How to Apply for a Recreational Fishing License in Spain
Hey it’s me Harris at the helm of this post!
Fishing has been a part of my life since I was 5 years old when I started going on trips with our neighbour across the street. They had a speedboat, so we went island hopping and lots of fishing.
What fun do you get from fishing? Personally, it brings me peace, taking my mind off things (work) and focus on thinking like a fish. What attracts them, what looks delicious and what makes them tick -really.
Fishing in Malaysia
When I was still living in Penang (Malaysia), almost always I had my light fishing gear in the back of my car, ready to go to de-stress after work, be it the river or an estuary. But, in Malaysia, no fishing license was needed for almost anywhere as long as it’s not private land or too close to a busy port.
A major plus in Malaysia was, there was no bag limits to how many fish you could bring home (within reason) and size of each species as long as you don’t annoy fellow fishing enthusiasts bringing anchovy sized fishes home for a meal.
People are getting more educated these days by chucking back what’s too small to eat back to sea, saving them for another day.
Fishing in the UK
Moving to Devon (UK) was quite a hit to my fishing hobby as the weather was too cold to be standing out on the breakwaters or sea-walls.
I did fish a handful of times in spring when the mackerel starts biting and when it’s possible to wear a thin jacket to fish.
It’s a plus for not needing a fishing license to fish at the beach or sea, as long as you’re not dangerously casting close to swimmers or beachgoers.
Inland fishing needs a permit for trout, salmon and the rest of the species. They start from £7.30 (1-day) to £93.10 (12-months). It also depends on your target species. If you’re interested to take a peek at the prices, click HERE or copy this link : https://www.gov.uk/fishing-licences/buy-a-fishing-licence
Nope, I’ve never bought a fishing license in the UK, even when I do fly fishing. Instead, I did salt-water fly fishing, was equally as fun and it was a 1-minute walking distance from our place to the beach.
Fishing in Spain
Consu & myself moved to Spain back in 2023 (from the UK) and I had to pack all my fishing gear, load them up into the mover’s van to bring them to our new home in Alicante.
My fishing kit sat there in storage for at least 3-4 months before I unpacked them. We were so busy getting settled with things and couldn’t go down to beach to fish or swim at least until summertime.
I assumed that the Spanish laws about fishing was the same like the UK, so I went on our kayak, paddled out to a promising spot and fished there a few times and it was good. Lots of bites and I was pulling out Seabreams, Seabass & some Codlings. Not bad ey?
Phew, that was close!
So, I went a few times for at least a year until comes summer 2024 when we went picnicking close to a rocky area on the coast in Santa Pola. I love light rock fishing close to shore where the frys hide under the rocks and cracks. It’s more thrilling to get a sneak attack from a predetor big fish rather than a boring bite like one you get from a carp.
It was fun catching & releasing juveniles with the sound of the waves washing up on my feet until I heard someone calling me out from a far. I turned around and there was 2 gentlemen standing in their blue suits and a radio in their hand.
Oh crap, it’s the Policia Local (local enforcement police)! They work for the local council, but have enough power to give you a fine.
I walked over and they asked why am I fishing in this area when there’s restrictions. I said, I didn’t see any restrictions around. I was told that even fishing at sea, you’ll need a fishing license. Plus, fishing license was needed for fishing anywhere, be it at sea, inland or even a paypond!
My heart sank, I felt to disappointed and begged the officers to let me off as it was my first offence and I didn’t know that there was such a sea-fishing license.
I was lucky that they let me off on a warning. A fine would be anywhere between €30 to a whopping €3000 for fishing without a license!
Turns out, a lady sitting about 50m from where we were complained that I was fishing too close to people. No one was around, but she’s being a ‘Karen’. Oh well! Some people just think that they own the place.
Regional Fishing License
Depending on where you are in Spain, you’ll need to get a fishing license from your region or state.
For example, if you’re in Barcelona, you’ll need a Sea Fishing License (Licencia de Pesca) from the Catalunya Government.
And, if you’re in Alicante region, you’ll need to apply for a Fishing License from Comunidad Valenciana (or Generalitat Valenciana).
