Car and traffic

Contact

Traffic authority DGT: Jefatura Provincial de Tráfico
Alicante
Information and appointments: 060 · sede.dgt.gob.es
Traffic information: dgt.es
ITV appointments: SITVAL — one booking system for all test centres
Book online or by phone: 960 88 22 00
sitval.com
Nearby test centres: Benidorm · Calp · Ondara
Ondara: carretera CV-7260 no. 731, beside the La Marina shopping centre
Local police: Traffic in town, towing, resident permits
965 84 55 11 · emergency 092

Opening hours

Period	Public opening
DGT Alicante, public counter	by appointment only (over-65s also without one); hours on dgt.es
ITV test centres	hours at sitval.com

DGT appointments are issued online and are scarce in high season. Exact blue zone hours are shown on the ticket machines.

Opening hours change. Please check before going: sede.dgt.gob.es

Departments and contacts

Jefatura Provincial de TráficoLicences, registration, transfers, penalty points
Local policeParking, accident reports, resident permits
Guardia Civil de TráficoRoads outside town, the N-332 and the AP-7
GestoríaHandles transfers and registrations for a fee — the usual route

Step by step: exchanging an EU driving licence

Register firstThe requirement is normal residence in Spain; how to prove it follows the DGT’s list of documents (usually the registration certificate).
Check whether you need toEU licences remain valid for as long as they are in force. They must be renewed in Spain on expiry — and, if open-ended or valid for more than 15 years, two years after taking up residence. If lost, the DGT issues a replacement. A voluntary exchange saves having to explain later.
Entry in the drivers’ registerEntry in the Spanish drivers’ register is voluntary and a separate step; the licence itself is not replaced. With an exchange or renewal it happens anyway.
Book an appointment with the DGTThrough the online office; the provincial office is in Alicante.
AttendWith the licence, NIE, registration certificate, a photograph and a medical fitness report from an approved centre.

What is handled here

Driving licence — exchange, renewal, replacement, penalty points
Transfer — after buying a used vehicle
Registering a foreign vehicle — it must be registered here and may not be driven until then (green temporary plates: 2 months, renewable)
ITV — the Spanish roadworthiness test, with a sticker on the windscreen
Vehicle tax (IVTM) — annual, through Suma
Resident parking permit — ask at the town hall
Fines — payment and appeal through the authority that issued them

What to bring

The original driving licence
NIE and passport or identity card
A current registration certificate
A medical fitness report from an approved centre, for the licence
For a transfer: form Mod. 02, purchase contract, DGT fee and proof of transfer tax (ITP) — within 30 days of the sale

The documents required change with the rules. Current list: sede.dgt.gob.es

Good to know

Vehicle tax follows your address, not the car. If you are registered in Altea you pay it here, through Suma. When buying used, check that last year’s tax was paid. The tax is owed by whoever was the registered keeper on 1 January.

Notices do not always come by post. With a digital certificate you can opt into the DGT’s electronic notifications, and deadlines then become traceable. Without it, the first you hear of a fine may be the enforcement stage.

Fees and charges

The DGT charges statutory fees for exchanges, registrations and transfers; a transfer also attracts a regional tax. Current amounts are at sede.dgt.gob.es. Vehicle tax itself is collected by Suma.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to exchange my EU licence?

As an EU licence it remains valid for as long as it is in force. It must be renewed in Spain on expiry — and, if open-ended or valid for more than 15 years, two years after taking up residence. Anyone living here permanently will find life easier once it is done.

How long can I drive on foreign plates?

Only temporarily. With residence in Spain the vehicle must be registered here; the DGT gives no specific deadline. Until it is registered it may not be driven. The current rule is on the DGT site.

Where do I take the ITV?

At any SITVAL centre in the Valencian Community (according to sitval.com); it is not tied to your address. Benidorm, Calp and Ondara are the nearest; centres and booking: sitval.com.

Is it true that north and south are different companies?

It used to be: the centres were split into lots, and several concession holders had their own booking sites. Today SITVAL, a public company, runs the ITV service of the Valencian Community. An old bookmark often leads to an agent rather than the operator.

Map

Map from Google Maps

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Parking — where to leave the car, and charging points
Suma — vehicle tax (IVTM)
Digital certificate — for notices and penalty points

Responsibilities and procedures according to dgt.es, sede.dgt.gob.es and revista.dgt.es, as of October 2026. ITV centres and booking: sitval.com. Deadlines and fees change — check the authority’s site before each step. Phone numbers without an official source reflect the position in October 2026; please check before calling.