Even small amounts of drugs can lead to arrest
Illegal drugs, including cannabis, carry severe penalties, and possessing even a small quantity can lead to arrest and detention.
Local Rules for Travellers
🇪🇸 Local Rules in Spain for Travellers
Spain's most visited places have introduced local rules aimed at tourists: in Barcelona you can be fined for walking around shirtless, drinking in the street or buying from illegal street sellers, and some Balearic resorts restrict alcohol sales. These are the rules worth knowing, checked against the Barcelona city council, Spanish customs, Spain's official tourism site and the UK government's official travel advice for Spain.
🚫 Drugs & cannabis
🍺 Alcohol
Barcelona: drinking in the street is fined
Drinking alcohol from glass bottles or cans in public spaces where it is not allowed is fined €30 to €100 in Barcelona. Drinking in the street is illegal in other parts of Spain too, with on-the-spot fines.
Source: Barcelona City Council ↗
Drinking in the street is illegal in many areas
It is illegal to drink alcohol in the street in some areas of Spain, and you can get an on-the-spot fine.
🏛️ Public places & behaviour
Barcelona: shirtless in the street costs €120–300
Walking around or staying in public spaces without a shirt (bare-chested) is fined €120 to €300 in Barcelona, unless you are doing sport. In other parts of Spain, walking the streets in only a bikini or swimming shorts is also illegal.
Source: Barcelona City Council ↗
Barcelona: buying from illegal street sellers, up to €600
Buying goods in the street from unauthorised sellers can be fined up to €600 in Barcelona.
Source: Barcelona City Council ↗
Red flag on the beach means no swimming
Many beaches use a flag system, and a red flag means you must not enter the water.
🤝 Local customs
Swimwear is for the beach, not the streets
In some parts of Spain it is illegal to be in the street wearing only a bikini or swimming shorts, and being bare-chested is also illegal in some areas.
🪪 ID, fees & documents
Show photo ID when the police ask
You must provide photo ID if a police officer asks for it. Ignoring a direct request from a police officer can be treated as disobedience, which is a criminal offence.
🚗 Driving
Drink-drive limit 0.5 g/l, and 0.3 for new drivers
The limit is 0.5 g of alcohol per litre of blood (0.25 mg/l of breath) for most drivers, and 0.3 g/l (0.15 mg/l of breath) for professional and novice drivers.
EU licences are valid; others should get an international permit
Driving licences issued in EU and EEA countries are fully valid in Spain. Visitors from elsewhere are advised to get an International Driving Permit, valid for one year, and carry it with their national licence and passport.
🛃 Customs & what you can bring
From outside the EU: 200 cigarettes, 1 L spirits, 4 L wine
Arriving from outside the EU you can bring 200 cigarettes (or 100 cigarillos, 50 cigars or 250 g of tobacco), 1 litre of spirits over 22% (or 2 litres under 22%), 4 litres of still wine and 16 litres of beer, plus other goods up to €430 by air or sea. Under-17s get no tobacco or alcohol allowance.
Source: Spanish Tax Agency (Customs) ↗
Declare €10,000 or more in cash, minimum fine €600
Any amount of €10,000 or more (or the equivalent in another currency), per person and per trip, must be declared. The minimum fine for not declaring is €600.
Source: Spanish Tax Agency (Customs) ↗
Law, venue rule, custom or advice?
Every rule on this page is labelled, so you can tell what is enforced by law from what is simply polite.
- Law
- Set by national, regional or city law. Breaking it can mean a fine or worse.
- Venue rule
- A rule set by a venue or operator, such as a bath, museum, hotel or transport company.
- Local custom
- Not a law, but expected behaviour. Ignoring it can cause offence.
- Safety advice
- Practical advice from an official source to keep you out of trouble.
Sources checked for this page
- Barcelona City Council
- UK government travel advice (FCDO) for Spain
- Spain.info (official tourism site of Spain)
- Spanish Tax Agency (Customs)
- Spanish Tax Agency (Customs)
Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll check it against the source.