Valencia Is Fining Tourists and Locals Alike, and More Limits Are Coming

Valencia has quietly become one of Spain’s stricter cities for street behaviour. Under updated street-cleaning rules that took effect this summer, police began enforcement in October, and the council started issuing fines on October 13 after an information campaign. According to a November 5 report from TravelWise, the rules apply to everyone on the street, residents and visitors alike.

The penalties are not small. Spitting or urinating in public carries a fine of 750 to 3,000 euros, while littering, which includes cigarette ends and chewing gum, can reach 1,500 euros. The report presents the 3,000-euro ceiling as the headline figure, but the range matters: a lower fine is possible, and the amount depends on the offence.

Tour operators face a second set of changes, though these are still proposals. On November 2, tourism officials suggested cutting the maximum size of guided cycling and e-scooter groups from 15 to ten, with no start date set. Today’s limit is 15, groups larger than that must be separated by 50 metres, and groups over six need a guide. Separate draft rules aimed at stag and hen gatherings between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m. are also not in force.

The practical advice is to treat Valencia like any city that is actively enforcing public-behaviour rules: bin your cigarette ends, and if you are joining a bike or scooter tour or organising a group celebration, ask the operator which restrictions will apply on your dates. Proposals can change before they become law, so check closer to your trip.

Sources: TravelWise