What it is
Basic rules for store opening hours in Spain
It is a royal decree-law. It was introduced on 5 January 1994. Introduced by: Gobierno.
Official title: Royal Decree-Law 22/1993, of December 29, establishing the bases for the regulation of commercial hours.
Source: Congreso de los Diputados, file 130/000011· updated 11 Nov
Automatic summary, not yet reviewed
- The Autonomous Communities regulate store opening and closing hours in their territory, following the general principles of this rule.
- Stores may open at least 72 hours per week on working days and, at a minimum, eight Sundays or holidays per year. Each merchant sets their own hours, and Sunday or holiday openings cannot be shorter than 12 hours.
- Some establishments, such as pastry shops, bakeries selling prepared dishes, newsstands, gas stations, florists and convenience stores, may freely choose their opening days and hours. Pharmacies follow their own specific rules.
- The Autonomous Communities will penalize violations of their opening hours rules. If a Community has not issued its own rules, the freedom of hours from the previous 1985 rule still applies.
Who it affects
- Retail stores.: They must respect a minimum of 72 weekly hours and eight Sundays or holidays open per year.
- Convenience stores and shops such as newsstands, gas stations or florists.: They have full freedom to set their opening days and hours.
- Autonomous Communities.: They regulate hours in their territory and set penalties for breaking their rules.
- Pharmacies.: This rule does not apply to them; they follow their own specific rules.
Words worth knowing
- Real Decreto-ley
- A rule with the force of law that the Spanish Government can pass urgently, without prior approval by Congress.
- Comunidad Autónoma
- Each of Spain's territorial divisions with power to issue their own rules, such as Madrid or Catalonia.
- Tienda de conveniencia
- Convenience store: up to 500 square meters, open at least 18 hours a day, selling a bit of everything: food, press, records, gifts.
- Comercio minorista
- Retail trade: selling products directly to the final consumer, not to other businesses.
It summarizes the law as published in the BOE. It is written by artificial intelligence and may contain mistakes: the official text is what counts. Read the official text · How we make summaries
Where it stands
How far did it get?
It took 7 of 7 steps. It reached BOE, and today it is passed.
- Introduced5 January 1994Someone registers the text in the Congreso.
- Admitted20 January 1994The Bureau of the Congreso accepts it and, for a members’ bill, the plenary decides whether to consider it.
- Amendmentsno dateGroups propose changes.
- Committeeno dateA committee goes through the text in detail.
- Plenaryno dateAll 350 deputies vote.
- Senateno dateThe Senate can pass it, amend it or veto it.
- BOEno dateIt is published in the Official State Gazette (BOE) and comes into force.
See the 2 official steps on a timeline
Was there a plenary vote?
We have no plenary vote linked to this law in the Congreso’s data.
What happens next
What happens now?
It is law, or will be once published in the BOE. It comes into force on the date its own text sets.
Published in the BOE: Royal Decree-Law 22/1993, of December 29, establishing the bases for the regulation of commercial hours.
Sources
Where does all this come from?
- Congreso de los Diputados, file 130/000011
Official title, type, author, dates and stage.
Retrieved 11 November 2026
- BOE, BOE-A-1994-360
The law as published.
Retrieved 11 November 2026
- The data comes from the open files of the Congreso, the Senate and the BOE, unaltered.
- Each deputy’s province is the one of their seat on the day of the vote.
- We only say “passed” or “rejected” when the majority needed is certain; otherwise we say which side had more votes.