Can You Take the Spanish Driving Theory Test in English?

Yes. According to the DGT (Dirección General de Tráfico), Spain's national traffic authority, the B licence theory test (permiso B) can be taken in Spanish, a co-official language, English, French or German. You choose the language on the Mod. 04 application form.

The English option covers the theory test only. The DGT's 2025 training manual on driving tests states that the common theory test may be taken in English, French or German. The practical driving test is a different matter, and we explain below what is and is not documented about it.

You choose English in the field labelled Idioma de la prueba teórica (theory test language) on the Mod. 04 form. The current form lists English for the theory test for permit classes A1, A2, B and RPV, so it applies to the standard B licence. Availability can vary by exam centre, so confirm with your driving school or your Provincial Traffic Office (Jefatura Provincial de Tráfico) before booking. The sources we checked do not list English availability by centre.

The usual route for a first Spanish licence runs in this order:

1. Get a medical report (informe de aptitud psicofísica, often called the certificado psicotécnico) from an authorised medical centre. The DGT says it expires 90 working days (días hábiles) after it is issued, so submit your application inside that window.
2. Complete Mod. 04 and select English in the theory test language field. If you study at a driving school (autoescuela), tell them your choice so it goes on the form.
3. Pay the tasa 2.1 fee, which is €94.05 and covers two exam attempts.
4. Book your exam appointment (cita previa). The DGT requires your DNI or NIE for the booking.
5. Sit the theory test first, then the practical test once you have passed the theory.

The theory test has 30 questions, and each question has three answer options with one correct answer. You have 30 minutes, which is extended when a traffic video is shown. Under the Reglamento General de Conductores (Royal Decree 818/2009), the error limit is 10 per cent of the questions, rounded up, which gives a maximum of three errors on 30 questions.

The DGT pages we checked do not say whether an unanswered question counts as an error, so answer every question. We do not have the official question bank, and no practice question in English or Spanish can be promised to match the real exam.

The practical driving test (prueba de control de aptitudes y comportamientos) is the part we could not confirm in English. The Mod. 04 form and the DGT manual mention English only for the theory test. The sources we checked do not state which language the practical examiner uses. Plan for Spanish, and ask your driving school how they run the practical lessons and exam.

The following rules are documented in Annex VI of Royal Decree 818/2009:

• The open-road section for permit B must last at least 25 minutes.
• Faults are graded as eliminatoria (serious), deficiente (significant) or leve (minor).
• A candidate is not apto (not passed) after one serious fault, two significant faults, one significant fault plus five minor faults, or ten minor faults.

The DGT does not publish a pass rate or waiting times in the pages we checked, so this article does not give either.

Study the theory questions in English, but learn the Spanish words for the rules you will hear from your instructor and see on the road. Even if your test is in English, the practical lessons, the instructor and many road markings and signs use Spanish. The table lists 15 terms that appear often in driving lessons.

A simple habit helps: when you study a sign in English, say its Spanish name out loud. Your instructor will use those words in the car.

The tasa 2.1 exam fee is €94.05, and it covers two exam attempts (convocatorias). Those attempts are generally counted across the theory and practical tests together. A passed theory test is valid for two years under the Reglamento General de Conductores, so you have time to take the practical test after passing the theory.

If you fail twice, you must submit a new application and pay the fee again. The table summarises the main deadlines and fees checked against DGT pages.

The results rules are set out on the DGT results page, and you should check it for any changes before you book.

Yes, for some candidates. The DGT offers an easy-read theory test (lectura fácil) for permit B. You must request it in advance, through your driving school or your Jefatura. It is only available at computerised exam centres. The DGT also allows extra time on request, and the Jefatura Provincial assesses each case.

The DGT's 2024 press note says the easy-read test is for candidates with reading difficulties, and that it was piloted in 2020 with people with intellectual disabilities. The DGT text does not set out other eligibility criteria, so ask the Jefatura Provincial de Tráfico if you are unsure whether you qualify.

• You can take the Spanish B theory test in English, and you choose it on the Mod. 04 application form.
• The theory test has 30 questions, three options each, 30 minutes, and a limit of three errors.
• A passed theory test is valid for two years, and tasa 2.1 covers two attempts.
• We could not confirm an English option for the practical test, so confirm with your driving school.
• Learn the Spanish road terms alongside your English study, because your lessons and the practical test use Spanish.