Updated April 2025: This article will look at why there is now a question mark over the UK Blue Badge use in Spain, as well as real experiences from disabled holidaymakers who have visited Mallorca and other areas of Spain.
There have been many questions on both the Youtube channel and Facebook Group asking the question, “Can I use a UK Blue Badge in Spain?”
However, following comments on this article (see below), it appears some disabled travellers have since picked up fines for using the UK Blue Badge in Spain.
Please check the comments below.
So please read the background behind this issue and some real-life experiences which may help you decide whether as a UK disabled driver, you wish to risk parking in disabled parking spaces in Spain.
Don’t forget you can check with the Spanish Authorities yourself, as I di,d by emailing dgdiscapacidad@dsca.gob.es
Table of Contents
Why is UK Blue Badge use an issue in Spain?
Before Brexit, disabled holidaymakers from the UK to Spain were able to bring their UK Blue Badge on holiday to use when parking a car in disabled parking spaces in Spain.
Pre-Brexit, throughout the European Union, the UK Blue Badge was widely recognised and therefore widely used by holidaymakers visiting any country within the European bloc.
However, on the 1st of January 2021, when the UK officially exited the European Union, the rights towards UK Blue Badge use in Spain became uncertain.
This uncertainty has not been widespread throughout Europe, with many countries including Sweden, Malta, the Netherlands and Germany, pledging to continue accepting disabled visitors’ rights to access disabled parking spaces using the UK Blue badge.
What are the rules surrounding UK Blue badge use in Spain?
The rules surrounding whether or not the UK Blue Badge in Spain can be used have yet to be decided, and since Brexit, the issue seems to have been left off the negotiating table.
As a result, UK Blue Badge holders have been left in limbo as to whether they will be able to access disabled parking spaces without fear of being fined when travelling to Spain on holiday.
This issue has been confirmed by the UK Government website, and you can read about it here.
And it’s not just Spain that is leaving disabled visitors in limbo.
Other European countries have also not made a decision on the use of the Blue Badge by UK visitors.
You can check which countries have an agreement in place here.
Update on UK Blue Badge in Spain: April 2025
Following a post on the Mallorca Under the Sun Facebook page by worried UK Blue Badge users, I can confirm that in 2025, you could still be fined if you try to use a UK Blue Badge in Spain.
I’ve gone back to check the official sources, and at the time of writing this, the UK Government is not providing UK Blue Badge users with the correct advice
You can see the official page here: 👉 UK Gov: Using a Blue Badge in the European Union
Here’s the problem:
- The official UK Government website provides a link to download a parking notice, but that notice no longer exists.
- If you saw my previous video, if you have already downloaded this parking notice, please be aware: it was never a legal document, giving UK blue badge users the right to park.
- Why? Because there is no post-Brexit agreement covering the use of UK Blue Badges across Europe.
To make matters worse, UK Government now directs users to the International Transport Forum (ITF) — which claims to be a think tank for transport policy — and the FIA, the body for world motorsport. They claim to offer “a one-stop platform for your essential travel questions.” This is as of April 2025.
However, at the time of writing, this website ALSO doesn’t work.
See the video here where I showed its lack of functionality and information.
I emailed the ITF / FIA media team and was advised to contact the destination I intended to travel to. I’m unsure if they are even aware they have been connected to the UK Government website to provide this vital information to travellers.
One of my UK viewers also contacted his MP — without any success.
Note to the UK Government: Feel free to correctly update your website, using the following information.
So What’s the Real Situation?
I contacted the Spanish Government’s Oficina de Atención a la Discapacidad (Disability Assistance Office) — and received an immediate, official reply.
Here’s a translation of what they said :
Email Response from Spain’s Disability Office:
We acknowledge receipt of your email from the Disability Assistance Office through the General Directorate of Disability Policies.
Regarding your inquiry, we inform you that parking permits for people with reduced mobility issued by the United Kingdom are not currently valid in Spain, as it is no longer part of the European Union.
However, you can contact the city councils of the cities you plan to visit, so that they can inform you about the parking regulations in their municipal area.
It is the city councils that are competent to determine the use of these cards within their municipal area, and therefore, conditions may differ from one municipality to another.
In other words:
- The UK Blue Badge is not automatically accepted in Spain. Many municipalities will recognise this, and others will not.
- You’ll need to check with each city council individually if you plan to use one — and even then, it may vary depending on where you are.
What Happens Next?
I’ve already emailed several municipalities in Mallorca asking whether they accept the UK Blue Badge, and what their local rules are.
As soon as I hear back, I’ll post another update here — so stay tuned.
In the meantime:
If you use your UK Blue Badge in Spain without confirming local rules, you could risk getting fined.
