Application period opens for Spain's bargain-priced holiday scheme for retired people: this is everything you need to know

The application window for the Imserso 2025-2026 bargain holiday scheme for retired people is now open and it will remain so until 23 July or until the 879,213 places have been taken. The trips will begin in October.

Those who have been accredited in previous seasons will not need to fill in a new application, as they will receive a document containing their personal and destination preference data. However, if users wish to modify any of these details, they must return it to the Imserso within this period.

Imserso recommends online submission through its electronic online portal, where applicants can also find the form for this year's edition.

Prices, as usual, vary depending on the destination and the duration of the trip. However, this year, the government set a flat rate of 50 euros for people with lower pensions. Some 7,447 places are available at this rate.

A fixed amount for each type of trip should be paid as a reservation fee, which will be established by the Imserso at the start of the season. This fee should not exceed 20% of the total price. The total cost is to be paid 45 days before the start of the trip.

Trips in the high season will cost 100 euros more than the same trip in the low season (October, May and June in the mainland and the Balearic Islands; December, January and February in the Canary Islands).

For the first time this year, the Imserso beneficiaries will be allowed to travel with their pets.

As usual, the services included in the programme are the following: full board accommodation in double shared rooms in hotels selected by the Imserso, with accessible common areas; transport to and from the hotel; group insurance policy; general medical service, complementary to the Social Security system, in the hotel itself; and a programme of social and cultural activities.

Of the three lots, the peninsular coast includes stays of ten and eight days in Catalonia, Andalucía, Murcia and Valencia.

The island coast offers stays of ten and eight days in the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands, while the third package includes four-, five-, and six-day stays, covering all four types of trips: cultural tours, nature tourism, provincial capitals and the cities of Ceuta and Melilla.