Renting a scooter in Spain: can you ride a moped or a 125 cc on a car licence?
According to Spain's General Drivers Regulation (Reglamento General de Conductores, published in the BOE), checked on 31 October 2026, a car licence (permiso B) covers mopeds, and lets you ride motorcycles of the A1 class (up to 125 cm3) in Spain only once you have held it for more than three years; the regulation does not say whether this also applies to a licence issued in another country.
Official sources: BOE: Real Decreto 818/2009, Reglamento General de Conductores (consolidated text) · GOV.UK: Spain travel advice.
Licence rules for scooters differ from country to country and can change, and rental companies may ask for more than the law. We quote the official texts word for word, with the date we read them; this is information, not legal advice. Check with the rental company and the official page before you ride.
Moped, 125 cc or bigger: what a car licence covers
| Vehicle | With a car licence |
|---|---|
| Moped (up to 50 cc) | Yes Yes: a car licence covers mopeds (ciclomotores) |
| Scooter or light motorcycle up to 125 cc | Only with conditions Only in Spain, with a car licence held for more than three years |
| Bigger than 125 cc | No No: a car licence does not cover bigger motorcycles |
Moped (up to 50 cc): Yes
B 1. Automóviles cuya masa máxima autorizada no exceda de 3.500 kg que estén diseñados y construidos para el transporte de no más de ocho pasajeros además del conductor. Dichos automóviles podrán llevar enganchado un remolque cuya masa máxima autorizada no exceda de 750 kg. 2. Conjuntos de vehículos acoplados compuestos por un vehículo tractor de los que autoriza a conducir el permiso de la clase B y un remolque cuya masa máxima autorizada exceda de 750 kg, siempre que la masa máxima autorizada del conjunto no exceda de 4.250 kg, sin perjuicio de las disposiciones que las normas de aprobación de tipo establezcan para estos vehículos. 3. Triciclos y cuatriciclos de motor. 4. Ciclomotores.
Our translation: B: 1. Cars with a maximum authorised mass of no more than 3,500 kg designed and built to carry no more than eight passengers besides the driver; they may tow a trailer of no more than 750 kg. 2. Combinations of a vehicle that the B licence covers and a trailer of more than 750 kg, as long as the combination does not exceed 4,250 kg, subject to the type-approval rules for these vehicles. 3. Motor tricycles and quadricycles. 4. Mopeds.
Source: BOE: Real Decreto 818/2009, Reglamento General de Conductores (consolidated text) (Boletín Oficial del Estado (Spanish government)), checked on 31 October 2026. Quoted word for word.
Scooter or light motorcycle up to 125 cc: Only with conditions
Se podrán conducir dentro del territorio nacional con el permiso de la clase B, con una antigüedad superior a tres años, las motocicletas cuya conducción autoriza el permiso de la clase A1.
Our translation: Within Spain, with a class B licence held for more than three years, you may ride the motorcycles that the class A1 licence covers.
A1 1. Motocicletas con una cilindrada máxima de 125 cm3, una potencia máxima de 11 kW y una relación potencia/peso máxima de 0,1 kW/kg y triciclos de motor cuya potencia máxima no exceda de 15 kW.
Our translation: A1: 1. Motorcycles with an engine of up to 125 cm3, a power of up to 11 kW and a power-to-weight ratio of up to 0.1 kW/kg, and motor tricycles of up to 15 kW.
Source: BOE: Real Decreto 818/2009, Reglamento General de Conductores (consolidated text) (Boletín Oficial del Estado (Spanish government)), checked on 31 October 2026. Quoted word for word.
Bigger than 125 cc: No
7. El permiso de las clases B, B+E, C1, C1+E, C, C+E, D1, D1+E, D y D+E no autoriza a conducir motocicletas con o sin sidecar.
Our translation: 7. Licences of classes B, B+E, C1, C1+E, C, C+E, D1, D1+E, D and D+E do not cover motorcycles, with or without a sidecar.
Source: BOE: Real Decreto 818/2009, Reglamento General de Conductores (consolidated text) (Boletín Oficial del Estado (Spanish government)), checked on 31 October 2026. Quoted word for word.
Does it depend on where your licence is from?
| Your licence | What the official text says |
|---|---|
| UK licence | Not stated The official text we read does not mention licences issued in other countries. |
| Licence from another EU country | Not stated The official text we read does not mention licences issued in other countries. |
| Licence from outside Europe (US, Canada, Australia...) | Not stated The official text we read does not mention licences issued in other countries. |
Also in the official text
Minimum age
To drive a car or a motorcycle over 125cc in Spain you must be 18 years of age or above, and at least 16 years old to ride a motorcycle up to 125cc.
Source: GOV.UK: Spain travel advice (Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (GOV.UK), page updated on 28 October 2026), checked on 31 October 2026. Quoted word for word.
Travel insurance and scooters
Riding without the licence category the law asks for can also leave you without insurance cover. The UK government puts it this way in its travel advice for Thailand:
Many travel insurance policies expect you to hold the correct UK licence for the type of car, motorbike or scooter you intend to drive abroad. This means that if you wouldn’t be legally permitted to drive it in the UK, your insurer may not cover you for driving it in Thailand.
Source: GOV.UK: Thailand travel advice (Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (GOV.UK), page updated on 12 October 2026), checked on 31 October 2026. Quoted word for word.
Read your policy before you ride.
Driving in Spain, do you need an international driving permit? UK licence · Canadian licence · Australian licence
Questions
Can you drive a 125cc with a car licence in Spain?
Only if you have held your car licence for more than three years, and only in Spain. The regulation says: “Within Spain, with a class B licence held for more than three years, you may ride the motorcycles that the class A1 licence covers.” (our translation) It does not say whether a licence issued in another country counts: check with the rental company and the official text before you ride.
Do you need a licence for a scooter in Spain?
Yes. A car licence covers mopeds (ciclomotores); for a 125 cc see the three-year rule above. The regulation lists, for a B licence: “B: 1. Cars with a maximum authorised mass of no more than 3,500 kg designed and built to carry no more than eight passengers besides the driver; they may tow a trailer of no more than 750 kg. 2. Combinations of a vehicle that the B licence covers and a trailer of more than 750 kg, as long as the combination does not exceed 4,250 kg, subject to the type-approval rules for these vehicles. 3. Motor tricycles and quadricycles. 4. Mopeds.” (our translation)
Can I rent a moped in Mallorca with a car licence?
Mallorca follows the Spanish rules: a car licence covers mopeds, and A1 motorcycles (up to 125 cm3) only after more than three years: “Within Spain, with a class B licence held for more than three years, you may ride the motorcycles that the class A1 licence covers.” (our translation)
Can I rent a moped in Barcelona with a car licence?
Yes for a moped: Barcelona follows the Spanish rules, and a car licence covers mopeds. On age, the UK government's travel advice says: “To drive a car or a motorcycle over 125cc in Spain you must be 18 years of age or above, and at least 16 years old to ride a motorcycle up to 125cc.”
Where does this answer come from?
From Spain's General Drivers Regulation (Reglamento General de Conductores, published in the BOE), read on 31 October 2026 and quoted word for word on this page (with our translation when the text is not in English). Rental companies can ask for more than the law: check with the rental company and the official page before you ride.
Other countries
Spotted a change? Tell us. Scooter rental: every country we checked.