Watch this video here to find out how one unlucky holidaymaker was fined in Santa Ponsa.
But here’s some good news:
Can I use a UK Blue Badge in Spain? Real Experiences in Summer 2022
Although a firm decision regarding their use hasn’t been made, the reality of UK Blue Badge use in Spain has been entirely different for many disabled holidaymakers visiting Mallorca.
As reported on the Mallorca Under the Sun Facebook Group, these comments are from disabled holidaymakers visiting Mallorca in Summer 2022, about their experience of using a UK Blue Badge in Spain.
Caroline Arnold posted,
“I asked a little while ago about using a UK blue badge in Mallorca just to say we have just returned and used it as normal Alex suggested with no issues. “
Also commenting on a post asking about this issue, Facebook member Rachel Gabril commented,
“I use mine. I’m using it now as we speak and I’ve not had any issues. They accepted it on the ferry last week and in the airport in May. They don’t look too dissimilar to Spanish ones. I have read the article about issues since leaving the EU but I’ve used it in France and Spain.”
Another Facebook member Tony Cornwall has said that he has been able to use the UK Blue Badge in Menorca and Tenerife and suggests going to the local police station to check its use,
Not sure about Mallorca but you could use then in Minorca and Tenerife I know because I went to police station and asked only takes a few minutes to check”
In addition, Mallorca Under the Sun Facebook member Owen O’Neil stated, that he has “been using our UK one without any incident so far.”
Another Mallorca Under the Sun Facebook member commented,
“Still used the blue badge when parents came over last week and it was fine no problems. I think a lot of people are still using it as well (and) seen (them on) a few cars.”
So while bureaucrats have not been able to hammer out an agreement regarding UK Blue Badge use in Spain, the reality is that these UK Blue Badges are still being widely accepted without issue.
To see these comments on the Mallorca Under the Sun Facebook Group, use the magnifying search tool and search for “UK Blue Badge.”
This is not to say that you cannot pick up a fine, however, it would seem that parking inspectors are continuing to allow UK Blue Badge use in disabled parking spaces.
According to the Citizens Advice Bureau in Spain, the recommendation is to take a copy of a communication from the British Embassy in Madrid, illustrating how to recognise the new look UK Blue Badge (the design is similar but with the European “stars” removed from the design), and advise keeping a copy of this with the badge.
You can find a copy of this communication here.
Disclaimer: While there is no firm agreement with regards to the use of a UK Blue Badge in Spain, it is possible that fines can be given for UK disabled holidaymakers using this badge in parking spaces.
If you do pick up a fine using your UK Blue Badge, please make a post in the Mallorca Under the Sun Facebook Group with proof of this so we can raise awareness and try and work towards getting UK disability Blue Badge status officially recognised again for holidaymakers in Spain.
This is another ongoing uncertainty that needs to be URGENTLY removed for UK travellers.
In the meantime, while it’s great news to hear that some Spanish parking inspectors are continuing to recognise the UK Blue Badge on cars parked in disabled spaces.
The terrible news is that some are not.
This needs to be sorted out as soon as possible. If you know of any way you can influence the government to make this happen, please get in touch.
Blue Badge use in Spain for visitors from other countries outside the EU
Agreements have been made for Blue Badge use for visitors outside the European Union visiting Spain from Australia, Canada, Japan, Korea, New Zealand and the United States.
You can read about this agreement here.
The only requirement is to display the Blue badge displaying the international wheelchair symbol on the dashboard in full view.
How to apply for a Blue Badge in Spain?
If you have a disability and are recognised as disabled, you can apply for a Spanish Blue Badge if you are legally resident in Spain, and “empadronado” or registered at the Town Hall where you live.
If you already have a parking permit from another EU country, then this is valid in Spain.
Otherwise, I would recommend contacting a local lawyer to organise the paperwork to apply for your Spanish Blue Badge.
Re: the use of Uk Disabled Badge in Spain
hough i have been using it with absolotly no issue in Spain and other places in Europe, at Chritmas/New year this year i was issued with a hefty fine when parked in the centre of the city of A coruna in north of Spain.
Can you please guide me on how to apply for one which i can use there? I am not a resident but I do frequent visit to my daughter who is a resident of Spain.
please advice on any lawyers who can follow this up for me.
Thank you
Hi Zina – as I’m aware an agreement still hasn’t been made with regards to this. However, I’ve just updated the article as the Government has advised you should be able to display this notice alongside your blue badge. http://www.disabledmotorists.eu/download/parking_cards/notice_spain.pdf . Legally, if you are not resident in Spain, nothing can be done without that agreement. But if anyone dares give you a fine, let me know!
