Here is how you can join Spain’s subsidised Imserso holiday scheme for seniors in 2026

Imserso

Foreign residents are eligible for the 880,000 low-cost travel places. Here is how the points selection system works, package costs and how to apply before the 10 July deadline

Dilip Kuner

Malaga

Spain’s central government has officially launched its heavily subsidised holiday programme for the 2026–2027 season, unlocking hundreds of thousands of low-cost travel packages for senior residents. But did you realise the crucial word is residents, not citizens?

Foreign nationals are fully entitled to join in - as long as they fulfil the criteria.

The state-run programme - known as Imserso (Instituto de Mayores y Servicios Sociales) - is a nationwide social tourism scheme. First established in 1985 with just 16,000 test bookings, the initiative has grown into a cornerstone of Spanish social policy.

Related story

• Tourism

  • Foreign nationals living legally in Spain are not barred from the scheme. Provided they are legal residents and pay into or are registered beneficiaries of the Spanish Social Security system, expatriates hold the exact same rights to apply as Spanish citizens.

    For the upcoming 2026–2027 campaign, the government is pouring nearly 60 million euros into funding 879,213 places. Holidays range from brief weekend getaways to 10-day coastal retreats, with travel scheduled to run from October 2026 through to June 2027.

    How applicants are chosen: the points system

    With demand outstripping the 880,000 available slots, places are not allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Instead, Imserso uses a strict mathematical scoring system (baremo de valoración) out of a maximum of 295 points to rank applicants.

    Those with the highest points become "preferred applicants" and get first pick of the destinations when bookings open. The points are calculated using five criteria:

    • History of past travel (max 225 points): The system heavily favours those who have been left out before. Applicants who were stuck on the waiting list last year automatically get 175 points. Those who haven't travelled in the last two seasons get 50 points. If you have taken multiple Imserso trips recently, you score zero points here, pushing you to the back of the queue.

    • Financial situation (max 50 points): Lower-income applicants are prioritised. Anyone receiving a minimum non-contributory pension (under 565 euros a month) gets the full 50 points. Points scale down as income rises; those with a monthly income over 2,100 euros receive zero points for this category.

    •Age (max 20 points): The older the applicant, the higher the priority. Anyone under 60 gets one point, 60-year-olds get two points, and an extra point is added for every year up to a maximum of 20 points for those aged 78 or older. For couples applying together, the system takes the average of both ages.

    • Disability (ten points): Any applicant with a legally recognised degree of disability of 33 per cent or higher is automatically granted an extra ten points.

    • Large families (max 10 points): Standing as a member of an officially recognised "large family" (familia numerosa) adds five to ten points depending on the number of children.

    If two applicants end up with the exact same number of points, tie-breaks are settled by favouring the person who is older.

    Where it applies: national vs regional

    Imserso is a national scheme managed by Spain’s Ministry of Social Rights. It applies right across the country, allowing eligible residents from any Spanish region to travel to designated holiday zones.

    The available slots are divided into three distinct geographic options:

    • Peninsular coastal tourism (440,284 places): Heading to traditional beach destinations in Andalucía, Catalonia, Murcia, and the Valencian Community.

    • Island coastal tourism (228,142 places): Travelling out to the Balearic Islands (including Mallorca and Ibiza) and the Canary Islands.

    • Tourism ecosystem / getaways (210,787 places): Focussing on cultural tours, nature circuits, and short breaks to provincial capital cities.

    Useful links: Sede Electrónica del Imserso

    https://imserso.es/en/ (For paper form download)