Is Barcelona safe? Travel risk overview
As of October 16, 2026, 3 governments publish travel advice for Spain, and the numeric levels do not agree — they range from 1 to 2.
Official government travel advisories for Spain
Four governments assess the same country independently. Levels run 1 (lowest) to 4 (highest).
| Government | Level | Advisory |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. State Department | Level 2 | Exercise Increased Caution |
| UK FCDO | — | No active warning detected The FCDO publishes a country page for this destination, but no "advise against travel" warning was found when this page was built. Check the official page before relying on that. |
| Smartraveller | Level 1 | Exercise normal safety precautions |
| Global Affairs Canada | Level 2 | Exercise a high degree of caution |
U.S. State Department
Exercise increased caution in Spain due to terrorism and unrest . Terrorist groups continue plotting possible attacks in Spain. Terrorists may attack with little or no warning and target: Tourist locations Transportation centers like airports and train stations Markets and shopping malls Local government facilities Hotels, clubs, and restaurants Places of worship and educational institutions Parks
Smartraveller
Australian Government travel advice for Spain. Exercise normal safety precautions. Travel advice level GREEN. Understand the risks, safety, laws and contacts.
Crime and safety indices
Numbeo indices are crowd-sourced perception measures for Barcelona; the UNODC rate is an official national statistic. They measure different things and are shown together for context, not as a combined score.
Health
Current CDC notices: Global Measles.
Health considerations for Spain:
- Routine vaccines
- COVID-19
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B
- Measles
- Monkeypox
- Rabies
- Yellow Fever
- Leptospirosis
- Dengue
- Leishmaniasis
- Hantavirus
Source: CDC Travelers' Health. Vaccination needs depend on your history and itinerary — consult a travel health provider.
Natural hazards
Active GDACS events for Spain:
- Orange DR — Drought in Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belgium, Belarus, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, Spain, France, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Russia, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia, San Marino, Ukraine,
Full assessment for Barcelona
This page shows published advisories and indices. A Secure Traveler assessment adds eight categories of analysis for your specific trip — crime, targeted risks, cyber, IP risk, identity and financial, transportation, embassy and emergency, and medical — plus an emergency card with local numbers, hospitals and embassy contacts. Three full reports are free.
Generate a free assessmentSources
- U.S. State Department — official advisory
- Smartraveller — official advisory
- Global Affairs Canada — official advisory
- Numbeo crime and safety indices for Barcelona
- UNODC Global Study on Homicide (2021)
- CDC Travelers' Health — Spain
- GDACS — Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System
Not available when this page was built: usgs: no M4.5+ earthquakes within 500km of Barcelona in the last 30 days. These are named rather than omitted so the gaps are visible.