Campsite and glamping in Spain for foreigners: residence permit, land and licence

A foreigner can open a campsite or a glamping site in Spain, but for a non-EU citizen the business itself does not give residence: you need a self-employment residence permit — cuenta propia. The main limits are the land and the region. Rural land requires separate planning permission, campsites are banned in flood zones, and glamping is named as a category only in Andalusia.

Below: which residence permit suits the owner, where a campsite cannot be opened or is hard to open, how domes and cabins are legalised, whether you can live on your own site and which duties start with the first guest. Campsite prices, a glamping budget and payback are calculated by our partner Finetic in «Campsite and glamping business in Spain» — we do not repeat that here.

Which residence permit suits a campsite owner

The basis is the same as for any business of your own in Spain. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens need no work permit. Everyone else needs a self-employment residence permit: a first permit for one year, tied to a region and a sector, with a business plan, proof of investment and compliance with the requirements Spaniards meet for this activity (Articles 83–85 of Royal Decree 1155/2024). For a campsite the last point means land with the right planning status and tourism registration — without them the file is weak.

The startup visa suits only an innovative project with an ENISA report, the golden visa was abolished from 3 April 2025, and the non-lucrative and digital nomad permits do not let you run your own Spanish business. Each option for a tourism business is covered in detail in «Small hotel in Spain for foreigners», and the basis itself in «Cuenta propia in Spain».

A campsite is a seasonal business, and the permit is renewed if the activity is really carried on and taxes are paid. Plan the season so that by renewal you have revenue, tax returns and uninterrupted contributions.

Order: from plot to first guest

1. Plot. Check the land category, flood zones and distance to the coast — before paying for the land.
2. Planning permission on rural land: in Valencia a declaration of community interest, in Andalusia an authorisation for extraordinary use, in Catalonia a special plan.
3. Town hall licence for works and activity.
4. Regional tourism registration: a declaration or an authorisation and a category.
5. Taxes and guests: business activity tax, VAT, guest registration with the Interior Ministry.

Apply for the self-employment permit when the project can already be shown: the plot, the planning permission or at least the filed application, and the business plan. If you are a non-EU citizen and the plot is in a zone of interest for national defence — parts of the islands and border areas — the purchase needs military authorisation, as does a Spanish company with more than half foreign capital (Article 18 of Law 8/1975).

Land: rural plots, flooding, the coast

Campsites are most often on rural, non-developable land. You cannot build there without separate permission, and this is the longest part of the project.

• Valencian Community. A campsite is expressly allowed on non-developable land, with a plot of at least 0.5 ha. Before the town hall licence you need a declaration of community interest (DIC); the levy is 2% of the works cost and the term up to 30 years (Articles 211, 216, 221, 222 of TRLOTUP).
• Andalusia. Tourism use of rural land is an extraordinary action (actuación extraordinaria): a separate authorisation before the licence, a decision within six months, silence means refusal, and a 10% levy on the works cost (Article 22 of LISTA Law 7/2021).
• Catalonia. On non-developable land a campsite always requires a special urban plan (Articles 47.6.e and 67.1.i of DL 1/2010).
• Galicia. On rural land a campsite needs at least 5,000 m² (Article 5 of Decreto 159/2019).

Flooding. In the preferential flow zone, campsite accommodation areas are banned throughout Spain, and in the floodable zone they are restricted (Articles 9 bis and 14 bis of the Public Water Domain Regulation). In the Valencian Community, campsites are banned on non-developable land with flood hazard levels 2–5 (Article 18.2 of the PATRICOVA plan). In 2025 Catalonia introduced a review of operating campsites in flood zones, and a closure resulting from it carries no compensation (Decreto-ley 17/2025). Check the flood zone map before buying a plot.

The coast. Campsites are banned on beaches (Article 33.5 of the Coastal Law); in the protection strip only authorised campsites with dismountable structures are allowed (Article 46.a of the Coastal Regulation).

Mobile homes. In December 2024 the Supreme Court ruled that a mobile home on undeveloped land needs a planning licence, like a prefabricated house rather than a trailer (Tribunal Supremo).

Rules by region

Each region regulates campsites with its own decree. It decides how you open — by declaration or authorisation — and how much of the site cabins may take instead of tents.

Glamping: how it is legalised

There is no Spain-wide «glamping» category. Domes, lodges and treehouses are legalised in one of three ways.

• Inside a campsite — as permanent cabins within the regional limit. This is the most common route: in Valencia such units may take up to 60% of the accommodation area, in Catalonia up to half of the pitches.
• A campsite with the «Glamping» specialisation — only in Andalusia: at least 4 stars, all pitches equipped uniformly, with furniture and electricity, no more than 350 places; cabins are allowed on every pitch (Decreto 26/2018, Annex III).
• Outside a campsite, small scale. In Valencia — tents and unusual cabins on a private plot where the owner lives, up to 16 people (Article 69 of Decreto 10/2021). In Catalonia — «singular accommodation» (allotjaments singulars) of up to 6 places per unit under a municipal rule.

