The DGT confirms it: this is the only type of car that will not have to carry the mandatory V-16 beacon as of January

Spain is facing the definitive end of emergency triangles. According to the regulations of the Dirección General de Tráfico, “as of January 1, 2026, the homologated V16 emergency signaling will be mandatory” for the vast majority of drivers. The measure, announced years in advance, is entering its decisive phase: only weeks remain before V16 beacons become the only valid method of signaling breakdowns or accidents.

Despite the proximity of the date, several vehicles still do not have the V16 in their glove box, which worries the DGT. The device, whose price is around 45 euros, also means an important economic movement: it is estimated that the obligation will generate “around 300 million euros in VAT”, according to official information.

Who will be required to carry the V16 Beacon: almost all the Spanish fleet

The list of required vehicles is extensive. The DGT details that “the 25 million cars registered in Spain, as well as buses, adaptable mixed vehicles, vehicles intended for the transport of goods and non-special vehicle combinations” must carry it . In other words, all passenger cars and professional vehicles are affected.

• Countdown to the V-16 beacon: what you need to know before it becomes mandatory in 2026

The rule eliminates any possibility of doubt: if the vehicle is registered in Spain and falls into the above categories, its driver will have to have the beacon connected.

Who is exempt: more vehicles than meets the eye

The regulation establishes some relevant exceptions. The DGT clearly confirms that bicycles, motorcycles, mopeds, VMP and similar vehicles shall not carry a V16 Beacon.

But there is one exception that has generated surprise due to its real scope: cars registered outside Spain. These foreign license plates will still be able to use the emergency triangles without risk of penalty. The explanation is simple: the V16 is an exclusively Spanish legal obligation and cannot be applied to vehicles from third countries or those circulating under international agreements.

Countries whose vehicles will not have to use the V16 Beacon in Spain

The list is extensive and the implications are clear. The rule states that “for all drivers of vehicles from these countries, the V16 will not be required in Spain”, and explicitly cites: Andorra, Algeria, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, South Korea, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Japan, Morocco, Nicaragua, Peru, Dominican Republic, Panama, Paraguay, Uruguay, Brazil, El Salvador, Philippines, Guatemala, Serbia, Switzerland, Turkey, Tunisia, Ukraine, Monaco, North Macedonia, United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, and New Zealand.

In all these cases, the triangles will remain valid within our territory.

An obligation exclusive to Spain that generates controversy

The DGT recognizes that the V16 beacon is “a mandatory signaling only in Spain”. This explains the impossibility of requiring it for foreign vehicles, but also opens the debate among Spanish drivers, who must assume a cost and a technological adaptation that no other country in the European Union requires.

• V16 beacons: these are the models homologated by the DGT (DGT)

In the meantime, tourists or carriers from France, Portugal, Germany, the United Kingdom or any other country on the list will be able to circulate without incorporating the connected device that Spaniards are obliged to carry.

How to avoid fines: the importance of using a homologated V16

The DGT insists on the need to check the device purchased. “It is recommended to visit the DGT website to check whether the V16 purchased is homologated or not”, as not all models on the market are valid. The driver must ensure that it meets the required technical criteria.

The penalty for not wearing it will be 80 euros, a figure that can go up to 200 euros and the loss of four license points if the problem is aggravated by getting out of the vehicle without a reflective vest .