miDGT App: Setting up and using the digital driving licence in Spain

Anyone living in Mallorca and holding a Spanish driving licence has, for some years now, been able to leave their wallet at home instead of carrying the plastic card — at least in theory. The miDGT app from the Spanish traffic authority Dirección General de Tráfico displays your driving licence, vehicle documents and points balance directly on your phone, with full legal validity. This guide explains how to set up the miDGT app, which account you absolutely need for it, what functions it actually offers — and where the app's validity hits a hard limit that many expats learn painfully during a check abroad.

Want to know whether your German driving licence needs to be converted before the app even makes sense?

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• Converting a driving licence in Spain

What exactly is the miDGT app?

The miDGT app ("mi DGT", provider: DGT oficial) is the official mobile application of the Spanish traffic authority. It allows you to carry your driving licence as well as the permiso de circulación and the ficha técnica of a vehicle in digital form on your smartphone, instead of having to carry the physical documents. The app is available free of charge for Android and iOS and, according to Google Play, has more than 10 million downloads. Access is granted exclusively via the Cl@ve system, the electronic identity used for dealings with Spanish authorities — without an existing Cl@ve account, the app cannot be used in any meaningful way.

Note: The DGT itself recommends, in the official app description, continuing to carry the physical documents for the time being — particularly in the case of a flat battery, lack of network coverage, or trips abroad. The app is a supplement, not a permanent replacement without a backup.

Prerequisite: the Cl@ve account

Without Cl@ve registration, the miDGT app remains empty. Cl@ve is the central identification system with which citizens identify themselves online to Spanish authorities — you use the same login for tax portals or the Seguridad Social. Anyone who doesn't yet have a Cl@ve account should take care of this step first.

The DGT has also completed a pilot project in which Cl@ve registration could be carried out directly during the theoretical driving test — an indication that the entry into digital administration could be simplified further in the future. Anyone who has never dealt with Cl@ve access before will find details in the guide Cl@ve PIN Spain.

Overview of the app's functionality

The miDGT app has expanded significantly since its launch. Originally it only displayed the digital driving licence, but it now bundles a large part of everyday communication with the traffic authority.

This range of features turns the app into a genuine administrative tool — not just a digital copy of the driving licence.

The most important restriction: validity ends at the border

The point that gets lost in many forum discussions is stated explicitly in the DGT communication itself: the digital driving licence in the app has the same validity as the physical document, as long as you're driving in Spain. The same territorial restriction also applies to vehicle documents.

Attention: Within Spain, the app fully replaces the plastic document. As soon as you cross the national border — whether for a trip to Germany, a road trip through France or a check elsewhere in the EU — the app is no longer valid. In that case, you absolutely need the physical document.

Anyone who regularly commutes between Mallorca and mainland Germany, or uses their car across borders, should therefore continue to carry the physical driving licence in the glovebox or wallet as a matter of principle — the app only replaces it locally.

Why the app doesn't show a driving licence for some users

A common misunderstanding concerns expats who are registered in Spain and have a Cl@ve account, but whose app still doesn't show a driving licence. The reason: the miDGT app only displays documents issued by the DGT itself. Anyone who still holds a German driving licence and hasn't had it converted into a Spanish document will therefore find no driving licence in the app — this isn't a technical fault, but the logical consequence of jurisdiction.

Does a German driving licence even need to be converted?

Here, EU law is clearly distinct from regulations for third countries. According to the DGT, the following applies:

So a German driving licence does not necessarily have to be converted in order to drive in Spain. However, anyone who has it converted into a Spanish document anyway — for example, to fully benefit from the miDGT app or because of the medical check-ups customary in Spain — will find the complete process in the guide Converting a driving licence in Spain. Details on the deadlines for renewing an already Spanish driving licence are provided in the guide Renewing a driving licence in Spain.

Cita previa and duplicates directly from the app

One of the most practical features for Mallorca residents is appointment booking. Anyone who needs to visit the Jefatura Provincial de Tráfico in Palma anyway can request the Cita previa directly through the app instead of battling with the notoriously overloaded website.

Note for older people: Anyone who is 65 or older or has reduced mobility is served by the DGT without a Cita previa — simply turn up during the office's opening hours. The condition is that it must be their own matter; this cannot be used on behalf of someone else. For many residents on Mallorca, this is the most convenient option, and it is surprisingly little known.

Detailed tips for booking an appointment, including insider tricks for fully booked slots, can be found in the guide Cita Previa DGT Palma. Duplicates of the physical vehicle documents can also be requested via the app, which in many cases saves a trip to the office.

Fines: notification and payment in the app

The app informs you about outstanding fines and allows direct payment — handy, but also a reason to check the app regularly so that payment deadlines aren't missed. Anyone who has already received a notice, or wants to know which deadlines and discounts apply to traffic offences in Spain, can find further information in the guide Bußgeld Spanien.

Most common mistakes when using the miDGT app

• No Cl@ve account available: Without this prerequisite, the app remains non-functional — this is often only noticed when opening it for the first time.
• Carrying the app as sole proof abroad: Its validity ends at the national border; without a physical document, problems may arise abroad.
• Showing a screenshot instead of the live app: According to the app's own notes, the QR code can't be saved as a screenshot and shown that way — inspectors expect the current, live-generated view within the app.
• Confusion with foreign driving licences: Anyone who has never had their German driving licence converted will search for it in vain in the app — it only displays DGT documents.
• Disposing of the physical document entirely: As the system, according to the DGT, hasn't yet become fully established, the authority itself recommends keeping the plastic document as a backup.

What comes next? Useful additions for everyday life

The miDGT app is one building block within a larger administrative ecosystem. Anyone who has recently imported or re-registered their vehicle should also keep an eye on ITV appointment deadlines and insurance — both of these can be checked via the app once the vehicle is correctly registered. If your driving licence has been lost, the guide Driving licence lost in Spain can help, including with the steps for obtaining a duplicate. And anyone looking for a garage to carry out repairs before the ITV can find suitable businesses in the Business directory: car garages in Mallorca.

Checklist: setting up the miDGT app

1. Set up a Cl@ve account or have your login details ready
2. Install the miDGT app for free from the App Store or Google Play
3. Log in using Cl@ve
4. Generate your driving licence and vehicle documents in the app
5. Grant camera permission for QR verification
6. Still carry the physical document in your car or wallet
7. When travelling abroad, use only the physical document
8. Regularly check fine and points-balance notifications

Conclusion

The miDGT app makes everyday dealings with the Spanish traffic authorities noticeably easier: driving licence, vehicle documents, points balance, cita previa and fine payments are all bundled together on your smartphone, accessible via your Cl@ve account. The key caveat remains its territorial validity — fully valid within Spain, worthless outside it — along with the fact that the app only shows what the DGT itself has issued. Anyone keeping their German driving licence benefits only to a limited extent from the app; anyone who has it converted can make use of its full range of functions.

Official sources

• Dirección General de Tráfico (DGT), press release on the miDGT app: https://www.dgt.es/comunicacion/notas-de-prensa/ya-se-puede-consultar-la-nota-del-examen-teorico-del-permiso-de-conducir-en-la-app-midgt
• Sede Electrónica DGT, duplicate driving licence: https://sede.dgt.gob.es/es/permisos-de-conducir/obtencion-y-gestion-de-permisos/duplicado-de-permisos/index.html
• DGT, valid permits for driving in Spain: https://www.dgt.es/nuestros-servicios/permisos-de-conducir/permisos-extranjeros-y-de-fuerzas-y-cuerpos-de-seguridad/permisos-validos-para-conducir-en-espana
• DGT (general): https://www.dgt.es