Film production in Spain
Spain is covered here with 13 locations. Between the longest and shortest day, usable light swings by up to 6h 23min depending on where you shoot — planning across the country is not planning one single kind of day.
Locations at a glance
The table shows June and December daylight for each location — the two numbers a schedule hinges on across the year.
| Location | Daylight June | Daylight December | Spread |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Sebastián | 15h 23min | 9h 00min | 6h 23min |
| Bilbao | 15h 22min | 9h 00min | 6h 22min |
| Zaragoza | 15h 11min | 9h 11min | 6h 00min |
| Barcelona | 15h 09min | 9h 12min | 5h 57min |
| Madrid | 15h 02min | 9h 18min | 5h 44min |
| Palma de Mallorca | 14h 57min | 9h 24min | 5h 33min |
| Valencia | 14h 56min | 9h 24min | 5h 32min |
| Ibiza | 14h 53min | 9h 28min | 5h 25min |
| Alicante | 14h 49min | 9h 31min | 5h 18min |
| Sevilla | 14h 43min | 9h 36min | 5h 07min |
| Granada | 14h 42min | 9h 37min | 5h 05min |
| Málaga | 14h 40min | 9h 40min | 5h 00min |
| Las Palmas | 13h 55min | 10h 22min | 3h 33min |
What that means for planning
San Sebastián has the widest swing at 6h 23min, Las Palmas the narrowest at 3h 33min. The wider the spread, the more a schedule has to differ between summer and winter — same setup count, different hours to fit it in.
Concretely: in December, the sun in San Sebastián sets at 17:34, with golden hour starting as early as 16:47. Put the exterior at the end of the day and you shoot it in the dark, or not at all.
TillyBoard folds each location's sun position straight into the schedule. An exterior that no longer fits before sunset in December is flagged in the plan, not discovered on the day. The same calculation sits behind every location page for this country.
Film incentives and rebates
Tax deduction under art. 36.2 of the Corporate Income Tax Act for international productions via a Spanish service company. Higher rates apply in the Canary Islands (separate entry). Spain is southern Europe's volume location: Madrid and Barcelona for city, Almería for desert — and the Canary Islands as a special tax zone with a markedly higher rate.
What that means in practice depends on the qualifying share: on a €1m budget with 80 % qualifying spend, the 30 % rate returns roughly €240,000. Provided without warranty. Permit and incentive conditions change; the responsible authority is always the binding source.
- International production tax incentive: 30 % of qualifying spend (as of 2026-10, Ley 27/2014, art. 36.2 / Film Madrid / Spain Film Commission)
- Canary Islands tax incentive: 54 % of qualifying spend (as of 2026-10, ICEX / Canary Islands Film Commission)
As of: 2026-10 · Source: Ley 27/2014, art. 36.2 / Film Madrid / Spain Film Commission
Permits and local requirements
Filming permits are granted locally almost everywhere, not nationally: the city or district you shoot in is the responsible body, and processing times differ considerably within the same country. Public space, traffic areas and drone flights each run through separate procedures.
File early enough that a refusal still leaves room for a cover location — not so late that the permit becomes the condition for the only possible shoot day. Only the responsible local authority gives binding information.
Frequently asked
How many locations in Spain are covered here?
13. Locations are included when there is an evidenced production landscape — not every town in the country.
Which location in Spain has the longest shooting days?
In June, San Sebastián with 15h 23min of daylight. In December that drops to 9h 00min.
When is the best time to shoot in Spain?
On daylight length alone, June. Whether that also means the steadiest weather depends on the location — the individual location pages carry rain days and sunshine hours per month.
Do I need a separate permit for every location?
As a rule yes, as soon as public ground is involved. Private locations run through the owner; traffic areas and drones add further procedures. The local authority is always the binding source.