Drink-Driving Limit in Spain: The Rules and Penalties

The drink-driving limits in Spain

Spain sets the blood-alcohol limit by both blood concentration and breath concentration. The police test breath at the roadside; the breath figure is the one that matters in practice.

• General drivers: 0.5 g/L of alcohol in blood, equal to 0.25 mg/L in breath.
• New drivers (in the first two years of holding a licence) and all professional drivers (lorries, buses, taxis, vehicles over 3,500 kg, vehicles for hire): 0.3 g/L blood, equal to 0.15 mg/L breath.

There is no reliable way to convert these limits into “number of drinks” — it depends on your weight, sex, what you have eaten and how fast you drank. The only safe approach in Spain is not to drink at all if you are driving.

How Spain compares with the UK and Ireland

This catches a lot of British expats out. The limit you were used to at home is probably higher than Spain’s:

• England, Wales & Northern Ireland: 0.8 g/L blood (0.35 mg/L breath) — noticeably more permissive than Spain.
• Scotland: 0.5 g/L — the same as Spain’s general limit.
• Republic of Ireland: 0.5 g/L general, 0.2 g/L for novice and professional drivers — close to Spain.

In short: if you drive in Spain the way the English limit allowed, you risk being well over the Spanish limit.

Penalties for drink-driving in Spain

Penalties scale with the reading, and the most serious cases are dealt with as crimes, not traffic fines:

• 0.25–0.50 mg/L breath: €500 fine and 4 points off your licence.
• Above 0.50 mg/L breath: €1,000 fine and 6 points.
• Above 0.60 mg/L breath (or 1.2 g/L blood): a criminal offence under the Penal Code — prison of 3–6 months, or a fine, or community service, plus a driving ban of 1–4 years.
• Refusing the test: a criminal offence in its own right, punished more harshly than most positive readings.

What it means for your car insurance

This is the part many drivers do not realise. Driving over the legal alcohol limit is a breach of your policy conditions, and it changes everything about how a claim is handled:

• The insurer still pays the victim. Spanish law requires your compulsory third-party cover (RC Obligatoria) to pay anyone you injure — that protection cannot be removed.
• But the insurer can reclaim it from you. Through the derecho de repetición, the company pays the third party and then pursues you for the amount it paid out, which in a serious injury case can be a substantial sum.
• Your own damage is generally not covered. Even on a fully comprehensive (todo riesgo) policy, damage to your own car is typically excluded when you were over the limit.
• Renewal and premiums. A conviction can lead the insurer to decline renewal, and it will push up the price of cover elsewhere.

In other words, the €1,000 fine may be the smallest part of the cost — the insurance consequences can be far more significant.

Roadside checks are routine

The Guardia Civil and Policía Local run alcohol and drug checkpoints regularly — particularly at weekends, around fiestas, and late at night — and they do not need a reason to stop you. Tests are also mandatory after any accident with injuries. There is no “morning after” exemption: alcohol from the night before can still put you over the limit at breakfast.

Stay covered, drive safe

As authorised Generali agents in Jávea, we arrange car, motorbike and van insurance for expats across Spain, with English-speaking support and clear explanations of exactly what your policy does and does not cover. Contact us or call 966 461 625 for a free quote.

Frequently asked questions

What is the drink-driving limit in Spain?

For most drivers the limit is 0.5 g/L of alcohol in blood, or 0.25 mg/L in breath. For drivers in their first two years and for professional drivers it is lower: 0.3 g/L blood, or 0.15 mg/L breath.

Is the Spanish drink-driving limit lower than the UK?

Yes. Spain’s general limit of 0.5 g/L is stricter than England, Wales and Northern Ireland, which allow 0.8 g/L. It is the same as Scotland (0.5 g/L). Drivers used to the English limit must drink considerably less in Spain.

What are the penalties for drink-driving in Spain?

A breath reading of 0.25 to 0.50 mg/L brings a €500 fine and 4 licence points. Above 0.50 mg/L it is a €1,000 fine and 6 points. Above 0.60 mg/L breath (1.2 g/L blood) it becomes a criminal offence carrying possible prison, a heavy fine or community service, plus a driving ban of one to four years.

Does drink-driving affect my car insurance in Spain?

Yes. If you cause an accident over the limit, your insurer will pay the injured third party (as the law requires) but can then reclaim those costs from you through the derecho de repetición. Your own damage may not be covered, and insurers can refuse to renew or raise the premium sharply.

Are random breath tests legal in Spain?

Yes. The Guardia Civil and local police run routine alcohol and drug checkpoints, and they do not need a reason to stop you. Refusing the test is itself a criminal offence, punished more harshly than most positive readings.

What is the limit for new drivers in Spain?

Drivers within their first two years of holding a licence, and all professional drivers, are limited to 0.3 g/L blood or 0.15 mg/L breath — lower than the 0.5 g/L general limit.

Sources & references

• Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT) — official road-safety and alcohol-limit information.
• Código Penal (BOE) — articles 379–383 on driving offences.

This guide is general information, not legal or personalised advice. Alcohol limits, penalties and insurance terms can change. For advice on your cover, contact Turner Insurance.