KEY POINTS: What changes about life in Spain in July 2025

Summer sales begin

If you're looking for some new clothes to help keep you cool during the hot summers, then you're in luck. July 1st marks the official start of the summer sales in Spain, even though many stores may have started earlier. After a while you’ll begin see signs for segundas rebajas (second sales), then terceras rebajas. Finally you'll see the remate final (final push), where discounts go up from 30 percent to 40 off, then 50 and finally up to a 70 percent price reduction.

Festivals in Spain in July

Many towns and cities across Spain celebrate festivals in July. The most well known of theses is San Fermín or Running of the Bulls, held in Pamplona from July 6th – 14th. The Galician city of Santiago de Compostela will also be holding its annual Fiestas de Santiago Apóstol on July 25th.

Other festivities taking place in July include Bilbao’s BBK music festival from the 10th to the 12th and the Moors and Christians parades in Villajoyosa starting on the 24th to the 31st, commemorating the famous battle of 1538.

Pride celebrations will also take place in July. Madrid’s LGBTIQ+ festival is celebrated from June 26th to July 6th throughout many areas of the city, but mainly in and around the barrio of Chueca.

Inheritance and gift tax deduction in Madrid

The region of Madrid is set to introduce a new reduction on inheritance and gift tax starting July 1st, following approval by the Legislative Assembly and publication in the regional Official Gazette.

This means that tax discounts on money gifted between siblings and between aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews by blood will be increased from 25 to 50 percent, generating annual savings of €140 million for Madrid residents.

The region has also introduced a 100 percent discount for sporadic gifts between individuals of less than €1,000, eliminating the obligation to file a self-assessment for anything below this amount.

EU to study Spain’s amnesty law

The European Court of Justice will hold its first hearing on the amnesty law on July 15th. The first step will address preliminary questions raised by the National Court and the Court of Auditors regarding the Committees for the Defence of the Republic (CDR) and the expense of the failed Catalan independence process.

This case affects 33 senior Catalan government officials, including former Catalan presidents Carles Puigdemont and Artur Mas.

Deadline to register tourist flats

All short-term, tourist rental owners will have to register their properties in a new system starting from July 1st. It means that in order for a home to be marketed on digital platforms like Airbnb or Idealista, it must now appear in a new registry – the so-called ‘lease registration platform’ (Ventanilla Única Digital de Arrendamientos in Spanish). Previously anyone could advertise on these online platforms.

READ ALSO: The rules for registering tourist rentals with Spain's government by July

Spain's Renfe releases new train prices as free travel tickets end

Spain’s free train travel scheme for commuter (Cercanías) and mid-distance (Media Distancia) services is finally coming to an end. After over three years of discounted and free travel on certain Renfe services, from July 2025 the majority of travellers and commuters will now have to pay. Current tickets will only be valid until June 30th. This was initially brought in to help people combat financial losses after the pandemic.

New fares will be offered from this summer, which will be in force from July 1st 2025. Season ticket prices from Renfe will include monthly passes for €20 and youth monthly passes for €10.

READ ALSO: Spain's Renfe releases new train prices as free travel tickets end

Judges to go on strike

All judges' and prosecutors' associations (apart from two) have called for protest on June 28th outside the Supreme Court to demand the withdrawal of the justice reforms. These affect workers’ access to a career path at the Prosecutor's Office. If they don't achieve their objectives, they have announced that there will be walkouts on July 1st, 2nd, and 3rd.

They have not ruled out extending the strike "depending on the institutional response and the status of the legislative bills following these protests”.

Spain to introduce new road signs

On July 1st, 2025, Spain will take a step further in modernising its road signs. The new catalogue of traffic signs approved by the Council of Ministers updates regulations which have been in force 2003. The purpose is to adapt to new forms of mobility, such as electric scooters and low-emission vehicles, as well as improve clarity on rules and safety.

July tourism numbers likely to hit new record

Tourism will continue to grow in Spain this summer, putting it very close to the France, which currently receives the most number of tourists in the world. Estimates indicate that a new record will be broken in 2025 with the arrival of 98 million tourists.

This is four percent more than last year, according to the report New Technological Trends Applied to the Travel Lifecycle, by OBS Business School.