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LAW

From bikinis to buskers: Spain’s weirdest laws

The Spanish city of Palma de Mallorca on Tuesday approved fines of €600 ($820) for people daring to go shirtless in the city centre. To honour the occasion, The Local has rounded up some of the strangest laws in Spain.

Published: 14 May 2014 17:44 CEST
From bikinis to buskers: Spain's weirdest laws
Mankinis, bikinis and all other kinds of kinis will soon be banned on the streets of downtown Palma de Mallorca in Spain. Photo: Tom Henry

Which common activity is illegal during weddings in the southern city of Cadiz?

What must prostitutes wear while working the Catalan town of Els Alamus?

And why is it OK to name Spanish children Stalin but not Judas, or Apple?

To find out these answers to these questions and many more, visit The Local's gallery of Spain's strangest laws.

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POLICE

Spain’s Civil Guard police officers allowed to have visible tattoos

Spain on Monday relaxed its policy banning officers from the country's oldest police force, the Guardia Civil, from exhibiting tattoos.

Published: 9 November 2021 09:38 CET
civil guard spain gun
The increasing popularity of tattoos has led police forces around the world to regulate their use. Photo: Rafa Rivas/AFP

Officers will now be allowed to display tattoos anywhere on their bodies “as long as they do not contain expressions that violate constitutional values or harm the discipline or image of the force,” the interior minister said in a statement.

“For the first time visible tattoos will be allowed on uniformed officers,” it added.

On the other hand, the decree prohibits hoop earrings, spikes, plugs and other inserts when they are visible in uniform, “except regular earrings, for both male and female personnel”.

The Guardia Civil mainly patrols and investigates crimes in rural areas, while Spain’s National Police focuses on urban areas.

Last year Spain’s leftist government appointed a woman to head the force for the first time in its 177-year history.

The increasing popularity of tattoos has led police forces around the world to regulate their use.

Los Angeles police are required to ensure that tattoos are not visible to the public while on-duty, while France’s Gendarmes police force also requires that they be covered.

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