The system of traffic fines in Spain is significantly different from the Russian one. Firstly, the amount of fines sometimes amazes the imagination of car owners, secondly, all fines are always paid. Do not try to “appease” the Spanish law enforcement officer by offering him part of the fine. A fine will have to be paid in any case, and you may be prosecuted for attempting to give a bribe. Follow the rules of the road, and if you have already violated, be prepared to pay a fine or prove that there was no violation.
How to pay a traffic fine in Spain? So, if you’ve been fined, you have 20 days to take advantage of the statutory discount or appeal the fine. According to Spanish law, only 50% of the amount can be paid within 20 days of receiving the penalty notice. In this case, it is important to understand what the legislator understands by proper notice.
- When you are stopped on the spot and served with an infringement notice. At the same time, even if you do not agree with the fact of violation, you are considered notified.
- When the postman hands you a penalty notice, and even if you refuse to take it, you are considered to have been properly notified.
- When someone in your family who lives with you received a fine for you, it could even be your neighbor.
- When information about the fine is published in the e-bulletin of the Transport Administration TESTRA. For example, when you went on summer vacation and the postman couldn’t deliver your message. From the moment of publication, you are considered notified.
Unless you’re driving, that is. not the owner of the car? If it is not possible to establish who was driving (for example, when the radar detects speeding), a notice of the fine is sent to the car owner, who is obliged to contact the Transport Police Department and identify the driver. In case of failure to comply with this obligation, the proceedings in the case are terminated due to the non-identification of the violator, but a fine for non-identification is imposed on the car owner, the amount of which is 200% or 300% of the original fine.
Where can you pay a fine in Spain? There are several ways to pay fines in Spain:
- in the traffic police department (el Tráfico);
- in the bank;
- at the post office;
- by phone with a bank card.
Be sure to keep the payment confirmation just in case.
Can a fine be contested in Spain? Of course you can. However, in Spain there is a presumption of guilt of the driver, i.e. in order to cancel the fine, the driver must prove that there was no violation, that a violation was committed when it was fixed, or that he did not violate traffic rules at all. Photographs and testimonies are the most powerful evidence.
Checking the presence of traffic fines in Spain
Violations of traffic rules and the presence of traffic fines in Spain can significantly affect the process of obtaining a student or tourist visa and especially a Spanish residence permit or its extension. The presence of a fine can significantly increase the period of consideration of documents or lead to a refusal by the migration authorities of Spain.
A fine for improper parking, speeding, talking on a mobile phone while driving, not wearing a seat belt and other violations of traffic rules in Spain can become a difficult obstacle when processing entry documents and create many problems.