Where you can and cannot smoke or vape in Spain

Key rules

• Indoor ban: Smoking is banned in enclosed public places and workplaces across Spain, including bars, restaurants, shops and public transport.
• Terraces and beaches: No general national ban applies outdoors, but regions and towns set their own limits, so check locally.
• Vaping: Do not assume vaping is allowed wherever smoking is banned, since several regions treat them alike.
• Balcony: Your own balcony is not banned nationally, but smoke that seriously bothers neighbours can still cause a dispute.
• Fines: Beach fines commonly range from 30 to 2,000 euros depending on the town.

The national rule: no smoking indoors in public

Smoking is banned in enclosed public places and workplaces across Spain, including bars, restaurants, shops and public transport. This has been the rule nationwide since 2011. Offices and other workplaces are covered too.

Some places, such as bars and restaurants, may have a designated smoking room. It must be sealed off from the rest of the premises. Do not assume a corner of the bar counts.

Smoking is also banned in and around schools, children's facilities and hospitals. That includes the outdoor areas near their entrances.

Terraces, beaches and parks: it depends where you are

There is no general national ban on smoking on bar and restaurant terraces. Some regions and towns limit it, so look for signs and ask the staff. A national reform that would ban smoking and vaping on terraces has been proposed. Check whether it has become law before you rely on terraces being open to smokers.

There is no general national ban on beaches or in parks either. But many regions and councils ban smoking on some or all beaches. Examples include the Balearic Islands, Catalonia, Galicia, Andalusia and towns in the Canary Islands. Fines commonly run from 30 to 2,000 euros, depending on the town. Children's playgrounds are smoke-free in several regions.

Local bans multiply every summer. Before you light up on a beach or in a park, check the notices at the entrance or ask the town hall.

Vaping

Vaping is banned nationally in health, education and children's facilities and on public transport. Elsewhere indoors there is no national ban. But several regions ban vaping in the same places as tobacco, and many do so in enclosed public places. Do not assume vaping is allowed where smoking is not. Follow the signs, and if there are none, ask.

Your home, your balcony and your neighbours

National law does not ban smoking on the private balcony or terrace of your home. A blanket ban on balconies is not provided for.

Shared areas are different. Stairways, lifts and entrance halls in a building are generally treated as enclosed spaces, so you cannot smoke there. The community of owners (the comunidad de propietarios) can also adopt its own rules. Read your building's rules if you rent or buy.

Neighbours can still object. Courts have held that smoke causing serious nuisance to neighbours can breach the rules on living in a shared building. In practice:

• Smoke drifting into a neighbour's window or terrace is the usual cause of complaints.
• Start with a friendly word. Most disputes end there.
• A persistent complaint can go to the building's administrator or the community meeting.

If you rent, your contract or the building's rules may also forbid smoking inside the flat. Check before you sign.

Quick checks before you light up

• Is the place enclosed or public? Then do not smoke.
• Is it near a school, children's area or hospital? Then do not smoke.
• Is it a terrace, beach or park? Check local signs and the town's rules.
• Is it a shared area of your building? Then do not smoke.

The questions below cover common cases.

Frequently asked questions

Can I smoke on a bar or restaurant terrace in Spain?

Yes, there is no general national ban on smoking on bar and restaurant terraces, but some regions and towns limit it. A reform that would ban smoking and vaping on terraces has been proposed. Check your local rules and look for signs before you light up.

Can I smoke on the beach or in a park?

Often yes, but many towns ban it, because there is no general national ban on beaches or in parks. Several regions, including the Balearic Islands, Catalonia, Galicia and Andalusia, ban smoking on some or all beaches. Fines commonly range from about 30 to 2,000 euros depending on the municipality.

Can I smoke on my own balcony if neighbours complain?

Yes, national law does not ban smoking on a private balcony, but heavy smoke that seriously bothers neighbours can still breach nuisance rules. Stairways, lifts and entrance halls count as enclosed spaces where smoking is not allowed.

Is vaping allowed wherever smoking is banned in Spain?

Not always, because national law bans vaping only in health, education and children's facilities and on public transport. Several regions ban it in the same places as tobacco, including many enclosed public places. Check your region's rules.