Driving in Spain as an Icelander

Since 2022 you may not exceed the 90 km/h limit on conventional roads to overtake.

Many cities restrict access by the car's DGT environmental label, and cameras read number plates. In central Madrid, a car with a C label, which recent petrol and diesel cars have unless they are hybrids, may enter only to park in a public car park. Each improper trip costs €200. Check each city's rules before you drive in.

Carrying a radar detector is an offence, and a jammer is a very serious one. Apps and sat navs that warn of camera locations are legal.

Since 1 October 2026, when traffic on an autopista or autovía slows to walking pace or stops, you must pull over to open a lane for emergency vehicles. With two lanes, the gap goes between them. With three or more, the left lane moves left and the others move right.

When passing a vehicle stopped on the road after a breakdown or crash, or a road crew, leave at least 1.5 metres and slow to at least 20 km/h below the limit.

Towns are 30 km/h here, slower than the 50 km/h at home.

On motorways, overtaking on the right is banned. Keep to the right-hand lane unless you're overtaking. Outside towns, on roads with more than one lane in your direction, keep to the right-hand lane. Use the others only when traffic makes it sensible, such as to overtake, and never hold up faster vehicles behind you.

Most zones decide access by the car's DGT environmental label: 0 (blue), ECO, C (green) or B (yellow). Cars with no label are the most restricted. Each city sets its own rules, and some let restricted cars in only to park in a public or private car park. Where: Every town of more than 50,000 people must set one up. The DGT lists Madrid, Barcelona, San Sebastián, Valencia, Seville, Zaragoza, Bilbao and Málaga among the main ones. A Spanish hire car is already classed by its DGT label, shown on the sticker in the bottom right corner of the windscreen. Foreign-registered cars cannot get a Spanish label but can use the equivalent label from their home country, and some cities such as Barcelona ask them to register in advance.

Cars with a 0, ECO, C or B label can drive in freely. Cars with no label are banned unless registered in Madrid and paying the city's vehicle tax, or exempt. Where: The whole municipality of Madrid, 24 hours a day. The M-40, M-45 and M-50 ring roads are outside the zone. Fine: €200. Petrol cars registered since 2001 and diesel cars since 2006 have at least a B label, so only older cars are affected.

Only cars with a 0 or ECO label may drive in freely. Cars with a C or B label may enter only to park in a public car park or under another exception, and cars with no label are banned. Where: Central Madrid, the former Madrid Central area. Fine: €200 for each improper trip. A petrol car registered since 2006, or a diesel since September 2015, has a C label unless it is a hybrid, which gets ECO. With a C label, drive in only to a public car park, or leave the car outside the centre. Cameras read number plates and the fine arrives by post.

The vast majority of Spain's roads are free to use. The toll motorways (autopistas de peaje) that remain charge at booths, which take cash or bank cards. On most toll motorways you take a ticket when you join and pay when you leave. Some sections charge one fixed toll. State toll motorways still charging in 2026 include the AP-6, AP-9, AP-46, AP-51, AP-53, AP-61, AP-66, AP-68 and AP-71, the AP-7 between Málaga and Guadiaro, between Alicante and Cartagena and between Cartagena and Vera, the AP-36 (Ocaña to La Roda), the AP-41 (Madrid to Toledo), the M-12 and the R-2, R-3, R-4 and R-5.

At a junction with no signs, signals or road markings, give way to traffic coming from your right, even from a small side street. It's the same rule as at home. At a junction with no signs, signals or markings, give way to vehicles coming from your right.

With an Icelandic licence, your own licence is enough. You don't need an International Driving Permit. Licences issued in the EU and the EEA (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) are valid in Spain while they are in force.

Traffic on the roundabout has priority. The inner lanes are for going round. Move to the outer lane before your exit and signal, rather than cutting across from an inner lane.

On a two-way street you may park only on the right-hand side in your direction of travel, so never facing oncoming traffic. Only on one-way streets may you also park on the left.

The blood alcohol limit is 0.05, and 0.03 for licence held for less than 2 years. That's higher than the 0.02 at home, but the safe choice is the same: if you drink, don't drive. The breath limits are 0.25 mg/l, or 0.15 mg/l for novice and professional drivers.