Speeding fines in Spain

Can I write to the DGT in English?

In general, the language of the Spanish administration is Spanish. In some autonomous communities Spanish is co-official language together with the regional language. The Spanish national authorities issue all documents and notifications in Spanish by default, but they usually accept and process applications made in English.

The DGT in particular, which is the highest Spanish authority for traffic fines, processes documents received in English as a matter of course, although the response will generally be issued in Spanish.

Speeding fines in Spain: information over the phone

The DGT has an information line exclusively for speeding penalties, which are the most common. The service includes information on penalties of 900 and 1200 euros for failing to identify the driver in a previous speeding offence. This line can provide information on where the offence took place and on the most common procedures:

Submitting an objection to a fine of 900 euros.
Identifying the driver
Paying the fines
Information on driving licence points for speeding offences

The DGT helpline on speeding fines has a service in English. The English language service is only available in the mornings, Monday to Friday, from 08:00 to 14:00 (Spanish time).

If you have received a fine for speeding in Spain and you need assistance call 0034987010559 and request to speak in English after the recorded message ends. Calling this phone number is free from 99% of the Spanish lines. Calling from abroad has the cost of an regular call to any Spanish landline.

If you need help with other services of the Spanish traffic authority (DGT) you should call 060. This citizen helpline number also has English-speaking operators from Monday to Friday and is open from 09:00 to 14:00 Spanish time. The 060 telephone number has a special rate, please check with your telephone company. On the 060 telephone number you can obtain information about exchanging driving licences, buying and selling vehicles, obtaining a Spanish driving licence, updating your address for notifications, etc.

How do I pay my fine DGT es?

These are the steps to follow to pay a fine on the DGT website:

1. Go to https://sedeapl.dgt.gob.es:7443/WEB_IWPS5_INET/jsp/sincertificado/index.jspx.

2. Fill in the personal details of the holder of the card with which you are going to make the payment, choosing NIE, Passport or Other as the type of identification.

3. It is very important to provide a valid e-mail address, as the payment receipt will be sent by this means.

4. Use only numbers in the Document No. and Amount boxes. Select the notification date using the calendar (the day you received the fine).

5. Click the Plus button if you have more than one fine and repeat.

6. Click Continue.

7. Read and accept the terms and conditions and click Continue.

8. Enter your card details. The DGT website uses a double verification system, so you will receive an SMS or you will have to access your bank's app or website to complete the operation.

If you need assistance you can call the DGT hotline (+34987010559). The service is available in English from Monday to Friday mornings, from 08:00 to 14:00 (Spanish time).

Error, the field Date of Notification is not correct - US and Canada

Trying to pay a fine and you can't get past the "Error, the field Date of Notification is not correct" message? Well, if you live in the US or in Canada it might be a little tricky to sort this out.

The reason why you cannot pay even using the DGT calendar is that your OS and browser are more than likely to use the US date format (MM/DD/YYYY), and the site will only work if it receives the date information in the European format (DD/MM/YYYY). To fix this issue you will have to change the settings both in your OS and in your browser.

You will probably have to look for the time, language and region settings, but every browser/OS has its unique way to do it. Below you can find information about those I've found, if you know how to change the settings in a particular OS or browser do please leave a comment.

Change date format in Windows 10.

Change date format in Firefox.

Change date format in Chrome.

Change date format in Edge.

Change date format in iOS.

Change date format in Safari.

Change date format in Android.

Error: it was not possible to conduct the operation

The DGT payment platform is having issues with given cards, especially when trying to pay a fine from third countries. The error message is pretty vague: 'Error: it was not possible to conduct the operation'.

In these cases the only alternative seems to be making a bank transfer.

Where is the reply form to identify the driver?

When you receive a notification from the Spanish traffic authorities it says that 'If you were not the driver [...] you are obliged to submit the reply form...', but there is no reply form in the letter. How do you identify the driver then? According to the Spanish Traffic Law, to identify the driver you must provide the following data,

Record number
Full name
Driving licence
Postal address
Copy of the driving licence (if the driver is not registered as a driver in Spain)

The best way to identify the driver is using your own form including all the information required.

