The British Ambassador to Spain, Hugh Elliott, today finally had some concrete and positive news for British expats in Spain and the Balearics who have been caught in the driving licence trap since May and unable to drive, unless they sat a Spanish driving test.
In previous updates, the ambassador spoke of two stumbling blocks, but they have now been resolved and now it appears that it is a matter of paperwork and final legal checks before the Spanish government finally signs off on the new deal and publishes it in the Official State Bulletin.
The ambassador was unable to given an exact idea of how long this will take, but he is hoping it will be just a matter of weeks and once it is published, British residents will have another six month grace period within which they can exchange their licence for a Spanish one and in the meantime drive on a valid UK licence.
The ambassador has come under heavy criticism for the lengthy process, but he has always made it clear that it was his top priority and was aware of the frustration the delay was causing, pointing out that is was very much a matter for the Spanish authorities.