Oral information
Allowed, if a written or electronic record exists, is available to inspectors and customers on request, and the place or person to ask is easily visible.
Allergen rules for restaurants in Spain.
Restaurants must give information on the 14 allergens in the food they serve. It can be on the menu (carta) or given orally, as long as a written or electronic record exists and customers can easily see where to get the information.
- Legal basis
- Real Decreto 126/2015, article 4
- Enforced by
- AESAN and the regional health authorities
- Written information
- Written or oral
- Oral information
- Yes, with written or electronic record
What you need to do
- Give the 14 allergens for each dish, on the menu, in a recipe book or orally.
- If you inform orally, keep a written or electronic record (such as product sheets or recipes) available to inspectors and to customers who ask.
- Make it easy to see where, or from whom, customers can get the information.
QR code menus
The record may be electronic, but the guidance we checked doesn’t say whether a QR code alone is enough. Keep a printed version available.
Calories
There is no general rule requiring calories on restaurant menus in Spain.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Rules change and local authorities may interpret them differently; check with your food authority. Last checked: October 2026.
With Menuvola
Written allergen information, kept in sync.
Menuvola doesn’t replace your food authority’s guidance for Spain, but it gives you the written, dish-by-dish information most rules expect, in every format.
- 14 allergens per dishIngredients, allergens and calories are required for every item; incomplete items stay in draft.
- Printed allergen sheetPrint an A4 or A3 allergen and calorie sheet from the same data for guests who can’t or don’t want to scan.
- QR menu with a noticeTable cards and the printed menu carry a notice that allergen information is available.
- Suggestions, not guessesAs you type ingredients, the panel suggests possible allergens (e.g. “butter” → milk); you confirm them.
- Four languagesMenus and printed documents in English, German, Russian and Turkish.
- kcal and kJA calorie calculator built on an ingredient database, shown per portion.
Questions you may have.
Can staff give allergen information orally in Spain?
Allowed, if a written or electronic record exists, is available to inspectors and customers on request, and the place or person to ask is easily visible.
Is a QR code menu enough in Spain?
The record may be electronic, but the guidance we checked doesn’t say whether a QR code alone is enough. Keep a printed version available.
Do restaurants in Spain have to show calories?
There is no general rule requiring calories on restaurant menus in Spain.
Try Menuvola free for 14 days.
Set up your menu, print your allergen sheet and see how it works for your business. No card needed.
