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Funded jointly by the central government and participant contributions, the scheme serves a dual purpose: providing affordable, high-quality holidays to improve the wellbeing of older adults, while simultaneously propping up the country\u2019s vital tourism sector by keeping hotels open and staff employed during the quieter, off-peak winter months.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
For the upcoming 2026\u20132027 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.<\/p>\n
\nHow applicants are chosen: the points system\n<\/p>\n
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 valoraci\u00f3n) out of a maximum of 295 points to rank applicants.<\/p>\n
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:<\/p>\n
\u2022 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.<\/p>\n
\u2022 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.<\/p>\n
\u2022Age (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.<\/p>\n
\u2022 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.<\/p>\n
\u2022 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.<\/p>\n
If two applicants end up with the exact same number of points, tie-breaks are settled by favouring the person who is older.<\/p>\n
\nWhere it applies: national vs regional\n<\/p>\n
Imserso is a national scheme managed by Spain\u2019s Ministry of Social Rights. It applies right across the country, allowing eligible residents from any Spanish region to travel to designated holiday zones.<\/p>\n
The available slots are divided into three distinct geographic options:<\/p>\n
\u2022 Peninsular coastal tourism (440,284 places): Heading to traditional beach destinations in Andaluc\u00eda, Catalonia, Murcia, and the Valencian Community.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Island coastal tourism (228,142 places): Travelling out to the Balearic Islands (including Mallorca and Ibiza) and the Canary Islands.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Tourism ecosystem \/ getaways (210,787 places): Focussing on cultural tours, nature circuits, and short breaks to provincial capital cities.<\/p>\n
Useful links: Sede Electr\u00f3nica del Imserso<\/a><\/p>\n