Can I still get the reduction for a Spanish fine I got last summer?

Some readers still doubt they can get the reduction in their speeding fine six months after the offence. Let's make it clear once again, there are only two conditions for the reduction to be applicable,

1. The car driver is not registered as a driver in Spain.
2. Calling the Spanish Traffic Authority and insisting that you have only just received the fine.

You have all the information you might need in our Paying a speeding fine in Spain page.

Oh, and one more thing, if you are considering a trip to Spain in 2016 don't forget that DGT is moving some of its speeding cameras to secondary roads (most of them were in highways). 

Paying a Spanish ticket by transfer

If you have paid a Spanish ticket by transfer within the last 6 months, you might be in trouble. When paying by transfer it is always important to include the 'expediente' number in the transfer form. If you fail to do so, the fine will be unpaid for the Spanish authorities. Several drivers in France have found that the Spanish authorities are insisting that they must pay a fine they have already paid.

Our advice if you choose to pay by transfer is to call the Spanish authorities two weeks after making the transfer to confirm both that they have registered the payment and that the file has been closed for payment (which means you will receive no further communications, and the car rental company won't charge the fine amount plus a fee on your credit card).

I've found three similar cases in different forums on the Internet, so if you choose to pay by transfer make sure to confirm that they register your payment properly.

Spanish tickets for German and Dutch cars

I'm surprised and grateful for your comments. Within the last couple of days three readers have left a comment to confirm whether they can be fined by the Spanish DGT (two from the Netherlands, one from Germany). The answer is YES. The European Commission passed a law earlier this year that allows EU countries to share drivers' data. As far as we have found out thanks to your comments, Spanish fines are being sent to France, the Netherlands and Germany (we are talking about car with their own, local plates... Tickets for rental cars make their way all around the world).

Anyone else, from a different country, has received a ticket from Spain while driving with his own car? Portugal maybe? Italy? 

If so, do please leave a comment! 

Speeding fines in Spain: car hire

The procedure when you get a speeding fine in Spain while driving a hire car is as follows,

1. DGT notifies the car owner.
2. The car hire companies checks their records and provides the hire contract data.
3. The car hire company informs the driver and charges the fee (from 10 to 50 eur, it MUST be clear in the contract).
4. DGT or CTDA notifies the driver.

You can pay as soon as the car hire company sends you the e-mail, and by doing so you will get the 50% reduction. If you pay BEFORE you receive the official notification make sure to call DGT's CTDA and confirm that your file is closed for payment.

Spain food TOP TEN

From time to time I try to put order in my travel notes... It isn't always easy, but I try.

This is my Spanish food TOP TEN (comments welcome).

1. Tapas in Leon. Barrio Humedo is the place to taste tapas... Oh, and they come for free with each drink. That's the true tapas' spirit, don't be fooled!
2. Cocido maragato. I'm a carnivore, and I love it. Cocido maragato is an orgy of beef, pork, chorizo, chicken... There's also the chickpeas, and the soup, both served after the meat, as it should be! You will find it in the area of Astorga, a cosy town in the A6 highway, some 300 km from Madrid. 
3. Iberiam ham. My advice would be to try it in Caceres, a beautiful city in Extremadura. 
4. Salmorejo. Refreshing and a must in the Andalusian summer. Typical from Cordoba, I fell in love with it in Malaga. 
5. Migas. Regional dish in La Mancha, also found in Aragon and in other areas. Here you are a(nother) good reason to visit Zaragoza.
6. Galician seafood: almost any restaurant in the Galician coats offers fresh seafood, both fish and shellfish, impossible to find in the UK. 
7. Tortilla: Spain's national dish, well ahead of paella. You'll find it everywhere, from La Graciosa to Girona, from Ibiza to Galicia.
8. Bread with tomato: typical from Catalonia, 75% of Spanish hotels offer in their buffet breakfast... Try it with olive oil and ham or cecina. 
9. Black pudding: typical in Leon, where famous tapas bars offer it for free with your drink (La Bicha is a MUST, definitely the best black pudding in the world).
10. Pulpo a la gallega: Galicia again, this time with their typical octopus... Definitely a must. 

Well, there you are a Spanish food ranking with no paella. Let's face it, paella is 99% of the times rice with things. And the Spanish mediterranean coast leaves a lot to desire when it comes to food. Move northwest to meet the real Spanis cuisine!

I must have a note somewhere that I promise to share regarding a simple restaurant in a service area off the A6 highway with an extraordinary 10 euro menu...

NEVER EVER request a copy of the fine in English

This is a comment I received a couple of weeks ago. I think it deserves its own space here:

I pay my fines, so when I received one after my trip to Tenerife I did my best to pay. The information in English was terrible, so I sent a letter asking for a copy of the fine in English. Three weeks later I received a copy of the fine... in Spanish again. I called the number in the letter, and a lady kindly informed me that they received my request and as per their regulations I was disputing the fine and had lost any chance to get the 50% discount.

I was shocked, so I thanked her and hung up. After browsing the Internet I found advice as to how to pay online and paid 300 euro. 

I think those 150 euro extra I paid would have been better invested in Spanish lessons, tbh. 

So trust me, do NEVER EVER request a copy of the fine in English. It will cost you time and money.

The next time I get a fine from Spain I'll leave it in a drawer, I'll call them 6 months later and I will pay my fine, still not knowing what they say, but with my reduction.

Many French visitors in the last few weeks

Spain and France signed a reciprocal agreement to share car owners information, and in the last few months both Spanish and French drivers have received the first cross-border fines. That is probably why some French readers found this blog.

My sources in Spain tell me that the letter sent to French drivers might be confusing, but CTDA seems to have French speaking operators, so for any doubt or question call them straight away and demand any information that you need.

I can't yet confirm whether the trick to get the discount (calling and saying that you just received the fine) works for French drivers, comments regarding this or any other point are welcome.