Urgent International Driving Permit in Spain: what is really possible

How fast can you get an urgent international driving permit in Spain?

Two realistic timeframes, both set by the DGT:

• Online: two days. Apply at the DGT electronic office with a digital certificate, electronic DNI or Cl@ve, pay the €10.51 fee by card and choose a Jefatura. Two days later the permit is waiting there; collect it in person without an appointment, with your ID and an original 32 × 26 mm photo.
• In person: normally on the spot. Book an appointment at any Jefatura, bring form 3, ID, a copy of your licence, the photo and a card, and the counter normally hands it over the same day. The DGT publishes no fixed timeframe, so it can depend on the office, and the real limit is finding an appointment soon enough.

Is there an express or same-day service?

No official express procedure exists. The DGT sells no priority processing and no agency can skip the DGT. "IDP in 24 hours" or "instant IDP" means one of two things: an in-person application that depends on appointment availability, or a website selling a PDF that no authority issues. We do not promise 24 hours either. We promise to submit your application the day you send your documents and to tell you honestly when it will be ready.

Travelling in a few days

1. Check whether you need it. In the EU/EEA and in the 30 countries with a bilateral agreement with Spain (United Kingdom, Switzerland, Morocco, Turkey, Argentina, Brazil and others) your Spanish licence is enough. Japan is the exception; South Korea and New Zealand require it in practice.
2. Apply online today, or send us your documents in the chat and we submit for you. Choose the Jefatura nearest to you or to your departure airport.
3. Collect it two days later, no appointment, with ID and photo.

If you leave before the two days are up, try for an in-person appointment; if you get one, the permit is normally issued on the spot.

Travelling tomorrow

Be honest about what is possible. The online route will not be ready in time. Your options are an in-person appointment, if one is available, or travelling with your Spanish licence alone. In the United States the permit is recommended rather than compulsory, and in many countries counters accept the Spanish licence even where the permit is advisable. Do not buy an online "permit" in a panic: it will not help you and may cost you a fine.

Already abroad?

Spanish consulates and embassies do not issue or renew the IDP. The only route is a representative in Spain, through the DGT Register of Powers of Attorney or with the free DGT form 24 signed by you, who collects the booklet with your ID. We can arrange this and send the permit by certified post to an address in Spain, or have an authorised family member collect it. It still takes the DGT's two days plus the time to get the booklet to you; write to us with your dates and we will tell you if it is realistic.

Our two options and their real timeframes

Choose below; the €10.51 fee is included in both. Collect at the Jefatura you choose: ready in two working days, no appointment, the faster of the two. Delivered to your home: certified post from a chartered gestoría with a DGT agreement, slower because the post is added; we confirm the timeframe when you order, depending on your province. We cannot make the DGT go faster than two days. Depending on the option you choose, the application is handled by our team or by a chartered gestoría with an agreement with the DGT. We are not the DGT and have no connection with it. Full procedure in how to apply.