More information about how to identify the driver.

The field 'date of notification' is not correct

If you get the following error message: 'Error: the field 'date of notification' is not correct' you should try again using a Windows PC or an Android device with either Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox.

If you use iOS no matter the browser or Windows with Internet Explorer or Microsoft Edge, DGT's website won't read the notification date properly.

Update August 2020: important information if you are trying to pay from the US or from Canada.

Do you get points for speeding in spain?

No, you don't get points for speeding in Spain unless you have a Spanish driving licence. If you are a legal Spanish resident you can be forced to exchange your EU/UK licence for a Spanish licence, and the points will then be taken off your new Spanish licence.

In Spain your driving licence has 8 to 15 points, and you lose points when caught in a number of traffic offences. When your balance is zero you lose your licence for at least one year, and you need to take a driving course to get your licence back. You gain points (up to a maximum 15) after two or three years without point losses.

How to identify the driver

If you are the owner of a car that has been caught speeding in Spain you will receive a letter with a requirement to identify the driver and some details of the offence. Individuals can choose to pay the fine straight away, unless they are Spanish residents and the driver identification is mandatory (fines with points deduction). Companies will usually choose to identify the employee / client who was driving. Here is a sample identification form that might be useful (I have omitted the head). I would attach a copy of the driver's driving license and fax it to the 0034902512151 (yes, they still use a fax).

Driver identification

Dossier: 111111111111

The driver at the time of the offence was,

Name: Mr. John Smith

Birth date: DD/MM/YYYY

Driving license nr:

Address: 123 Street
Hereandthere
A12 34B Charming Village

-------------------------

You can also fax a copy of the requirement, though the dossier or expediente number is the only thing they need.

DGT: This sanction cannot be paid. Please, call 060...

What to do when you try to pay for a DGT fine and you get the following error message,

This sanction cannot be paid. Please, call 060 for consultation or go to any Provincial Traffic Headquarters.

When the site doesn't allow you to pay and you are abroad, the only alternative is the bank transfer. These are all the details you need,

IBAN: ES11 2100 5731 710200203821

SWIFT/BIC: CAIXESBB or CAIXESBBXXX

Tax Identification Number (CIF, in Spanish): Q2816003D

Account name: Jefatura Central de Tráfico - Sanciones extranjero

Quote the record number / dossier number / n. expediente!!!

If the transfer is correct the case will be closed for payment within about 2 weeks. However, and as far as I have read in different forums, they are having trouble to track some transfers, so my advice is to send a fax with a copy of the bank statement and the reference number (aka record number, aka dossier number, aka n. expediente, aka numero di pratica...). The fax number to send the document is 0034902512151.

If you got the "this sanction cannot be paid" error message transfer just 50% of the total amount of the fine, and include the following message in the fax; "I only just received the fine, so I pay with the 50% discount for early payment".

All you need to know about speeding fines in Spain

About the 50% discount for early payment - how to.
How to pay a Spanish fine step by step - where to find the required information, etc.
Traffic fines in Europe - you break it, you buy it!
100 € speeding fines.

Bonus: do I have to exchange my foreign driving licence if I get a fine? You will be forced to if you are a Spanish resident! Once you move to Spain you will have to get a Spanish driving licence (valid for 10 years, except for the elder), and abid to the Spanish penalty points system.

I paid a speeding ticket by transfer. Now what?

When paying a Spanish fine by transfer it is very important to include the 'dossier number' or 'N. Expediente' in the transfer form, ideally in the comments field.

Anyway, and according to what I have read in different forums, Facebook groups and blogs, it is advisable that you keep a copy of the bank statement and send it by fax to the Spanish Traffic Authority. This way they will have the copy in their records and will be able to track the payment in case it is not registered once the early payment period has expired. You can get a copy of the bank statement via your online banking account.

You should send a copy of this bank statement to the following fax number, 0034902512151. You can include the reference number again in the document and a short text, something like 'Find attached a copy of the bank transfer statement. Do please note that the transfer was made WITHIN the early payment window. / Best regards, XX'.

