Hiring a car is one of the best ways to explore Spain, particularly destinations such as Alicante, Valencia and the Costa Blanca. Having your own vehicle gives you the freedom to discover beaches, mountain villages, restaurants and towns that are difficult to reach using public transport.
However, driving rules can be slightly different from those you are used to at home. Spain’s Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT) updated its dedicated guidance for foreign tourists in March 2026, covering documentation, speed limits, alcohol, road signs, city driving and roadside emergencies.
Before collecting your Blanca Cars rental vehicle, here are 25 important rules every tourist should know about driving in Spain.
1. Drive on the Right
Spain drives on the right-hand side of the road.
Overtaking is normally performed on the left.
For visitors arriving from the UK or Ireland, this is obviously one of the biggest differences.
Take particular care when leaving petrol stations, car parks and quiet roads, where it is easier to instinctively return to the side of the road you normally use at home.
2. Know the Main Spanish Speed Limits
For ordinary passenger cars, the general maximum speed is:
120 km/h – motorways and autovías
90 km/h – conventional roads
In towns and cities, the general limits are:
20 km/h – roads where pavement and carriageway are on the same level
30 km/h – roads with one lane in each direction
50 km/h – roads with two or more lanes in each direction
Always follow posted signs because local or temporary limits can be lower.
3. You Cannot Exceed the Speed Limit to Overtake
Spain previously allowed cars and motorcycles to exceed the limit on some conventional roads by up to 20 km/h while overtaking.
That rule no longer exists.
If the limit is 90 km/h, the limit remains 90 km/h while overtaking.
4. Seat Belts Are Compulsory
The driver and passengers should wear their seat belts, including passengers travelling in the rear seats.
Spain actively enforces seat-belt rules using traffic officers and automated monitoring equipment.
5. Children Need the Correct Child Seat
Children 135 cm tall or shorter must use an approved child-restraint system suitable for their size.
They should normally travel in the rear seats, subject to limited legal exceptions.
DGT recommends continuing to use appropriate child restraints until around 150 cm where suitable.
If you require a child seat for your Blanca Cars rental, arrange it before travelling.
6. Traffic Already on a Roundabout Has Priority
Roundabouts are extremely common on the Costa Blanca.
When approaching a normal roundabout, give way to vehicles already circulating inside it unless traffic lights, road markings or an officer indicate otherwise.
Do not assume that entering traffic has priority.
7. Don’t Cut Across a Roundabout to Exit
One of the most common roundabout mistakes is leaving directly from an inside lane.
DGT states that drivers should normally move into the outside/right-hand lane before taking their exit.
If you cannot safely move across, continue around the roundabout again rather than cutting across another vehicle.
Signal your exit clearly.
8. Holding a Mobile Phone While Driving Is Illegal
Do not hold or manually use your mobile phone while driving.
The Spanish penalty-points system treats holding a mobile phone while driving as a serious offence.
Set Google Maps, Apple Maps or another navigation system before moving off.
9. Headphones and Earbuds Are Also Prohibited
Driving while using headphones or earphones that interfere with your attention is prohibited.
This includes using them simply to listen to music or receive navigation instructions.
Use the vehicle’s speakers or approved hands-free system instead.
10. Take Spain’s Drink-Driving Laws Seriously
For general drivers, Spain’s current maximum alcohol limit is 0.5 g/l in blood or 0.25 mg/l in breath.
Lower limits apply to novice and professional drivers, while underage drivers have a zero limit.
Driving with prohibited drugs in your system is illegal.
The safest approach is simple:
If you are driving, don’t drink.
11. Guardia Civil Can Carry Out Random Checks
Do not be surprised to encounter Guardia Civil traffic checkpoints.
Preventive alcohol and drug checks are common. In a July 2026 DGT enforcement campaign, almost nine out of ten positive alcohol/drug detections came from preventive checks.
If instructed to stop, remain calm and follow the officer’s directions.
12. Carry the Correct Driving Documents
DGT lists three core documents required when driving:
- Driving licence
- Vehicle registration document
- Vehicle technical inspection documentation
The vehicle documentation requirement also applies to rental cars.
Make sure you know where the Blanca Cars vehicle documents are kept before setting off.
13. Check Whether Your Licence Is Valid in Spain
Valid EU and EEA driving licences are recognised in Spain.
