Spanish City Lleida Bans Burqa and Niqab With Fines Up to €750

Warda Shahid

September 28, 2026

Spanish City Lleida votes 16-11 to ban full-face coverings in most public spaces, with fines of up to €750.

Spanish City Lleida Bans Burqa and Niqab

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Spanish City Lleida voted 16-11 for the ban
Fines go up to €750
Spain has no national ban

The council of Spanish City Lleida, in Spain’s Catalonia region, has voted to ban full-face coverings in most public spaces. The Spanish City Lleida burqa ban passed on Friday, and breaking it carries fines of up to €750. It is a rare step in Spain, which has no national law on the burqa or niqab.

What the New Rule Says

The council changed a municipal law to prohibit “remaining in or moving through public spaces with items or elements that totally cover the face.” The text never names the burqa or the niqab.

The burqa is a one-piece garment that covers the whole head and body. The niqab is a face veil that leaves the eyes uncovered.

The change allows exceptions for cases linked to basic rights, places of worship, and spaces or uses where such customs are socially accepted.

Why an Earlier Ban Was Struck Down

Spanish City Lleida is a provincial capital of about 150,000 people, roughly 150 kilometres (90 miles) west of Barcelona. In 2010 it became the first Spanish city to ban full-face veils in some public spaces.

A Muslim association challenged that measure in court. In 2013 Spain’s Supreme Court cancelled it, ruling that it violated religious freedom and went beyond the powers of a local authority. The ruling also cancelled similar bans passed in other municipalities.

The new law was drafted to avoid the same legal problems, which is why it refers to face coverings in general.

Who Voted for the Measure

The Catalan Socialist party joined the far-right party Vox and the Catalan separatist party Junts to pass the change, according to the city hall.

The Socialist mayor of Spanish City Lleida, Felix Larrosa, told the council: “Living together means respecting one another, and respecting one another also means following the rules.”

France, Portugal and Belgium all have national laws that ban or restrict the garments. Spain has no such law, so any restriction there comes from individual cities.