Roundabout Rules in Spain

On a Spanish roundabout, traffic already going round has priority, and you use the outer (right) lane whenever it is free. You keep to the outer lane for a near exit, use the inner lanes only to go further round or to overtake, move back to the outer lane before you leave, and signal your exit with the right indicator. Roundabouts, rotondas or glorietas in Spanish, are one of the most common traps on the DGT theory test and one of the things expats get wrong most often on real roads. This guide sets out the rules the way the exam tests them.

Who has priority on a roundabout?

Traffic already on the roundabout has priority over traffic waiting to enter. A roundabout is treated as a one-way circular road, so vehicles circulating on it keep moving and you give way as you approach the entry. You wait at the give-way line until there is a safe gap, then join. This is the single most important rule, and the DGT tests it constantly.

The wider priority rules explain why. Spanish junctions default to priority to the right, but a roundabout flips the feel of that: the car on your left, already circulating, is the one you must yield to. Think of the roundabout itself as the road that keeps going, and your entry as the road that has to wait.

There are exceptions worth remembering. If road markings or signs on the approach give priority to entering traffic, follow them, but this is rare. Trams and emergency vehicles on a service always have priority. And priority never means forcing your way in. You still have to enter safely, without making a circulating driver brake hard.

Which lane should you use on a roundabout?

Use the outer lane, the one on the right, whenever it is free. The inner lanes are for overtaking or for staying on the roundabout to reach a later exit. If your exit is near and the outer lane is clear, you should be in it from the moment you enter. Sitting in an inner lane when the outer one is empty is both a bad habit and a wrong exam answer.

Here is how the lanes work in practice:

• Near exit, outer lane free: enter in the outer lane, stay in it, and leave.
• Later exit, or the outer lane is occupied: you may use an inner lane while you go round, then move back out.
• Overtaking: the inner lanes are where you pass slower traffic, never the outer one.

The key idea the exam wants you to show is that the outer lane is the default. You only move inward for a reason, to overtake or to keep circulating past an early exit, and you come back out as soon as you can.

How do you take an early or a late exit?

For an early exit, stay in the outer lane the whole way and simply leave at your turning. This is the straightforward case. Because you are already on the outside, you do not have to cross any lanes, so there is nothing to conflict with the traffic beside you. Enter right, stay right, exit right.

For a later exit, you may travel round in an inner lane, but you have to move back to the outer lane before you exit. This is the part expats most often get wrong. You cannot leave the roundabout straight from an inner lane unless road markings specifically allow it. You work your way outward as your exit approaches, checking your mirrors and your blind spot, then leave from the outer lane.

Never cut across an outer-lane vehicle to reach your exit from the inside. If you have missed your chance to move out, it is safer and more correct to go round again than to swing across another driver. On a busy multi-lane glorieta, one extra lap costs you a few seconds. Cutting across can cost you the exam, or an accident.

When do you signal on a roundabout?

Signal your exit with the right indicator as you pass the exit before the one you want. You do not normally need a left signal to enter a standard roundabout, because entering traffic gives way and there is no ambiguity about direction. The signal that matters most is the right one, switched on in good time so drivers waiting to enter know you are about to leave.

A simple way to remember it:

• Approaching and entering: no signal needed for a straightforward entry; watch for a safe gap.
• Staying on to a later exit: some drivers use a left signal to show they are continuing round, which can help others read your intention.
• Leaving: right indicator on, after the exit before yours, and off again once you are out.

Clear, well-timed signalling is not just polite. It is exactly what the DGT looks for, and it is what lets waiting traffic use the gaps safely.

What are the most common roundabout mistakes?

The most common mistake is exiting from an inner lane without moving back out first, cutting straight across the outer lane. It is the classic expat error and a frequent wrong answer on the test. The rule is fixed: come back to the outer lane before you leave, unless markings clearly say otherwise.

The other mistakes the exam likes to test:

• Sitting in an inner lane for no reason. If the outer lane is free and your exit is near, you belong in the outer lane.
• Forgetting to signal the exit. No right indicator leaves waiting drivers guessing and is a marked fault.
• Entering when circulating traffic has priority. Pushing in and making another driver brake is a priority error, not assertive driving.
• Not moving out early enough. Leaving the lane change to the last second causes the cut-across that priority rules forbid.

If you want to see how these show up in real questions, our guide to common DGT test mistakes covers the traps in more detail, and you can drill roundabout and priority questions on the practice tests.

Frequently asked questions

Who has priority on a Spanish roundabout?

Vehicles already on the roundabout have priority over those waiting to enter. You give way as you approach, wait for a safe gap, and then join. Circulating traffic keeps moving, and entering traffic yields.

Can I exit a roundabout from an inner lane?

No, not unless road markings specifically allow it. You must move back to the outer lane before you leave. Cutting across the outer lane from the inside is a common mistake and a frequent wrong answer on the DGT test.

Which lane do I use if my exit is the first one?

Use the outer (right) lane if it is free. Enter in it, stay in it, and leave from it. You do not need to move inward at all for a near exit, and doing so is unnecessary.

Do I signal when entering a roundabout?

Usually no signal is needed to enter a standard roundabout. The signal that matters is the right indicator to show your exit, switched on as you pass the exit before yours and switched off once you are out.

What happens if I miss my exit?

Go round again. It is safer and more correct than cutting across an outer-lane vehicle to reach your exit at the last moment. One extra lap costs a few seconds; a cut-across can cause an accident.

Sources

• Reglamento General de Circulacion (Real Decreto 1428/2003).

Last updated: August 2026.