UK tourists in Spain face £120 fine due to little-known 'sticker' rule

UK drivers risk a £120 fine if they fail to display a UK identifier when driving abroad and must use a UK sticker when driving their car in Spain. Swansway Motor Group are encouraging holidaymakers to check their licence plates if they’re considering driving their car abroad this summer.

Data from gov.uk explains that any UK driver wishing to use their car overseas must ensure they have a UK identifier with a union flag on their licence plate. Failure to do so can result in a £120 fine.

If your licence plate includes a GB identifier, a national flag (England, Scotland, or Wales), a Euro symbol, or does not have an identifier, you must clearly display a UK sticker on the rear of your car. What’s more, anyone driving in Spain, Malta, or Cyprus must use a UK sticker no matter what.

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Swansway is keen to alert UK drivers to some of the other quirky rules which exist in Spain so they can avoid being fined while on holiday there. Rules include: if you need to wear glasses, you must have a spare pair in the car, and the drink driving limit is 0.25mg/l of exhaled air or 0.15mg/l for drivers with under 3 years’ experience.

Other rules include to rent a vehicle you must be 21. Many companies will only rent to drivers with more than 2 years’ of experience. Children under 135cm must not sit in the front, either. A spokesperson for Swansway Motor Group said: “Thousands of Brits drive to their chosen holiday destinations each year and it is vital they can become familiar with the local driving laws."

The spokesperson for the motoring group went on and said today: "We’d recommend visiting tourism websites for the country you’re visiting and familiarising yourself with the local regulations.”