Car and traffic

Contact

Traffic authority DGT: Jefatura Provincial de Tráfico
AlicanteShow on the map
Information and appointments: 060 · sede.dgt.gob.es
Traffic information: dgt.es
ITV appointments: SITVAL — one booking system for all test centres
960 88 22 00, Mon–Fri 9:00–18:00
sitval.com
Nearby test centres: Benidorm · Calpe · 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	mornings, by appointment only
ITV Ondara, Monday to Thursday	7:00 – 20:30
ITV Ondara, Friday	7:00 – 19:30
ITV Ondara, Saturday	8:00 – 13:30, closed in August
Blue zone in Altea	working days during the day, Sundays usually free
Local police	around the clock

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 exchange requires proof of residence. Without a registration certificate it cannot be processed.
Check whether you need toEU licences remain valid. An exchange becomes necessary when the licence expires, is lost, or when penalty points arise — and it saves explanations later.
Entry in the drivers’ registerAnyone living here permanently is entered in the Spanish register; this happens with the exchange.
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.

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What is handled here

Driving licence — exchange, renewal, replacement, penalty points
Transfer — after buying a used vehicle
Registering a foreign vehicle — with its own deadline from taking up residence
ITV — the Spanish roadworthiness test, with a sticker on the windscreen
Vehicle tax (IVTM) — annual, through Suma
Resident parking permit — through 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 registration certificate less than three months old
A medical fitness report from an approved centre, for the licence
For a transfer: purchase contract, vehicle documents, valid ITV and proof that last year’s vehicle tax was paid

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 debt attaches to the vehicle.

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.

In the blue zone what counts is the time on the ticket, not the calendar day. A ticket bought in the morning does not carry through to the evening.

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. An exchange becomes necessary on expiry, loss, or when points arise. Anyone living here permanently has an easier time with it done.

How long can I drive on foreign plates?

Only temporarily. With residence in Spain the vehicle must be registered here; the deadline is short and is enforced. The current rule is on the DGT site.

Where do I take the ITV?

At any test centre in the province; it is not tied to your address. Benidorm, Calpe and Ondara are the nearest. All three belong to the public company SITVAL and share the same booking system.

Is it true that north and south are different companies?

It used to be: the centres were split into lots with seven separate booking sites. Today SITVAL runs all centres in the Valencian Community as a public company. An old bookmark often leads to an agent rather than the operator.

Map

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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 according to the Spanish traffic administration, as at August 2026. ITV centres and booking checked at the same date. Deadlines and fees change — check the authority’s site before each step.