I retired to Spain but Brexit took my driving licence – the stress has put me in hospital

A BRITISH expat living in Spain’s Costa Blanca was admitted to hospital due to the stress of being banned from driving.

Brits living in Spain aren’t able to drive if they did not exchange their driving licence before December 2020.

The Spanish and British authorities are still in negotiations to solve the problem that is affecting hundreds of Brits living across Spain.

Deb Lee, 63, originally from Oxford said: “I haven’t been able to drive for seven months which means I have had a lack of food, medical attention, and hardly any social interaction.”

“It has broken me completely, I feel like a prisoner,” she added.

Deb revealed that it is having a massive impact on her mental health; she has gone from a lively and healthy life to having nightmares and panic attacks every day.

Thousands of Brits living in Spain have been affected by the so-called “Driving licence fiasco”.

Since the 1st of May 2022, Brits who did not exchange their driving licence before December 2020 can no longer drive.

Deb’s house in Spain does not have good transport links to the hospital, pharmacy, or supermarket.

“I haven’t been able to get my heart medication for weeks, that’s the reason why I am now very ill at the hospital,” said Deb Lee.

“I have severe stress, and blood clots due to not being able to access doctors or medication,” she added.

Deb Lee lives alone in Spain because her partner still works in the UK.

This summer Spain has experienced very high temperatures and Deb has not been even been able to drive to fetch water.

“It’s beyond cruel and no way to treat people who chose Spain to live out their latter years, they certainly don’t treat their own elderly this way,” she said.