How to become a tour guide in Spain

In Spain, the tourism sector is largely decentralised, which means that each region has powers to tweak the law to suit local people, places and attractions.

Each autonomous community also establishes the process and requirements for obtaining the official tourist guide licence to work in the region.

This means that if you want to be a tour guide though, it will greatly depend on may factors, particularly on where you live or where you want to carry out the tourism services.

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Do I need an official licence for every region?

This depends. If you want to be hired by a tourism company to be a guide then yes, they will probably require you to have a licence, but if you want to start your own business guiding, then it will depend on what you do as to whether you need one or not. Again this depends on the region where you want to work.

For example in Catalonia the regional government states that "Culture, art, history, geography and ecology tours can be freely provided in Catalonia apart from inside monuments declared as a Cultural Asset of National Interest and museums listed on the Museums Register of Catalonia". This means that you can guide around the streets without a licence, but if you want to take your clients inside buildings, such as Gaudí's Sagrada Familia, then you will need one.

In Valencia, however, laws 62/1996 and 90/2010 state that "Only Official Tourist Guides duly accredited and authorised by the Valencian Tourist Board can carry out guided tour activities throughout the territory of the Valencian Community".

In other regions you will typically need some type of official licence to do any type of guiding.

There may be some ways to get around the need for one though, depending on how you advertise your services, though this is a bit of a legal grey area and again will depend on the region. You could for example run activities or experiences and advertise them on platforms such as Airbnb, Get Your Guide, Viator etc. For these you may not need an actual tour guide qualification, but you may need to consider other factors like getting insurance to run the activity.

Does that mean I can only use the license in that region?

No, although it is issued at the regional level, tourist guide licences are generally valid throughout Spain or you may be able to transfer them if you move.

Due to the regional nature of the sector, however, always be sure to check the local regulations with the regional tourism board.

What are the requirements to getting a tour guiding licence?

Generally licences are associated with the Spanish Confederation of Associations of Tourist Guides, although their are different regional bodies too.

Typically to be a tour guide you need to:

• Be of legal age.
• You must be a Spanish national, from an EU member state or a national of a signatory to the EEA. 'Foreign citizens', what we understand to be non-EU nationals resident in Spain may also become tour guides by taking the entrance tests or by setting themselves up as self-employed and getting a licence.
• Speak at least one foreign language, though some communities require two. A minimum level of B2 or C1 is usually the minimum level needed. Sometimes you will also need to prove you can speak co-official languages such as Galician, Basque or Catalan. Higher education studies completed in the foreign language or a certificate issued by official language schools are accepted as proof of language proficiency. Otherwise, language level is tested during the exams.
• Sometimes other qualifications are also required, depending on the region and circumstances of your application. If you have a foreign qualification in another language, it will need to be translated into Spanish and, if it is from a system outside the EU, it will need to be recognised, a process that can take several years.
• You may also need tour guide and tourism qualifications. These could include Advanced Vocational Training certificate as a Guide providing tourist information and services, professional certificate that accredits the qualification of local Tourism Promotion, Diploma in Business and Tourism Activities or a Degree in Tourism.

How can I get a tour guide licence in Spain?

There are various options for obtaining an official tourist guide licence in Spain:

By direct appointment or online. In some regions such as Aragón, Andalusia and Catalonia, you can apply for a tourist guide licence if you meet a series of requirements, the most common of which are having an official tourism qualification and knowledge of foreign languages. This allows you to avoid long waits for places to be released.

To obtain direct authorisation, you'll need to have one of the following official qualifications: Advanced technical qualification in tourism guidance, information and assistance; Technical or diploma qualification in tourism companies and activities; Bachelor's degree in Tourism; Tourist and Visitor Guide Qualification.

Pass the exams. To obtain the professional training as a tourist guide when a call for applications is announced, which is typically every two years. You can even take an exam without having to complete the training course and exams. You can then begin the direct authorisation process (the first option) and obtain your tourist guide licence. Obviously, this would mean studying and preparing for the exam by yourself.

Have your experience as a guide in an EU country recognised. This is only valid if you have at least one year's experience as a guide or if you have a certificate of competence or training qualification required by another EU country to become a tourist guide.

Speak two foreign languages at C1 or B2 level, have a university degree and have your work experience or training as a guide recognised.

By taking qualification tests. Done on a regional basis, these exams usually consist of three tests, each of which is eliminatory: a language test, a written exam and an oral exam. Check the exact process with your regional tourist board.

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