Drivers from outside the EU/EEA should check the rules applicable to their licence before travelling and whether an International Driving Permit is required alongside their passport and original licence.
Never wait until arriving at the rental desk to investigate this.
14. Only Authorised Drivers Should Drive the Rental Car
Do not allow a friend or family member to drive simply because they have a valid licence.
With Blanca Cars, only drivers listed on the rental agreement are authorised to drive the vehicle.
If you want to share the driving, arrange an additional authorised driver.
15. Give Cyclists Plenty of Space
Cyclists are common throughout Spain, particularly on scenic Costa Blanca and mountain roads.
When overtaking cyclists, drivers must provide at least 1.5 metres of lateral clearance. Where there is more than one lane in your direction, the complete adjacent lane must be used when overtaking.
Never squeeze past because you are impatient.
16. Keep Right on Motorways
On Spanish autopistas and autovías, use the right-hand lane for normal driving.
Use the other lanes primarily when overtaking or when traffic conditions require them.
Do not cruise unnecessarily in the middle or left lane.
17. Never Reverse on a Motorway
Missing your motorway exit is inconvenient.
Reversing back to it is dangerous and prohibited.
Spain’s penalty-points rules specifically penalise reversing or carrying out prohibited manoeuvres on autopistas and autovías.
Continue to the next exit and let your navigation system recalculate.
18. Keep a Safe Following Distance
Leave enough room to stop if the vehicle in front brakes suddenly.
DGT’s current road-safety recommendations emphasise maintaining sufficient safety distance, especially as speeds increase.
Tailgating is both dangerous and an offence.
19. Traffic Officers’ Instructions Take Priority
If a Guardia Civil officer or other authorised traffic officer directs you to stop, change direction or move into another lane, follow their instructions.
Spanish penalty rules treat failure to obey traffic officers’ signals as an offence.
20. Don’t Assume City Driving Rules Are the Same Everywhere
Spanish municipalities can introduce their own rules covering:
- Parking
- Restricted streets
- Pedestrian areas
- Access controls
- Low Emission Zones
DGT specifically advises tourists to check local regulations before entering major cities.
Rules in Alicante may therefore differ from Valencia, Madrid or Barcelona.
21. Watch for Low Emission Zones
Many Spanish cities now operate Zonas de Bajas Emisiones (ZBE) or Low Emission Zones.
Restrictions vary according to the municipality.
Before driving into an unfamiliar city centre, check whether restrictions apply rather than simply following your sat-nav into a controlled area.
22. Read Parking Signs Carefully
Parking regulations are often controlled locally.
Paid parking areas, residents’ areas, loading zones and restricted streets may all use different signs and road markings.
Never assume that an apparently empty roadside space is automatically free to use.
Check nearby signs and parking meters before leaving your rental car.
23. The V-16 Beacon Has Replaced Warning Triangles
Since 1 January 2026, the connected V-16 emergency beacon is the legal warning device for Spanish vehicles covered by the requirement when immobilised because of a breakdown or accident.
It replaces traditional warning triangles and communicates the vehicle’s location to DGT 3.0.
Place the activated V-16 on top of the vehicle, normally on the roof.
24. Call 112 for a Genuine Emergency
If there is a serious accident, injury, fire or immediate danger, call:
112
For ordinary Blanca Cars breakdown assistance, use the emergency contact information supplied with the rental vehicle.
Blanca Cars currently includes roadside assistance and a 24-hour emergency contact service with its rentals.
25. Traffic Fines Don’t Disappear Because You’re a Tourist
A rental car does not make you anonymous.
Spanish authorities can pursue traffic offences involving foreign drivers, and DGT provides procedures specifically for people living abroad who receive Spanish traffic fines.
Speed cameras, mobile-phone enforcement and other monitoring systems are widely used.
Follow the rules rather than assuming a fine cannot reach you after returning home.
Important Change Coming on 1 October 2026
Drivers visiting Spain later in 2026 should be aware of an additional change.
From 1 October 2026, new rules approved by the Spanish government strengthen protection for vulnerable road users.
Among the changes, drivers overtaking cyclists on interurban roads will be required to reduce their speed by at least 20 km/h below the road’s applicable limit, and drivers travelling behind cyclists in the same lane must maintain at least five metres of distance.
If you are reading this article after that date, these requirements should be treated as current rules.