By Jon Rebuck,
17 July 2024 3 mins read

So you’ve picked your sunny Spanish holiday destination, booked time off work and made hotel reservations and sorted your car hire excess insurance policy from ReduceMyExcess. But you may be wondering, what do I need to hire a car in Spain? There are some key considerations, but fortunately we’ve put all the vital information in one place so you can focus on what matters – getting excited for your trip away.

How old do you need to be to hire a car in Spain?
Generally speaking, you will need to be at least 21 years old to rent a car in Spain. The minimum legal driving age is 18, but it will be tough to find a car hire company who will accept you until you’re three years older!
What’s more, some vehicle types may be restricted to those aged 25 or over – so if you’re lucky enough to still be in your early 20s, don’t get too extravagant with your choice of wheels.

How difficult is it to rent a car in Spain?
You shouldn’t have too much trouble renting a car if you’re only heading over to Spain for a few weeks.
However, if an extended trip is on the cards, then it’s worth bearing in mind that most car rental companies will not let you rent a vehicle for more than 28 days. Even if you do get a car for longer, it’s likely to cost you a lot more.

Can I use my UK license to hire a car in Spain?
If you live in mainland UK, you won’t need more than your UK driving license to hire a car once you’re in Spain. It goes without saying that a provisional license won’t be enough – and if you have a paper license then you may need to supplement it with an International Driving Permit or IDP.
An IDP may also be necessary if you got your UK driving license from Gibraltar, Guernsey or the Isle of Man. It’s advisable to check GOV.UK before you travel in order to avoid disappointment.
Again, if you are planning to stay for a while – to be exact, more than six months – then you may need an IDP even if you are from the mainland.

Car Hire Excess Insurance Spain
Third-party liability insurance will usually be included in your base rental price in Spain – but double check beforehand, as it is a legal requirement to be covered for damage or injury you may cause to others or their property.
You may be able to add Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) as an extra, or it could be included in standard rates. However, this option – and many packages for car insurance Spain offers – typically come with a high excess.
The good news is that you can eliminate concerns about this potential cost with car hire excess insurance, which lets you claim back the full fee if you are unfortunate enough to have any issues during your holiday.

Driving rules in Spain
It’s always best to stay on the right side of the law, so read up on driving rules in Spain before embarking on your getaway. Here are the basics:

Speed limits in Spain

The speed limit is 50km/h (around 30mph) on ordinary roads in built-up areas
On the motorway in built-up areas, it’s 80km/h (around 50mph)
Outside built-up areas, the limit for ordinary roads is 90km/h (around 55mph)
For roads with more than one lane in each direction, you can go up to 100 km/h (around 60mph)
The motorway speed limit is 120km/h (around 75mph)

Spanish Toll Roads

Around 20% of Spanish motorways have toll feesRoughly half of these toll roads are in CataloniaYou can pay for toll roads using cash or cardTypically, you get a ticket once you enter the toll roadOnce you exit, you insert the ticket into an automated machineThis machine calculates your fee, and you can then make payment

Items and documents – your checklist hiring in Spain
Your passport isn’t the only essential item you need – if you’re hiring a car, there are some additional items and documents to remember. Here’s a breakdown…
Mandatory items for your car

Warning triangle in case of car troublesHigh-visibility jacket for safety on the road if you have issuesHeadlight beam deflectors (if your vehicle does not have adjustable headlights)

Essential documents to have available
Just like in any other European country, in order to rent a car in Spain you must bring your full and valid driver’s license.
If your license is out of date, a provisional, or a digital copy, it will not be accepted.
Bonus tip
If you’re travelling with a child who needs a booster seat, buy one before you travel. You can carry two large pieces of equipment – e.g. a buggy and car seat – if you are accompanied by a child under 5. If you don’t, you may be charged up to 10 Euros a day to rent one from your car hire company!

Further considerations
Now you’ve got the basics covered, here are some extras to ensure you’re fully prepared ahead of your trip.

Fuel policy
You’ll be choosing from two fuel options once you’re ready to pick a hire car.

Full to Full – you are given a car with a full tank and you must return it with a full tankFull to Empty – your car is supplied with a full tank and you pay for this fuel upon collection. You can then return the car as empty as possible

With Full to Full, you only pay for the fuel you need and it is seen as the more transparent option. However, Full to Empty means you don’t have to worry about filling up the tank just before returning to the car hire desk. Ultimately, the choice is yours!

Additional driver charges
If you’re splitting the driving with one or more people, don’t forget that additional driver charges are likely to make an appearance.
Depending on where you hire your vehicle, costs tend to average at around 10 Euros per day.
Furthermore, nearly all rental car companies will need the additional driver(s) to be present during collection so they can check IDs and gather license information.

Final thoughts
While there are a number of things to remember ahead of your car hire rental in Spain, the good news is that the process is relatively simple in this country.
Now all that’s left to do is wish you a wonderful holiday!

About the author
Jon spent years travelling Europe and Asia before settling down in the UK when he met his wife.
He’s hired cars across the globe and is passionate about helping people save money with excess insurance.
Since co-founding Reduce My Excess, Jon has found that he can use the knowledge he picked up from his travels by sharing it in online guides and articles.
He hopes to save people from making the mistakes he learnt from over the years by giving them the travel information they need before they head off on their holidays.

Company Reviews

Terms & Conditions

Privacy Policy

Complaints

Contact Us

ReduceMyExcess is a trading name of Eversure Limited, Bury House, 1 Bury Street, Guildford, Surrey GU2 4AW. Registered in England and Wales no. 6751893. Eversure Limited are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

/**/

(function (global, oDOC, handler) {
var head = oDOC.head || oDOC.getElementsByTagName(“head”);

function LABjsLoaded() {

$LAB
.script(“https://ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/jquery/3.3.1/jquery.min.js”).wait()
.script(“https://stackpath.bootstrapcdn.com/bootstrap/4.1.3/js/bootstrap.bundle.min.js”)
.script(“/build/scripts/extras-v1.5.min.js”).wait()
.script(“/build/scripts/cbc-v3.23.min.js”);
}

setTimeout(function () {
if (“item” in head) {
if (!head[0]) {
setTimeout(arguments.callee, 25);
return;
}
head = head[0];
}
var scriptElem = oDOC.createElement(“script”),
scriptdone = false;
scriptElem.onload = scriptElem.onreadystatechange = function () {
if ((scriptElem.readyState && scriptElem.readyState !== “complete” && scriptElem.readyState !== “loaded”) || scriptdone) {
return false;
}
scriptElem.onload = scriptElem.onreadystatechange = null;
scriptdone = true;
LABjsLoaded();
};
//scriptElem.src = “//cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/labjs/2.0.3/LAB.min.js”;
scriptElem.src = “/build/scripts/lab.min.js”;

head.insertBefore(scriptElem, head.firstChild);
}, 0);

// required: shim for FF <= 3.5 not having document.readyState if (oDOC.readyState == null && oDOC.addEventListener) { oDOC.readyState = "loading"; oDOC.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", handler = function () { oDOC.removeEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", handler, false); oDOC.readyState = "complete"; }, false); } })(window, document); /**/