The UK Foreign Office has recently alerted Brits that a sight you may be used to seeing in the sunny streets of Spain isn’t only frowned upon – it’s actually illegal. Wearing swimwear away from the beach has become against the law in certain parts of the country, in a bid to maintain public decency and reduce disruptive behaviour in tourist-heavy areas.
On the Gov.uk website, a statement reads: “In some parts of Spain, it’s illegal to be in the street wearing only a bikini or swimming shorts.”
Being ‘bare-chested’ in public spaces other than the beach can also lead to hefty fines.
It is mainly the tourist-heavy areas affected by these new rules, with resort towns such as Barcelona, Palma and parts of the Canary Islands adopting such rules ahead of the surge of tourism in the summer months.
Another clothing rule that could lead to potential sanctions is the wearing of face-covering veils or garments inside official buildings, where it may be required to remove face coverings when entering town halls or other administrative areas.
Brits are also advised to carry valid photo identification when exploring the streets, as Spanish police are legally entitled to detain individuals who fail to produce valid ID until their identity is confirmed.
Experts warned about the risk of “ignoring direct requests of a police officer” as “disobedience is a criminal offence.”
Another recommendation is to not leave passports at hotel or accommodation receptions when having details checked by staff. Travellers should instead wait for hotel staff to register information and photocopy the document, and take it with them immediately afterward.
A further advisory tip is to be aware that high-value purchases may require photographic ID if paying with a credit or debit cards, and many places will insist on an original passport instead of a photocopied version.
These new rules and enforcements come after another top holiday hotspot, Turkey, warned tourists against discarding cigarette butts, due to the risk of sparking wildfires during the dry and intense heatwaves.