Three Kings’ Day, new V-16 light for drivers, minimum wage increase, the new nationwide travel pass, these are just some of the changes and events happening in Spain during the first month of 2026.
Three Kings’ Day
The festive season in Spain isn’t over yet at the beginning of January with the ringing in of the New Year. There’s yet another celebration on January 5th and 6th with the arrival of the Reyes Magos (Wide Men or Three Kings). On the night of January 5th, the Kings arrive in cities and towns all over Spain with lots of pomp and circumstance and numerous parades. They then travel around the country delivering their gifts to children before a type of second Christmas is celebrated on January 6th.
El Niño Lottery
Every year at Christmas, Spaniards go mad for lotteries, queuing for hours to buy tickets for the famous Christmas lottery – El Gordo (‘The Fat One’), as it is known. There is, however, a second Christmas lottery, called El Niño on January 6th. It isn’t quite as well-known and the prizes aren’t quite as big, but still over €700 million is dished out for it every year.
V-16 emergency lights
From January 1st 2026, it will be mandatory for all drivers in Spain to carry a V-16 emergency light in their cars. Moving forward, they will replace warning triangles, in case of an accident or a breakdown. It’s essentially a small yellow or orange LED light that is equipped with geolocation connectivity and is capable of emitting a high-intensity 360º light. If you don’t have one of these new lights you could be fined €80 to €200, depending on the situation, but Spain’s Directorate of Traffic (DGT) has confirmed there will be a grace period at the start of the year while people get used to the new rules.
READ ALSO – Driving in Spain: Which V-16 emergency light should you buy?
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Nationwide travel pass
Spain is to launch a new travel pass from January 2026, which offers unlimited travel on commuter and mid-distance trains as well as state buses across the country’s 17 regions. The pass will cost €60 per month for adults, and €30 for young people under 26. The main types of transport it will not include are the high-speed rail services such as the Ave and private bus companies.
New bank transfer rules for self-employed
From the beginning of next years, Spain’s Tax Agency will be changing the way it monitors and records payment transfers. Previously, banks were required only to report transactions of €3,000 and over, but from January, all financial institutions – even apps like Bizum – will have to report all monetary transactions carried out by the self-employed and small business owners.
READ ALSO: The key changes to bank transfers and money limits in Spain
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Compulsory insurance for e-scooters
From the start of 2026, owners of personal mobility vehicles (PMVs) in Spain such as electric scooters, hoverboards, electric skateboards, electric bikes and Segways for example, will be required to purchase liability insurance to ride them. This is part of an amendment to the Automobile Insurance Law, which was recently approved by the Spanish government. Read more about it HERE.
Tax deadline for the self employed
If you were self-employed in Spain in 2025, you will have to file your fourth quarter income and expenses from 2025 by January 20th 2026. If you have a gestor or an accountant, this means they will usually ask for your spreadsheets or invoices and receipts before this date, so they can file them for you on time. If you’re filing yourself, then you’re most likely already aware of the impending deadline and know when to get everything ready by.
READ ALSO – Calendar: The tax deadlines in Spain in 2026
Increase in minimum wage set to be decided in January
Spain will be increasing its minimum wage or interprofessional salary (SMI) next year, most likely from the end of January. Although the exact amount hasn’t been agreed on yet, the government believe it will be finally approved sometime next month. A panel of experts has recommended that Ministry of Labour increase it by between 3.1 percent and 4.7 percent, which would mean around €56 gross extra per month. This would push up the minimum wage to €1,240 gross per month for a full-time contract job (40 hours/week), paid in 14 instalments, as is common in Spain.
READ ALSO: Spain mulls raising minimum wage to €1,446 per month in 2026
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Increase in financial requirement for digital nomads
Non-EU remote workers and self-employed hoping to apply for Spain’s digital nomad visa and move here next year will have to prove they earn more than those who applied this year. This is because the financial requirement is linked to minimum wage and because this will be increasing, so too will the amount digital nomads have to earn. You must prove you make 200 percent of the minimum wage. If this were to increase to €1,240 over 14 payments as above, it means that nomads will have to show earnings of €2,893.32 per calendar month. The current amount is €2,763 per month, so this will mean an increase of just over €130 extra per month.
Doctors to continue striking
Doctors have rejected the latest proposal from the Ministry of Health on the reform of the Framework Statute and have confirmed that new walkouts will continue in January. Currently, stoppages are planned for January 14th and 15th, meaning many non-urgent appointments and procedures will either be cancelled or re-scheduled. Doctors carried out similar strikes for four days between December 9th-12th, as well as more back in October and June of 2025. They are demanding a 35-hour work week , the gradual elimination of 24-hour on-call shifts, as well as voluntary early and partial retirement.
January sales
Sales in Spain don’t begin on Boxing Day (UK) or the day after Christmas as in many other countries, they usually wait until after the Three Kings on January 6th. Like many other places it’s a time of the year when you can take advantage of some of the biggest discounts. They can even reach up to 70 percent off the original price.
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Festivals and events
Just because Christmas has only just happened doesn’t mean that Spain stops celebrating, no, in fact a whole new year of festivities is about to begin. As well as the Three Kings, there will be several other events happening in different areas of the country. La Vijanera takes place on January 4th in the village of Silió in Cantabria with participants dressed in masks and animal-like costumes, while La Fiesta de la Vaquilla will be held between January 20th-23rd in Braojos de la Sierra, Canencia , Navalafuente, Navarredonda-San Mamés in San Ildefonso and Colmenar Viejo in the region of Madrid. It’s based on the traditions of the old cattle herders, where people dress up and parade pretend cows through the streets. One of San Sebastián’s most important festivals will also be taking place – La Tamborrada. It begins at midnight on January 19th where participants dress as either soldiers or chefs and march through the city playing drums. This continues for a full 24-hours until January 20th.
New low-emission zones
On January 1st 2026, the government’s extension for cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants and all the Spanish islands to create a low-emission zone will end. This means that there will be many more ZBEs as they’re called in smaller towns and cities across the country. The aim is to help reduce air pollution in Spain’s urban areas by 2050, in line with the 2015 Paris Agreement, as well as to make sure vehicles are cleaner and more sustainable. Read here to find out which cities will have them by the beginning of next year.