Send this fax in case you receive a second notification and you already paid by transfer.

Where is the record number?

It isn't always easy to comply with the Spanish Traffic authorities, and their website is far from perfect. Whe trying to pay a Spanish ticket you will be required to provide the 'record number' for the fine. The 'record number' can be found on the top-right corner of the letter when the letter is in Spanish, under the 'N. EXPEDIENTE' label.

The Spanish speeding fine record number is required to complete the payment or to get further information about the ticket.

If the notification is in French, in Dutch, in German, in Italian, in Portuguese, in Polish, in English or in any other EU language, then the 'record number' will be on the top-left, labelled as record number, dossier number, pratica number, etc.

The field for the record number requires 12 digits, so forget the dots and dashes.

Fasten your seat belts!

The Spanish Traffic General Directorate (DGT) has announced that it will be installing 270 traffic cameras that will control the use of the seat belt in Spanish roads. Fines for not using the seat belt are among the eight traffic offences covered by the EU Cross-border Enforcement Directive, which regulates the cross-border exchange of information on road-safety-related traffic offences.

How much is the fine for failing to wear the seat belt in Spain? 200 euro AND 4 points off your driving licence (the points system ONLY applies to Spanish driving licences - including Spanish residents even if they have not exchanged their licence at the time of the offence).

How to pay a Spanish speeding fine - step by step

If you wonder how to pay a Spanish speeding fine, I would recommend that you read '50% discount off speeding fines in Spain' before getting started.

This is the link to the official payment form in the Spanish Traffic Authority site: https://multas.dgt.es. It is very important that you refer to this site, I do NOT trust other sites, no matter how convincent the notification is. If the speeding fine can't be paid using the previous link I would leave it in quarantine. If the link doesn't work you can try a PC (where P means personal, sometimes professional computers have tighter security settings), ideally using Firefox or Chrome... If that doesn't solve it, you can still pay by transfer.

Let's see what the payment form looks like:

1 - this field is set to NIF by default. You can set it to the document type of your choise by using the drop-down menu.

2 - use only numbers in this field, the system adds the right format.

3 - the calendar will apply the Spanish date format.

4 - use this if you need to pay more than one fine at the same time.

5 - proceed to the second step, where the system applies the reduction.

The fields you need to fill are the following,

Identification type: either Passport or Other (i.e. Driving Licence).
Identification number: your passport / driving licence or ID number.
Name / Business name: the card holder's first name.
Surname: the card holder's middle name.
Additional Surname: the card holder's last name.
Email: the e-mail address will be used to send the payment confirmation.
Document number: in Spanish 'expediente', in French 'dossier', in Italian 'pratica', in Portuguese 'processo'... The record number MUST have 12 digits (you won't have to use the punctuation marks).
Amount (with no discount): the total amount (100, 300, 400...). The site applies the reduction on the second step.
Notification date (DD/MM/YYYY): the date when you received the notification (you can use the calendar).

You will need a debit/credit card to complete the operation. For some reason AmEx cards are NOT accepted.

I have received a traffic fine, but I already paid for it!

I received a comment in the blog about a month ago now, from a French reader who received a speeding fine in May, paid for it in June and got the very same fine in September! I sent her an e-mail to get further details, and she has authorised me to share her story as far as I do not publish personal details. There you go...

When you pay a Spanish fine by transfer it is very important to include the record number (dossier number or "n expediente" in Spanish) in the comments field, as this is the ONLY way to track this payment. Our French friend made the transfer from her bank office, and the bank employee made an involuntary mistake when typewriting the dossier number, so her fine remained officially unpaid.

She contacted DGT helpline and was advised to fax a copy of the fine with the payment proof attached. A week later her debt was cancelled, and of course there was no late fee for her. DGT's fax number is 0034902512151.

I hope this helps!

I have received a fine, but it is in Spanish!