Types of Licenses
Basically, there are 4 types of Recreational Fishing Licenses depending on where and your method of catching fish (fish :P), crustaceans (crabs, shellfish) or cephalopods (squid, octopus).
a. Recreational Sea Fishing License (Land-based)
b. Recreational Sea Fishing License (Underwater -speargun etc.)
c. Recreational Sea Fishing License (from a vessel that has an official registered name as a boat)
d. Recreational Freshwater Fishing License (possibly has sub-species specific licenses in some regions)
The licenses are usually valid for 1 year to 5 years before you need a renewal. You’ll need either a Spanish ID (DNI), a NIE (Resident TIE)
a. Recreational Sea Fishing License (Land-based)
This is the one I had for Alicante (Comunidad Valenciana) which simply means, you’re fishing from the shoreline without using a registered fishing vessel or needing to dive to catch fish.
Like me, if you also own an Inflatable Kayak, a Rigid Kayak or generally a Kayak with no motor installed and/or does not have a registration number, technically it’s considered to be as if you’re fishing from land or landbased.
General Rules
It allows you to have 2 fishing rods in every occasion. Bringing extra rods to the fishing spot, should be exercised with caution as it might be considered breaking the rules. Pack them away, leave them in the car -just to be safe.
Your fishing rods should not be more than 3 metres apart when casted/set in place. And, if you’re fishing next to another fellow fisherman, you should not be any closer than
Fishing hooks should not be smaller than 12mm x 5mm in size. I believe that’s to avoid having small fish getting hooked.
A maximum of 6 hooks per fishing license is allowed at every one time. And it should be a one fishing line only. So, feathered mackerel riggings with 8-10 hooks are definitely not allowed. If you have 3 hooks on 1 rod, you could only have another 3 hooks on the other line, maxing out your 6 hooks limit.
Apart from that, if you’re fishing for cephalopods (squids, octopus etc.), you’re only allowed 2 squid jigs per license.
If you fish with soft-plastics or hard-baits, those are considered 1 hook each set. So, if you have a popper lure, even with 2 sets of treble hooks, that’s considered as 1 single hook.
Bag Limits for this license (land-based) would be 5kg per license per day and the catch cannot be sold onto a third party as it’s considered a commercial activity.
Any fishing must not be in a restricted area (by time of day and/or natural reserves). You should check with your local council’s website, or Google this : Mapa pesca <local council>. They should publish an updated image or PDF file somewhere on their website.
Also, your activity must not interrupt any commercial fishing activities eg. Fishing boats, fishermen etc.
Recreational Fishing License (Landbased) price in Alicante updated in 2025 for 5-years period was €21.88.
The rest of the options are as follows :
1 year – €12.26
2 years – €15.01
3 years – €17.47
4 years – €19.75
5 years – €21.88 (Recommended)
Fees as payable by Bizum (updated in 2025).
b. Recreational Sea Fishing License (Underwater)
If you free-dive without a scuba tank to catch fish, this license is for you.
General Rules
The harpoon or spear shall have one or multiple spikes.
Your marker-bouy must be clearly visible when you’re diving and cannot be any further than 25 meters from where you dive. Basically, it’s for your own safety to have the markers nearby as you don’t want any motorboats or jetski’s to come too close or hit you when you surface.
Ditto here, you cannot catch and sell them to a third-party as it’s considered a commercial activity.
You must not spear-fish 100 meters or closer to any beachgoers.
You must not come out of the water onto the shore with your speargun still loaded or charged as this might endanger the safety of the beachgoers or general public.
Any fishing must not be in a restricted area (by time of day and/or natural reserves). You should check with your local council’s website, or Google this : Mapa pesca <local council>. They should publish an updated image or PDF file somewhere on their website.
Also, your activity must not interrupt any commercial fishing activities eg. Fishing boats, fishermen etc.
Recreational Fishing License (Underwater, Speargun) price in Alicante updated in 2025 for 2-years period was €16.97. No other options offered at the moment.
c. Recreational Sea Fishing License (from a Registered Vessel)
If you own a boat or sailboat or a motorboat that has a registration number/paperwork, this is for you.
