what you thought was easy

Today marks my 5th month here in Spain, which means I only have one month left to use my US driver´s license (supposedly it is only valid for six months). NOOOO!

Good thing I don´t have a car.

But really...good thing. Because getting a driver´s license in Spain is one royal pain in the ass, and something I will NOT be doing, despite the fact that I will be here for at least another year. Goodbye, Eurocar rental agency...hello, planes, trains and...buses.

If I had the extra cash, I would probably go through the process just for the experience, and so that I could truly document the absurdness of it here on my blog. But my account will be limited to what well-deserved Spanish license holders have told me.

From what I understand, if you want to get a driver´s license in Spain you´d better have at least 1000 Euros cash in your pocket. Yep, that´s right. No 16 year olds here will be strolling into the DMV with mom´s minivan, only to walk right out and crash it a month later while headbanging to the Cranberries and driving like a bat out of hell in a residential neighborhood.

This scenario is unimaginable here, because a) one must posess at least 18 years of age to obtain a license, and b) it is obligatory to take at least 20 classes of practice and theory at a driving school. These classes cost, on average, 40 Euros an hour, depending on where you are in Spain (everything is cheaper down south).

So do the math...as if the sum wasn´t already jaw-dropping, you should also expect to shell out another couple hundred for matriculation, doctor (a physical and eye exam are required), and exam fees. Bam--you´ve spent over 1000 Euros, and if you´re lucky, that will be the end of your money-blowing days.

But not all are so lucky. The theory test is apparently quite difficult, and many people fail on the first round (Vero, for example). In this case, you must take a minimum of five additional classes, AND pay a re-application fee, which is supposedly even pricier than the original.

Once you have obtained your driver´s license, it´s a whole new ball game. This game involves 12 precious points that you are automatically awarded (and rightfully so) upon taking out your license. If you break any traffic laws, you will lose points (a fender-bender could cost you up to six) and once you hit zero, you are no longer an eligible driver. As far as I know, the only way to regain lost points is by buying them on the internet from other, more qualified drivers who have have enough to spare (and of course, need the money).

As stated by the new title seen above, I don´t have the cash. Or the need. But who knows...one day I might.