Freshwater fishing in Spain: the licence and the rules, region by region
In Spain each of the 17 regions issues its own freshwater licence. Since March 2026 one interautonómica licence, at €25 for a year and with no exam, covers ten of them; Catalonia sells tourist licences from €3.25 a day. This guide sets the 17 regions side by side: licence, price, short-term options, trout rules, invasive species and the stretches where several licences are accepted, with official sources.
Format: 24-page A4 PDF, to print or keep on your phone, plus the online version.
What the guide contains
- The 2026 interautonómica licence: what it covers, its price, where to apply
- The 17 regions side by side: licence, price, exemptions, short-term licences, exam
- Brown trout rules by region (catch and release, seasons, bag limits)
- Invasive species: the national law and what it means on the bank
- The Ebro border stretches (Mequinenza–Flix) where three licences are valid
- A Spanish-English glossary of the words in the regulations
- Checklist and the official source of every line
Delivery: instant access, right after payment.
For anglers planning a freshwater trip in Spain, from carp on the Ebro to trout in the north.
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The reference guide to freshwater fishing rules, zone by zone
- 279regulated zones
- 22countries covered
- 1,069sources cited, line by line
- 32species followed
- 7languages
Figures for the whole site (all countries, all zones), counted in our data when it is built. Texts last checked: 22 October 2026. Our method
Checked51 automated checks on every site update, texts last checked on 22 October 2026
Method
- Primary sources: official texts of fishing authorities
- Every rule linked to its source, line by line
- Check date shown on every page
SourcesThe whole site: 1,069 cited sources, in 22 countries
This guide: official texts checked on 23 September 2026 (the date above is for the whole site).
In pictures
Illustrative photos, published by their authors under free licences.
Contents
- Spain in one minute
- The 2026 interautonómica licence
- The 17 regions side by side
- Brown trout: where it must go back
- Invasive species and what to do with them
- The Ebro and the border stretches
- Region by region
- Glossary
- Checklist
- Sources and method
Free extract: the interautonómica licence and the regional comparison
| Region | Licence and price | Short-term licence | Interautonómica |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aragón | Aragón licence €11.51 (first issue or online/direct-debit renewal); free for Aragón residents over 65 and under 14. Interautonómica €25 (includes the boat licence; no age exemption). No angler’s exam. | No short-term licence published. | yes |
| Catalunya / Cataluña | Recreational surface licence, valid for freshwater and sea surface fishing: R1 €27.65 for one year (R2-R4 for 2-4 years), M1 catch-and-release only €20.20; free (4 years) under 18, over 65 and with a disability of 33 % or more. Not part of the interautonómica agreement. No exam. | Tourist licences: R5 one day €3.25, R6 two days €5.30, R0 15 days €11.75 (R5 and R6 can start up to 15 days ahead). | no |
| Extremadura | One licence for all fishing, free since 5 August 2026 for anyone, whatever their country of residence (it cost €5.10 a year before); you may fish as soon as you file the sworn declaration. Interautonómica €25. No exam. | No short-term licence needed: the one-year Extremadura licence is free since 5 August 2026. | yes |
| Galicia / Galiza | Class A licence (Spanish, EU and resident foreigners, 18-64) €20.35; class B (non-resident foreigners and non-EU citizens) €40.61 (2025 tariff). Free under 18 and over 65. Salmon and sea-trout surcharge €6.36, boat €3.18. Interautonómica €25. | Fifteen-day licences: A-1 €3.18, B-1 €4.08 (2025 tariff). | yes |
Catalunya / Cataluña
- Licence
- Recreational surface licence, valid for freshwater and sea surface fishing: R1 €27.65 for one year (R2-R4 for 2-4 years), M1 catch-and-release only €20.20; free (4 years) under 18, over 65 and with a disability of 33 % or more. Not part of the interautonómica agreement. No exam.
- Short-term
- Tourist licences: R5 one day €3.25, R6 two days €5.30, R0 15 days €11.75 (R5 and R6 can start up to 15 days ahead).
- Brown trout
- Brown trout: low-mountain waters from 21 March (third Saturday) to 30 August with kill, 12 October catch and release; high mountain from 9 May; 3 trout per day in controlled zones with kill.
- Other rules
- All native species other than trout are catch and release. Eel and two barbel species may not be fished; rainbow trout may not be released anywhere; exotic species caught in competitions must be killed. On the Aragón border stretches (Ebro from Mequinenza to Flix and others), Aragón accepts the Catalan licence.