Yesterday my husband and myself went to la linea to do our shopping like we always do at around 3pm we parked our car in a disabled bay as we have our permit like we have done all this years and police officers have seen us and never told us our permit was not valid in la linea anyway when we went to pick up our car at around 3.30 the car was not there and we were a bit confused as we have never had any problems parking in a disabled bay before, I asked a man who was outside his shop if he had seen what ha happened to our car and he said that they had towed it away, and he informed us to go to the local police station to enquire why they had towed the car away, after we’d been waiting for more than 30 min. The officer came out and told us that our disabled permit wasn’t valid in Spain since we didn’t belong to the EU anymore and that if we wanted our car back we had to pay a fine of 100 euros and 86 euros fior the tow we were shocked at this excuse for as all this time we have been parking and never had any problems ,on top of it they wouldn’t accept payment by card only cash so we had to go to A cash machine to bring out the money to pay the fine which I think is totally illegal as a disabled badge is accepted everywhere in the world regardless where you r from, people keep telling us to report this to the police, and this is how they r treating even disabled people and you think we should have good relations with Spain when this is how they treat even disabled people
Hello, this is absolutely awful. I’m so sorry to hear this. What did the police station say? It may be worth telling the local paper your story if you intend to visit again on holiday. Regards Alex
I continued using my Blue Badge in Mallorca without any problems. I spoke to traffic wardens in Palma and to a couple of police officers and they all said I could use it. It would indeed be a heartless jobsworth who would issue a fine. I have now got a Spanish disabled parking badge. It has only taken me 2 years to get it! You do have to be resident though.
That’s great news Sarah. Thankfully here in Mallorca I haven’t heard of anyone being fined for using a UK disabled parking badge. With it being a major tourist destination, I think it would make the news.
February 2023
Whilst in Torre Pacheco five days ago, we parked our car where we were advised at the time, in a blue badge parking bay, we needed this space to transfer from car to wheelchair.
We put our blue badge on view in the car, parked it for 40 minutes.
On return we had a parking ticket, 200 euro fine, querying this with police station, they said we should have a euro blue badge not a UK one.
Be interested if anyone else has been pulled up on this.
If not beware, I’m trying to get the town hall to rescind it.
For those that followed our unfortunate incident, following my visit to the town hall , I can report a direct comment from an official in there, and I do not wish this to sound anyway political, “ bett pay the fine as it will cost you more to fight it”
So I did, he was however very helpful, and sent me links as how I could get a badge that would be of use, could take me Several months, need all medical history, and my wife would need to have an examination with a local doctor.
Also a helpful comment came addressed to me as follows.
Make your own mind up if you want to take the risk with your badge.
Disabled parking badges showing the name of the holder which have been issued by another EU country can be used in Spain until they expire. This does not now include badges issued in the UK. It has not been officially confirmed yet if badges issued in the UK will continue to be accepted throughout Spain now Britain has left the EU. Please see latest information and guidance from the UK government on this link. In this situation, advice also includes asking locally at the local town hall or tourist office in the area where you will be parking to find out if your UK-issued card will be accepted or not in that municipality.
I am so sorry to read this, that is just awful. And shameful on the side of the parking inspector. I know in popular tourist resorts they are turning a blind eye, but other areas are being more to the rule book. The governments need to get this sorted out soon. Another Brexit mess in my opinion 🙁
My elderly father who has significant walking difficulties and possesses a UK Blue Badge parked a car in a disabled space within the Calvia council car park behind the Rotunda in Santa Ponsa on 14/11/22 at 7.30 pm. His UK Blue Badge was displayed on the dashboard of the car. The car park was around 90% vacant at the time. He returned to the car slightly over an hour later and thought nothing more of the matter. Almost 6 months later he very surprisingly received an extensive traffic violation document at his home in the U.K accusing him of illegally parking in a designated disabled parking space.
It referred to a fine of €100 increasing to €200 if not paid within 20 days. We contacted Calvia Council twice and sent copies of his U.K Blue Badge but we failed to get any acknowledgment of this. My father who has four months timeshare accommodation in Santa Ponsa was extremely upset and frustrated but forwarded a bank transfer from the U.K for payment of the €100 fine. He feels that he did absolutely nothing wrong and was the victim of an extremely over zealous traffic warden.
He was tempted to appeal but was informed that this was a long, drawn out process which could cost him considerably more expense.
We have recently returned to Santa Ponsa and visited the Policia Local with his Blue Badge and the notice recommended by the U.K Government but they failed to give us a definitive answer as to the validity of the foregoing.
From my father’s perspective the entire affair does Calvia Council absolutely no certitude whatsoever.
Hello Heather, If it’s OK, I’m going to send you an email as I would like to get this escalated.Cheers Alex