Spain's social tourism agency Imserso has begun sending 2.93 million accreditation letters to pensioners ahead of opening holiday bookings on September 14.
The letters contain a four-digit security key required to purchase subsidized trips for the 2026-2027 season when sales open across the country's autonomous communities.
Not all registered pensioners will have equal access to available trips. The agency separates applicants into preferred and non-preferred categories based on an official points system, granting preferred applicants priority to book their chosen destinations one day before others.
Imserso, Spain's Institute for Older Persons and Social Services, runs the state-funded social tourism program each year to offer affordable holidays to retirees while supporting hotel employment outside peak summer months.
Staggered regional booking dates
Booking dates are divided into two distinct regional waves across Spain's autonomous communities and autonomous cities.
Residents in Andalusia, Aragon, Castile and Leon, Extremadura, Galicia, Madrid, Melilla, Navarre, and La Rioja who hold preferred status can begin booking on September 14. Non-preferred applicants in those same nine regions can make reservations starting September 15.
For residents in Asturias, Catalonia, Castile-La Mancha, the Valencian Community, Ceuta, the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, Cantabria, Murcia, and the Basque Country, sales open on September 16 for preferred applicants and on September 17 for non-preferred applicants.
Points awarded for age and disability
Priority status is determined by evaluating five key criteria, starting with the age of the applicant.
Applicants under the age of 60 receive 1 point, while those aged 60 receive 2 points. The agency awards 1 additional point for each year of age up to a maximum cap of 20 points for individuals aged 78 and older. For joint applications involving two participants, the age score is calculated using the arithmetic mean of both applicants' ages.
Applicants who hold an officially recognized degree of disability equal to or greater than 33 percent receive 10 points.
Income tiers and pension scales
Financial circumstances also heavily influence priority scores, with lower-income pensioners receiving higher point allocations.
Single applicants are assessed on individual income, while joint applications combine both incomes and divide the sum by 1.33 before applying the scoring scale. Pensioners receiving non-contributory retirement or invalidity pensions of 628.80 euros per month receive the maximum 50 points.
For other income levels, the point system awards 45 points for pensions above 628.80 euros up to 900 euros, 40 points for pensions between 900.01 and 1,050 euros, 35 points for pensions between 1,050.01 and 1,200.00 euros, and 30 points for incomes from 1,200.01 to 1,350 euros.
Applicants earning between 1,350.01 and 1,500 euros get 25 points, while those between 1,500.01 and 1,650 euros receive 20 points. Incomes from 1,650.01 to 1,800 euros yield 15 points, pensions between 1,800.01 and 1,950 euros yield 10 points, and incomes between 1,950.01 and 2,100.00 euros earn 5 points. Pensioners earning more than 2,100 euros receive zero points in this category.
Previous program participation
Imserso stated that the evaluation system is designed to favor individuals who have not taken part in the program in recent years.
The agency looks at participation across the 2024/2025 and 2025/2026 seasons, awarding a maximum of 225 points in this category. Applicants who were accredited on the waiting list during the 2025/2026 season receive 175 points.
Applicants who did not travel in either of the last two seasons receive 50 points. Those who did not travel in 2025/2026 but traveled in 2024/2025 get 40 points, while those who traveled in 2025/2026 but not in 2024/2025 receive 20 points.
For applicants who traveled in both of the last two seasons, a maximum of 10 points is available. Those who took two or more trips total across those two seasons receive zero points, while all remaining repeat travelers receive 10 points.
For applications submitted by married couples, civil partners, or cohabiting partners in stable relationships, the score for previous participation is determined by the partner who achieves the lower score.
Large family status and tie-breaking
Under Spain's Protection for Large Families Law, additional priority points are granted to larger households.
Applicants holding special large family status receive 10 points, while those classified under general large family status receive 5 points.
If multiple applications end up tied with identical total scores after all variables are calculated, Imserso ranks the applicants according to birth date, giving priority to the older applicant.
