Prisons in Spain are operated by the Ministry of the Interior with the exception of those in Catalonia and the Basque country which are operated by the local administrations.
Keeping in contact
Letters
To write to your family member you will need their prison number (NIS) and the name and address of the prison. You can find the prison address on https://www.acaip.es/centros-penitenciarios
Include your own name and address on the envelope too, as prisons will not accept mail or pass it on to your loved one without this.
Letters are opened by prison staff before they are given to prisoners. Prisons will not accept parcels of clothing or other items.
It is not possible to correspond with your loved one in a Spanish prison by email.
Phone calls
Prisoners in Spain can apply to make phone calls and can generally submit up to 10 names and numbers to include on their approved list of phone numbers. They must provide a phone bill or contract for each number they want to call. This includes landlines and mobiles but pay-as-you-go mobile numbers are not accepted. This can take a bit of time to set up initially so your family member may not be able to phone you immediately.
Visiting your loved one
Prisons in Spain are sometimes located in remote parts of the country so it is important to leave enough time to get to the prison. There is public transport to many but not all prisons. Flights and accommodation can be expensive especially during the tourist season so it may be best to visit at other times of the year.
There are different types of visits permitted in Spanish prisons:
Glass visit: This takes place in a booth (locutorio) and up to four family members/friends who are approved by the prison can visit at any one time. Visits are usually at weekends and last for approximately 40 minutes. Each wing (modulo) will have its own days and time for visits and it is important to arrive at the prison in plenty of time – otherwise you may not be allowed to visit. In some prisons, the first glass visit must be requested by the prisoner while in others the family can just turn up on the visiting day for that modulo.
Open visits (for family only – friends are not permitted): A monthly family visit (known as ‘vis-à-vis’) must be requested by your loved one. They must submit a request form (instancia). These visits take place in a private room and four family member can visit together. You must bring evidence of your relationship to your loved one on the first visit. Conjugal visits are permitted between spouses and partners. If you are not married and do not have a civil partnership certificate, you must be able to show that you were in a relationship before your partner was imprisoned. You can have one conjugal visit per month.
When you visit your loved one, you can deposit money for them. People in prison in Spain can also receive two parcels of up to 5kg a month (containing clothes and books) at family visits.
Sending money
You can send money to your loved one in prison in Spain when your identity and relationship to your loved one are verified by the prison. You can send a copy of your passport and copies of relevant documents such as birth cert or marriage cert to your loved one. You can make payments by bank transfer and it is important to include your loved one’s NIS number as well as their name and your own name and passport number.
It is not permitted to send cash by post to a prisoner in Spain.
Concerned for your family member’s wellbeing
If you are concerned about your family member, you can contact the prison directly by phone or fax. Details for all Spanish prisons are available at https://www.acaip.es/centros-penitenciarios Prisons are listed according to region. You can also contact the Irish Embassy in Madrid at 0034 914364093.
Further information
You can find more information about prison conditions in Spain by visiting https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/spain-prisoner-pack/british-prisoners-pack Although these guides are directed at British citizens, the provide reliable information about prison conditions and the justice system which you may find helpful.