Like me, if you also own an Inflatable Kayak, a Rigid Kayak or generally a Kayak with no motor installed and/or does not have a registration number, technically it’s considered to be as if you’re fishing from land or landbased. You need option A to go fishing, not this one.
General Rules
Ditto here, you cannot catch and sell them to a third-party as it’s considered a commercial activity.
Bag Limits for this license (land-based) would be 25kg per license per day for a vessel with 5 pax (or 5kg per pax) and the catch cannot be sold onto a third party as it’s considered a commercial activity.
Any fishing must not be in a restricted area (by time of day and/or natural reserves). You should check with your local council’s website, or Google this : Mapa pesca <local council>. They should publish an updated image or PDF file somewhere on their website.
As far as I know, no nets of any types are allowed.
Also, your activity must not interrupt any commercial fishing activities eg. Fishing boats, fishermen etc.
But, how close is too-close?
Here are some pointers in summary :
From your vessel to a commercial vessel – 300m
From your vessel to a tuna fishing vessel (with fishing rods) – 500m
From your vessel to a fishing net or rigging bouy – 148m
From your vessel to floating fish farm or rings or similar – 200m
Recreational Fishing License (from a Registered Vessel) price in Alicante updated in 2025 for 5-years period was €88.97.
The rest of the options are as follows :
1 year – N/A
2 years – €41.85
3 years – €58.22
4 years – €73.92
5 years – €88.97 (Recommended)
How do I apply for a Recreational Sea Fishing License in Alicante
If you’re ready to apply for a fishing license, here’s a simplified step-by-step process you could follow for Alicante, Comunidad Valenciana.
You could try applying online via their website, but you’ll need the Spanish Digital Certificate (Certificado Digital) e-Identifier. But, I’ve literally tried 15 times with my ID, but it failed to recognize my data. Copy & paste this to apply online : https://www.gva.es/es/inicio/procedimientos?id_proc=647&id_caso=sollicitud
Step 1 : Call the Department of Environment & Agriculture at +34 965 938 131 or +34-965 938 153 to ask for a Cita Previa (or a booking/appointment date & time)
Step 2 : Visit the office in person. Don’t forget to bring your DNI or NIE with you for registration purposes. Click HERE for the Google Maps location or copy & paste https://maps.app.goo.gl/y5XbLiJPdLrvGfjE7
Car Parking is average in the Blue Zones (paid parking €0.60/hr) or underground parking lots nearby. We went there at 8.30am, so there were plenty of parking as offices generally start at 9am.
Step 3 : Enter the office, you’ll be greeted by the security personnel right by the door. Mention you’d like to apply for a Recreational Fishing License.
You’ll need to fill up an application form with your Full Name, Spain Address, Phone Number, Email Address, Select the Tenure of License/Type and Your Signature.
Step 4 : You’ll be directed to the office counter to pay for the fee. I paid with Bizum (an instant transfer method in Spain via mobile phone number).
The mobile phone number you’ve written on the form would be the number receiving the Bizum-request. So, have your mobile phone on the ready to accept the payment-request and have sufficient funds in your banking account.
Step 5 : Congratulations, you’re now a registered recreational fisherman in Spain 🙂
If needed, ask for the guidebook to what are the size-limits for each species you’ve caught so that you’re on the clear and have a peace of mind!
I’ve folded my paper-license, put it into a ziplock bag and saved it in my fishing backpack. Also, have a copy of your NIE/TIE in hand as a picture ID to present when asked. Without your ID, the license is not valid.
If you’d like to reprint this license, they have also emailed you a copy in PDF format to your email address. You could also request a reprint at the office, but it’ll cost you €10.42 per copy -silly isn’t it? Haha.
Application Form Sample
Click HERE for a copy of the Application Form you’ll be filling up at the office in person or copy & paste this link : https://siac-front.gva.es/siac-front/public/descarga/es/F125533
If all links above fails, it’s also known as : SOLICITUD DE LICENCIA DE PESCA MARÍTIMA DE RECREO (F125533) for Comunidad Valenciana.
Minimum Fish Size Limits for Alicante
