Spain’s cheap Holidays for Over-65s « Euro Weekly News

Everything you need to know about Spain’s IMSERSO organised group holidays for over 65s.  

If you’re retired, living in Spain, love a good deal, and fancy a break without breaking the bank, the IMSERSO holiday programme might be just the ticket. The “Instituto de Mayores y Servicios Sociales” (IMSERSO) runs a hugely popular government-backed scheme offering cut-price holidays to Spain’s pensioners, with the aim of giving retirees fun, social activities to share together – in other words – wild holidays.

It’s like a travelling social club for pensioners, where they jet off together or jump on a coach, stay in hotels, have a few drinks, and dance the night away. It’s the life of Riley under the sun, and you might just qualify to join the party. Read on to find out if you too can join in, make new friends and see new places at a fraction of the price it would normally cost you.

The next wave of holidays – for the 2025/2026 season – is already in the works. And if you want to be at the front of the queue, you’ll need to understand how the points-based application system works.

How the subsidised pensioner holidays system works in Spain

IMSERSO uses a detailed scoring system to decide who gets access to its discounted getaways first. Applications are ranked based on five main factors: age, disability, income, previous participation, and family size. The higher your score, the better your chances.

Here’s how it breaks down:

Age: the older, the better

Age plays a big part in the scoring system – and being older pays off.

• Under 60: 1 point
• Age 60: 2 points
• Then 1 extra point for every year up to age 78
• 78 and over: the full 20 points

If you’re applying as a couple, IMSERSO works out the average age between the two of you (rounded up).

Disability status

Applicants with a disability classed as 33% or more receive an extra 10 points.

Income: lower income, higher score

This part can be a bit tricky, but the bottom line is simple: those with lower incomes score higher.

Here’s a table showing how it works:

Previous participation in Spain’s IMSERSO Senior Travel Programnme

Your travel history with IMSERSO also matters. If you’ve been unlucky in recent years, you could now be in pole position. And if you’re applying as a couple, they take the lower of the two scores for this category. The following table shows you the points system depending on your travel status. 

Being part of a large family can boost your score:

• General large family: +5 points
• Special category large family: +10 points

Tie-breaker: Age wins again

If two applicants end up with the same score, IMSERSO gives priority to the older person.

Why the scheme is so good

IMSERSO isn’t just about holidays – it’s about independence, being social, and having a better quality of life for older people. It’s important to get out there and enjoy the best that life has to offer. Have a wine, have a dance, meet new friends. At the same time, it supports Spain’s tourism sector during the off-season, helping to maintain jobs and financial activity.

So if you’re keen to secure your spot for 2025/26, it’s worth checking your score – and making sure you tick all the right boxes.

To qualify for IMSERSO holidays, you must be a legal resident of Spain and meet certain criteria, such as receiving a Spanish state pension or being a pensioner affiliated with Spanish Social Security. Expats who are residents and registered with Spanish healthcare or pension systems may be eligible, but private pensioners or non-residents typically do not qualify.

For full details and to apply, visit the IMSERO website at imserso.gob.es.

Bottom line? If you meet the criteria, play your points right – and you could be swapping your slippers for suncream before the rest of the pack.

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