Ok, let us begin at the beginning. Go to the top-left corner and read the words after 'ASUNTO', there are several possibilities, but the most common are,

'Notificación de iniciación de expediente' (notice of initiation of administrative proceedings). You have been identified as the driver of the car (even if you were just the person who paid for the car rental). If it is a 100 euro fine you don't need to identify the driver: the fine will be deleted from your driver's record once it has been paid for, and it will be easier to get the 50% reduction. You can still identify the driver if, and only IF, it was a rental car. If a friend has identified you by mistake it is likely that either you pay the fine or your friend is fined for misidentification.
'Petición de datos al titular para identificación del conductor' (request to the registered owner to identify the driver). You can identify the driver on the Internet, by fax, or by post. If you cannot complete the identification process online (the DGT site is a nightmare), I would suggest that you contact the DGT by phone a week after sending the documents to confirm that everything is OK. To identify the driver you will have to quote the record number ('número de expediente') and provide the driver name, ID (NIF, NIE or passport*), and full address. If the driver does not have a Spanish driving licence, it is advisable to attach a good quality copy of it.

Have you received a notification with a different 'asunto'? Leave us a comment and we will try to provide further information! And whenever you need the procedure clarified, do not hesitate to contact the Spanish authorities.

* NIF and NIE are the Spanish IDs. The NIF format is NNNNNNNNL, and the NIE format is LNNNNNNNL, where N is a number and L is a letter.

Traffic fines in Europe

The European Commission has passed the EU Cross Border Enforcement Directive, so that traffic offences will be pursued throughout Europe even when you are driving your own car abroad. If you plan to travel to Spain by car, you better have a look at the following links before it is too late:

Going abroad - Spain: quick overview of the main Spanish traffic regulations; though "the Commission does not assume any liability for their content or their accuracy", I have confirmed that the information is trustworthy.
EU Crossborder Enforcement Directive FAQ: check out number 4, "Which traffic offences are covered by the Directive", and number 5, "Will the level of the fines be the same as in the driver's own country" (spoiler: NO).

This blog was meant to provide useful information about speeding fines in Spain, and to my surprise it is receiving more and more visits from all around the world, and specially from almost every European country. Here is my view of the question as of today,

If you are caught speeding you will receive a fine (this is 99% true). If so, pay immediately, and do not hesitate to call the help line if you have any problem doing so (Spanish, English, French and German spoken). If you don't pay, after about a month, the fine amount will double.
Speeding fines in Spain are regulated by the Spanish law. Do not expect an image of the driver, nor of the car. You can request it when you get the fine if it is not included, but even in those cases it is not mandatory that the driver is recognizable. If you appeal requesting an image of the driver, you will lose the 50% discount for early payment!
When and how to appeal: if the car in the image isn't yours or if you returned the rental car before the time of the offence, do not hesitate to appeal. The DGT operators will be able to confirm whether you are right or not over the phone, and, most important, can in certain cases take immediate action without you having to post or fax any documents. So again, use the help line, it will save you time and money.

Can I get a receipt after paying a fine in Spain?

There are two ways to get a receipt,

Online: you can request it at the end of the payment operation, introducing your e-mail in the given field. As the payment is done via credit or debit card, you can also ask your bank for the operation details.
Transfer: if you pay by transfer you will have to quote the reference number (top-right corner), and your bank will issue a receipt. [Subject to surcharge]

According to the Spanish law if you pay by card the procedure against you MUST be closed within 72 hours, so my advice is to call their information number 72 hours after the payment to confirm that the procedure is closed. If that is the case you can forget about the fine.

Madrid, European capital of football

Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid made it to the second all-Madrid Champions League final in three years. Madrid could well be considered the European capital of football - along with Leicester.

Both Atletico and Real have an English site, so it's pretty easy to book tickets to the match of your choice or to the Bernabéu Tour (one of the Top 3 attractions in Madrid with more than a million visitors a year!).

There is much more to Madrid than football, of course... Some of the best restaurants in Spain, to start with, and my favourite museum in the world.

Oh, and one more thing (I am trying not to lose focus)... Madrid is a trap for drivers. Don't even try, Madrid Metro is convenient and reliable.