?
5 December, 2019 11:27 am
Hello,
In the fine or letter receive you should find all available ways to pay your fine.
With kind regards,
Ábaco Advisers
11 August, 2020 5:49 pm
we parked in Calella last week. when we got back to the car a policeman was there and told us it was prohibited. He did not give us a ticket as we were about to drive off but i am concerned we may still get one and not know till it has mounted up. I have tried to register on the website, we have NIE but it won’t accept it. Any advice?
12 August, 2020 8:38 am
Hi Maggie,
Unfortunately nothing you can check online, you will have to wait to receive a letter on the post.
With kind regards,
Ábaco Advisers
26 August, 2020 1:15 pm
I received a parking ticket today in Vera.I thought I could pay in Albox but NO…
How can I pay it…. today ?
26 August, 2020 1:25 pm
Hi there,
The parking ticket should have in it different ways to pay it, it might be via their website, via the bank or directly at the local Town Hall.
Hope this information can be of help.
With kind regards,
Ábaco Advisers
25 November, 2020 8:27 am
Hi, when filling up with petrol immediately prior to returning our rental car in Madrid we unknowingly entered a forbidden area for our hire car vehicle to access the petrol station. We received a fine from the rental car agency Hertz and paid them via credit card. Now Nivi Gestiones Espana has emailed us to say the fine hasn’t been paid. The fine documents had no payment details. We are in Australia and don’t know what to do.
If we return to Spain for a holiday in the future will they pursue us if they think we haven’t paid the fine?
25 November, 2020 9:28 am
Hi Susie,
This will depend on the amount and how they proceed to pursue the amount due.
Most likely they will not pursue when entering Spain but if you have a property or bank account un Spain they could place an embargo on the amount due.
With kind regards,
Ábaco Advisers
31 March, 2022 2:23 pm
Should you be issued with a ticket or receive a registered letter before discovering that you have a fine?
I was told I had one when I went to pay my road tax.
31 March, 2022 3:55 pm
Depends on the type of fine, but usually you should have been informed of the ticket/fine.
With kind regards,
Ábaco Advisers
26 April, 2022 12:13 pm
Hi!
how long till a speed ticket expires in Spain? My friend got it in july of 2019, would there be any complications if returning in august of 2022 to Spain (Canary Islands)? Would he only be made to pay the ticket at the airport or would they not let him enter the country? Or none of the above?
Thank you very much for the answer!
1 May, 2022 9:25 pm
A speeding ticket will expire after 4 years in Spain.
Can not tell if there will be any complications to enter to be completely honest. The best would always be to pay the fine.
With kind regards,
Ábaco Adivisers
17 October, 2022 8:09 pm
Today I received a letter in the post in the UK from Spain notifying me that I have received a fine for crossing a line on the AP-7 in March 2022.
I want to pay the fine but cannot find any way of paying it, I have tried ringing the telephone number which is all in Spanish and we cannot find any link on line to pay it, could you please advise
18 October, 2022 7:30 am
Hi Brian,
You can try via the following link:
https://sedeclave.dgt.gob.es/WEB_IWPS5_INET/jsp/sincertificado/index.jspx
With kind regards,
Ábaco Advisers
24 November, 2022 1:12 pm
why am i not able to enter in the DC number on a parking ticket when its not allowing me
to enter but two digit only?
29 November, 2022 3:18 pm
Hi,
We would have to be able to see the fine/parking ticket to be able to give you more information unfortunately.
Should you wish to contact us do not hesitate to contact us.
With kind regards,
Ábaco Adviser
21 October, 2023 7:06 pm
just got a parking ticket in Marbella.
200 Euro.
bit expensive?
24 October, 2023 12:51 pm
It will all depend on the infraction that has occurred.
With kind regards,
Ábaco Advisers
24 December, 2023 6:16 pm
Hello
I am in Gran Canaria at the moment (Gáldar) I received an unfair parking fine of €200 (€100 if paid soon).
However, I do not see why I should pay an unfair fine, but I am on holiday and do not speak any Spanish
Can I appear online somewhere (google will translate the WEB page)?
Is the appeal process fair? or do they just ignore any appeal from an English man on holiday?
Please advise
Thannks
27 December, 2023 8:18 am
Sorry to read about your situation Charlie, unfortunately we do not know any details of the fine and the how the appeal process works for just this fine.
With kind regards,
Ábaco Advisers
20 March, 2024 3:49 pm
Hi – do I need to pay a photo radar speeding ticket from 2008 if I am planning to return to spain this year? Or has that been now removed from DGT system due to expiration? I am not sure how to go about paying the ticket as I have no recollection of the details (NIE, etc.). Just vaguely remember this incident now…
28 March, 2024 9:17 am
Thank you for reaching out. Regarding the photo radar speeding ticket from 2008, it’s possible that the ticket may have been removed from the DGT system due to expiration. However, I recommend contacting the Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT) directly to confirm the status of the ticket and inquire about any outstanding fines.
If you do need to pay the ticket, the DGT should be able to provide you with the necessary information, even if you don’t recall all the details such as your NIE. They may ask for other identifying information to locate the ticket in their system.
Best regards,
Ábaco Advisers
Leave a comment