For the residence permit the format matters: a small glamping site with 3–5 domes may not produce the revenue and jobs that convince the authority the investment is «sufficient». A campsite with a glamping area is a stronger basis.

Can you live on your own campsite

A campsite is tourist accommodation, not housing. In Valencia a contract for a pitch or cabin runs for no more than a year (Article 50.10 of Decreto 10/2021), and in Castile and León stays over 300 days a year are banned. Plan housing for yourself and your family, and your town hall registration, separately: you need the registration for healthcare, school and renewal — «Empadronamiento in Spain». How to bring your family — «Family reunification in Spain»; a reunification permit lets your spouse work straight away, including at the campsite.

What is mandatory from the first guest

• Guest registration. Campsites, bungalows and motorhome parks are named expressly in Royal Decree 933/2021 (Article 2.1.b): guest and payment data go to the Interior Ministry within 24 hours.
• 10% VAT — for campsites, as for hotels (Article 91.Uno.2.2º of the VAT Law).
• IAE business activity tax — group 687 «Campamentos turísticos»; if the campsite opens less than eight months a year, the quota is 70% (RDLeg 1175/1990).
• Tourist tax — in Catalonia it is charged at campsites too, at the rates of the regional law (Ley 5/2017).

The market is large and seasonal: in 2025 Spanish campsites recorded 49.8 million overnight stays, and in August 2026 there were 1,285 campsites open (INE). Catalonia has the most overnight stays.

Your taxes after the move

After moving you become a Spanish tax resident and pay income tax on your worldwide income. The Beckham Law is not available to the self-employed, but the law allows it for the director of your own Spanish company that actually operates (Article 93.1.b.2º of the Personal Income Tax Law) — so the business form is chosen before the move. More in «The Beckham Law in Spain» and «Modelo 720 and 721» on assets abroad.

Frequently asked questions

Does a campsite give residence in Spain?

Not by itself. A non-EU citizen needs a self-employment residence permit: a business plan, investment, land with the right planning status and tourism registration. The first permit is for one year and is renewed if the campsite really operates.

Can I open a glamping site on rural land in Spain?

Yes, but with separate planning permission before the town hall licence: in Valencia a declaration of community interest, in Andalusia an authorisation for extraordinary use, in Catalonia a special plan. Campsites are banned in flood zones.

Can I put up domes without a campsite?

Only on a small scale and not everywhere. In Valencia — on a private plot where the owner lives, up to 16 people. In Catalonia — singular accommodation of up to 6 places per unit under a municipal rule.

Where is glamping expressly allowed as a category in Spain?

In Andalusia: there it is a campsite specialisation of at least 4 stars, up to 350 places, with equipped cabins on every pitch. In other regions domes and lodges are placed as permanent cabins inside a campsite within the limit.

Can I live on my own campsite?

Not as a home. A campsite is tourist accommodation: in Valencia a pitch contract lasts no longer than a year, and in Castile and León stays over 300 days a year are not allowed. Housing and town hall registration are planned separately.

Can I open a new campsite in Mallorca?

On our reading of the law, practically no: the Balearic tourism law does not include campsites among the tourist accommodation groups and mentions them only as existing establishments.

What VAT does a campsite charge in Spain?

10%, like hotels. If the campsite opens less than eight months a year, the business activity tax is paid at 70% of the quota.

Key points about a campsite and glamping in Spain for foreigners

• Residence is granted for activity: for an owner who runs the site, that is self-employment — one year at first.
• The main risk is the land: a rural plot needs separate permission, and flood zones are closed.
• The region decides everything: some need only a declaration, Galicia and Asturias require an authorisation, and in the Balearics a new campsite is practically impossible.
• Glamping as a category exists only in Andalusia; elsewhere it means cabins inside a campsite.
• You cannot live on your own campsite — housing and registration are separate.
• From the first guest — Interior Ministry registration, 10% VAT and the business activity tax.

Sources

• Royal Decree 1155/2024 — foreigners regulation, Articles 83–86
• Decreto 10/2021, Valencian Community
• Decreto 26/2018, Andalusia
• Decret 75/2020, Catalonia
• Decreto 159/2019, Galicia
• Decreto 61/2022, Asturias
• Decreto 9/2017, Castile and León
• Ley 8/2012, Balearic Islands
• TRLOTUP, Valencian Community
• Law 7/2021 (LISTA), Andalusia
• Public Water Domain Regulation
• Royal Decree 933/2021 — guest registration
• INE — campsite overnight stays in 2025