Seasons as published (official wording)
| Species / waters | Opens | Closes | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Truita comuna (Salmo trutta) — aigües de salmònids de baixa muntanya | 21.03 (tercer dissabte de març) | 30.08 amb mort (últim diumenge d'agost) ; 12.10 sense mort (segon dilluns d'octubre) | Apartat 1.1.a Resolució ARP/902/2026. |
| Truita comuna (Salmo trutta) — aigües de salmònids d'alta muntanya | 09.05 (segon dissabte de maig) | 30.08 amb mort ; 12.10 sense mort | Apartat 1.1.b. |
| Truita comuna de repoblació — zones intensives | 21.03 (baixa muntanya, amb mort) ; 03.04 (alta muntanya NP-02a, NR-13a) | 30.08 (baixa muntanya amb mort) ; 12.10 (alta muntanya) | Zones intensives de baixa muntanya sense mort: tot l'any ; NP-02b: tot l'any a l'embassament. |
| Zones de pesca lliure sense mort (annex IV) | 21.03 (baixa muntanya) ; 09.05 (alta muntanya) | 12.10 | Dates segons la correcció d'errades (DOGC 9645, 15.4.2026) que substitueix «del 15 de març al 19 d'octubre» i «del 10 de maig al 19 d'octubre». |
| Aigües de ciprínids (resta d'espècies) | 01.01 | 31.12 | Tot l'any (apartat 1.1.d). Horari: d'una hora abans de la sortida del sol fins a una hora després de la posta. |
| Llobarro (Dicentrarchus labrax) en aigües continentals | — | — | Veda del 15 de gener al 15 de febrer ; palomida: veda de l'1 d'abril al 30 de juny. |
| Species | Bag limit per day | Minimum size | Note (official wording) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Truita comuna (Salmo trutta) | 3 | — | Zones de pesca controlada de salmònids amb mort ; 2 exemplars per pescador i dia dins les reserves genètiques de truita (RGT) (apartat 3.1). El pescador ha d'abandonar la zona un cop assolit el màxim. |
| Espècies eurihalines (llobarro, llises, orada, palometa, palomida, lliri…) | — | — | Màxim 5 kg en conjunt per pescador i dia (aigües marítimes + continentals) ; llobarro 3, orada 7, palometa 4, palomida 1, lliri 2 exemplars/dia (apartat 3.2). |
| Truita comuna (Salmo trutta) | — | 22 cm | Longitud mínima de captura a les zones de pesca controlada de salmònids amb mort ; el Pla tècnic pot establir una longitud màxima (apartat 3.1). |
| Llobarro (Dicentrarchus labrax) | — | 40 cm | Només al primer tram de la ZLLSM EB-01 (Tortosa–desembocadura de l'Ebre). |
| Llises (qualsevol espècie) | — | 35 cm | Només tram EB-01 esmentat. |
| Orada (Sparus aurata) | — | 30 cm | Només tram EB-01. |
| Palomida (Lichia amia) | — | 80 cm | Només tram EB-01. |
| Lliri (Pomatomus saltatrix) | — | 40 cm | Només tram EB-01. |
| Licence (official name) | Price | Validity (as published) |
|---|---|---|
| R5 — llicència recreativa turística | €3.25 | 1 dia |
| R6 — llicència recreativa turística | €5.30 | 2 dies |
| R0 — llicència recreativa turística | €11.75 | 15 dies |
| R1 — llicència recreativa (amb mort o sense mort) | €27.65 | 1 any |
| R2 — llicència recreativa | €44.65 | 2 anys |
| R3 — llicència recreativa | €63.70 | 3 anys |
| R4 — llicència recreativa | €75.40 | 4 anys |
| M1 — llicència recreativa exclusivament sense mort | €20.20 | 1 any |
| M2 — llicència recreativa sense mort | €37.20 | 2 anys |
| M3 — llicència recreativa sense mort | €54.20 | 3 anys |
| M4 — llicència recreativa sense mort | €70.10 | 4 anys |
| RM / RJ / RD — menors de 18, majors de 65, discapacitat | free | 4 anys |
Sources (23 September 2026) : portaldogc.gencat.cat · portaldogc.gencat.cat · tramits.gencat.cat · agricultura.gencat.cat · tramits.gencat.cat
Who it is for
- The carp or catfish angler heading to the Ebro who wants the right licence for Aragón and Catalonia
- The trout angler who needs to know where trout must be released and which days are open
- Anyone fishing in several regions who wants to know if the €25 interautonómica covers the trip
Who it is not for
- Sea fishing and the Canary or Balearic Islands: the guide covers freshwater (both archipelagos publish no freshwater licence)
- Anglers looking for spots, guides or tackle
How to use the guide
It is not an official document: each region’s order and the permit of the preserve are binding, and the Spanish (or Catalan) text prevails. Several regions do not publish their prices online (Asturias, Cantabria, part of the Basque Country): the guide says so. Some Galician amounts are the 2025 tariff because the 2026 table could not be retrieved.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a licence to fish in Spain?
Yes, each region requires its own freshwater licence. Since March 2026 the interautonómica licence (€25 for a year, no exam) is valid in Andalucía, Aragón, Asturias, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y León, Extremadura, Galicia, Madrid, Murcia and the Valencian Community.
Is there a tourist fishing licence?
Catalonia sells tourist licences: €3.25 for one day, €5.30 for two days, €11.75 for 15 days. Galicia has 15-day licences. Elsewhere the annual licence is often cheap or even free (free in Extremadura since August 2026, €8.88 in Castilla-La Mancha).
Which licence for the Ebro at Mequinenza?
On the border stretches between Aragón and Catalonia, including the Ebro from Mequinenza to Flix, Aragón accepts its own licence, the Catalan licence or the interautonómica (art. 1.3 of the Aragón order).
Do I need an exam?
Not for the interautonómica or most regional licences. La Rioja requires a qualification (exam or 6-hour course) for a first licence issued there.
€19.00 · £16.90 · $21.90 VAT included, one-off payment
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