Gun laws in Spain: regulations for hunters
Reviewed by the Corsini Hunts team, with over 45 years of experience in small game hunting in Spain. A thorough understanding of current firearms regulations is essential to the responsible practice of hunting on any Spanish estate.
Last updated: April 2026
This article includes the changes proposed in the reform of Spain's Firearms Regulation announced by the Ministry of the Interior, whose public consultation closed on 8 March 2026. The reform has not yet been approved as a Royal Decree, so the legal framework currently in force is still Royal Decree 137/1993, as updated by Royal Decree 726/2020. Foreign hunters travelling to Spain are not affected by the reform: the European Firearms Pass and the temporary import permits remain fully valid.
Planning a hunting trip to Spain involves more than choosing the right estate or species. If you intend to travel with your own shotgun or rifle, it’s essential to understand the gun laws in Spain. The Spanish Firearms Regulation, established by Royal Decree 137/1993 and amended by Royal Decree 726/2020, governs the possession, transport, and use of hunting firearms. Complying with these laws ensures your safety and allows you to enjoy your hunting experience in Spain without legal issues.
Firearms licences for hunting in Spain
The law distinguishes several types of firearms licences depending on the weapon and its use:
- Licence D: required for centerfire rifles used in big game hunting.
- Licence E: the most common for shotguns used in small game hunting such as partridge drives.
Both licences are issued by the Firearms and Explosives Office of the Guardia Civil and must be accompanied by a guía de pertenencia (firearm registration card) proving ownership. Important: the proposed reform plans to merge Licences D and E into a single hunting licence. We explain the details further down in this guide.
Bringing hunting firearms into Spain
If you are travelling from a European Union country, you will need the European Firearms Pass — the document that certifies ownership and legitimate sporting or hunting use of the weapon.
Hunters from EU countries can travel with their firearms using the European Firearms Pass. Those coming from outside the EU must request a temporary import permit from the Spanish Civil Guard or through the nearest Spanish embassy. During flights, weapons and ammunition must be declared at check-in and transported unloaded in separate locked cases. Upon arrival, authorities will verify documentation before releasing the firearms for hunting.
Rules for carrying and storing firearms
Under the Spanish Firearms Regulation, firearms can only be used within authorised hunting grounds, and hunters must hold a valid regional licence. When not in use, guns must be stored unloaded and locked in certified safes. Semi-automatic shotguns used in small game hunting are limited to three cartridges in total (two in the magazine, one in the chamber), ensuring fairness and safety during drives.
Renewals, insurance, and legal compliance
Licences D and E are valid for five years. Renewal requires a medical and psychological assessment by the Guardia Civil and a check that the holder has no incompatible criminal record. The reform under discussion aims to extend periodic medical checks above the age of 67 to additional licence categories.
In addition, every hunter must hold a hunter's third-party liability insurance, which is mandatory throughout Spain. This policy covers any damage caused to third parties during the hunt.
Complying with the law is not only a legal obligation: it is a sign of respect for hunting tradition and for everyone's safety in the field.
The 2026 reform: what changes for hunters?
In February 2026 the Spanish Ministry of the Interior opened a preliminary public consultation to amend the Firearms Regulation. The reform partly responds to Spain's obligation to align national rules with Directive (EU) 2021/555 on the control of the acquisition and possession of weapons, but it also introduces changes that will directly affect day-to-day hunting in Spain. The consultation closed on 8 March 2026 and the Spanish Hunting Federation (RFEC) has already filed its formal observations.
Below is a summary of the key points of the reform for hunters resident in Spain:
1. A single hunting licence (merging Licences D and E)
The most visible measure is the unification of current Licences D (big game rifles) and E (shotguns) into a single hunting licence. The Ministry of the Interior estimates this would remove around 80,000 administrative files per year without lowering safety or storage requirements. RFEC supports the measure as a meaningful simplification for both hunters and the administration.
2. Possible mandatory gun safe for all hunters
Today, the obligation to keep firearms in an approved gun safe applies mainly to Licence D holders (rifle owners). If both licences merge under a single framework, one of the sector's main concerns is that the administration may extend that storage requirement to every hunter holding any kind of firearm, including those who only own a shotgun for small game. It is one of the most debated points of the draft and the final wording is yet to be confirmed.
3. Cap on the number of big game rifles
The licence merger would force the introduction of an upper limit on the number of rifles a private holder may acquire in the future, since the current system imposes no cap. The justification is to prevent large private collections. Hunters who already own more rifles than the new threshold will keep their acquired rights but will not be able to expand their collection further. This is the change that most affects stalking hunters.
4. Mandatory training course for new licences
The reform contemplates a compulsory training course, designed by the Ministry, prior to obtaining a hunting licence. It would be added to the theoretical and practical exams that already exist. According to the current draft, the requirement will not be retroactive: those who already hold a valid licence will not need to complete it. RFEC welcomes the principle of stronger training but warns against unnecessary bureaucracy.
5. Opening up calibre .22 for population control
Responding to a long-standing request from several regional governments, the draft opens the door to using calibre .22 for hunting and species population control. Until now, Spanish regulation classifies this calibre as sport shooting or collector's gear, not as a valid big game tool.
6. Big game rifles allowed for sport shooting without federation membership
Another welcome flexibility: big game rifles will be usable for sport shooting practice without the need to be federated or hold the specific Licence F. This has been a long-standing demand of both hunters and sport shooters.
7. Periodic medical checks above a certain age
Medical assessments above the age of 67 will be extended to Licence F (sport shooting), bringing them into line with the other categories. Holders will need to provide a medical certificate every three years from that age onwards.
8. Foreign hunters: no changes
The reform does not modify the temporary firearms import regime for non-resident hunters. EU hunters can continue to travel to Spain with their European Firearms Pass, and non-EU hunters will still need the temporary import permit issued by the Guardia Civil or the corresponding Spanish embassy. If you are organising a Spanish hunt from abroad, the procedure you already know remains valid.
Why Corsini Hunts?
At Corsini Hunts, we ensure full compliance with all gun laws in Spain so you can focus solely on the thrill of hunting. In La Flamenca Estate (Aranjuez), you’ll experience Spain’s finest partridge-driven shooting in a secure, elegant, and fully legal environment, the true essence of Spanish small-game hunting.
If you’d like to learn more, visit our articles Arrieta shotguns or How to hunt in Spain as a foreign hunter.
