Photography & Drones — Spain
What travelers need to know about photography & drones in Spain. What is legal at home can be a serious crime here — each rule links to its official source.
Photography & Drones in Spain: restricted — there are real limits travelers must follow.
Taking a photograph of Spanish police in a public place is not itself an offence — the offence is what you do with the image. Article 36.23 of Ley Orgánica 4/2015 makes it a serious (grave) administrative infraction to make unauthorised use of images or personal or professional data of authorities or members of the security forces where that use may endanger the personal or family safety of the officers, endanger protected installations, or put the success of an operation at risk, expressly subject to respect for the fundamental right to information. This is an administrative fine, not a crime, and the qualifying words matter: an ordinary photo published without any of those risks is not caught.
Serious (grave) infractions under Ley Orgánica 4/2015 are fined 601 to 30,000 euros under art. 39 (minimum grade 601–10,400 €, medium grade 10,401–20,200 €, maximum grade 20,201–30,000 €). Consolidated text last updated 23 February 2021.
§ Boletín Oficial del Estado (Spain) — Ley Orgánica 4/2015 de protección de la seguridad ciudadana, arts. 36.23 y 39Verified Sep 23, 2026