Driving in Spain from the UK: tolls, emission zones and rules

Spain no longer charges tolls on the AP-1, AP-2, AP-4 and AP-7 from La Jonquera to Alicante, whose concessions ended between 2018 and 2021. The Ministry lists these state toll motorways as current: AP-66 Campomanes to Leon, AP-46 Alto de las Pedrizas to Malaga, AP-51 and AP-61 (AP-6 links to Avila and Segovia), AP-53 Santiago to Alto de Santo Domingo, AP-6 Villalba to Adanero, AP-68 Bilbao to Zaragoza, AP-7 Alicante to Cartagena, AP-7 Malaga to Estepona, AP-7 Estepona to Guadiaro, AP-71 Leon to Astorga and AP-9 Ferrol to the Portuguese border. Toll motorways also include the Madrid radial roads (R-2, R-3, R-4, R-5, AP-41, M-12, AP-36). Prices below are for light vehicles (ligeros: cars, and cars towing a trailer without twin wheels) from 1 January 2026; the Ministry tables do not give section lengths in km.

Spanish towns of over 50,000 people must set up low-emission zones (ZBE), mostly based on the Spanish DGT environmental label. That label is not issued to foreign-registered cars, so rules for UK cars depend on each city; some require advance registration, for example Barcelona. Check the city's own website before driving in.

• Barcelona: ZBE Rondes de Barcelona

  Restrictions apply 7am to 8pm on working days, Monday to Friday, inside Barcelona's ring roads. Foreign-registered cars must show compliance through the register: electric, petrol Euro 3 or higher, or diesel Euro 4 or higher. A compliant vehicle that has not been registered in advance can be fined 100 EUR.^[7]

  Official page (opens in a new tab)↗

• All Spanish cities: Zonas de Bajas Emisiones (ZBE)

  ZBEs are compulsory for municipalities with more than 50,000 inhabitants and most restrictions use the DGT environmental label. The DGT lists official ZBE pages for Madrid, Barcelona, San Sebastian, Valencia, Seville, Zaragoza, Bilbao and Malaga and advises checking each city's conditions before you go.^[8]

  Official page (opens in a new tab)↗

• All Spanish cities: FCDO advice on ZBE stickers

  Spanish vehicles must meet the standards and display an air pollution sticker; the stickers are not issued to foreign-registered vehicles, but some cities require you to register your vehicle in advance, for example Barcelona.^[9]

  Official page (opens in a new tab)↗

• V-16 beacon: from 1 January 2026 all Spanish-registered vehicles must carry a connected V-16 warning light. For vehicles registered in other countries it is sufficient to carry warning triangles or a similar device used in the country of origin.^[10]
• DGT advice for foreign drivers: if you break down, signal it with a V-16 beacon or, if you do not have one, the device required in your own country (for example the warning triangle), and get out wearing the reflective vest on the side away from traffic.^[11]
• Reflective vest, and a spare wheel with the tools to fit it, are listed among the safety items for motor vehicles.^[10]
• Documents: driving licence, vehicle registration certificate and the vehicle's technical documentation, originals or certified copies, plus valid insurance with at least compulsory third-party cover.^[12]

Built-up areas

50 km/h^[10]

Outside built-up areas

90 km/h^[10]

Motorways

120 km/h^[10]

Drink-drive limit

0.5 g/l in blood (0.25 mg/l in breath); 0.3 g/l for novice drivers (first 2 years) and professional drivers; 0.0 for underage drivers^[10]

Urban: 50 km/h on roads with two or more lanes each way, 30 km/h on roads with one lane each way, 20 km/h on single-level streets shared with pedestrians. Cars towing trailers: 80 km/h on non-urban roads and 90 km/h on motorways.

• You must display a UK sticker to drive in Spain, no matter what is on your number plate.^[13]
• You do not need an international driving permit (IDP) for Spain, including the Balearic and Canary Islands.^[14]
• FCDO travel advice: carry your UK insurance certificate and check how long your policy covers you in Spain (generally valid for stays under 3 months); provisional licences are not valid.^[9]
• FCDO travel advice: police can give on-the-spot fines; if you accept and pay within 20 days the fine is reduced by 50%. Using a mobile phone while driving is illegal even when pulled over at the roadside, and earpieces are not allowed.^[9]
• Take your log book (V5C) and your insurance certificate; you do not need a green card in the EU but must have valid insurance.^[15]

For documents, insurance, pets and border checks that apply to every country, see the driving to Europe checklist.