Walking around Barcelona without a shirt can cost up to 300 euros from February

Barcelona is toughening penalties for going without a shirt or in swimwear outside permitted areas. Since February, police have been able to impose fines of up to 300 euros. The measure affects tourists and residents alike. The City Council seeks to curb antisocial behaviour in public space.

Going out in the street without a shirt in Barcelona can prove costly this year. The City Council has decided to put a stop to a very widespread habit, especially in the hotter months, and since 15 February it has applied fines of up to €300 to people moving around partially naked in public space. The update to the Ordenanza de Convivencia, which had gone nearly two decades without relevant changes, thus toughens penalties for people who do not respect dress rules in urban spaces.

The new regulation prohibits walking or remaining completely naked in streets and squares, except at events expressly authorised by the mayor’s office. It also bans the wearing of swimwear outside beaches, swimming pools or designated areas, a common sight among tourists in summer. However, seafront promenades and streets adjoining the beach are excluded from this restriction, allowing some flexibility along the coast.

One of the points that has generated the most debate is the prohibition on going without a T-shirt, shirt or another garment covering the torso in any public space. This measure particularly affects men, residents and visitors alike, who often go without an upper garment on hot days. The ordinance provides exceptions for people practising sport or physical activity, but everyone else must cover up if they do not wish to risk a penalty.

The regulation also prevents the wearing of garments, accessories or objects that explicitly represent human genitals or have an obvious sexual character, unless there is specific municipal authorisation. Fines for breaching these rules range from 120 to 300 euros, provided that the conduct is considered antisocial or disturbs public order. Before imposing a penalty, police must warn the offender and only fine them if they persist in their conduct.

The City Council has announced that, to prevent tourists from avoiding payment, it will extend the immediate collection of penalties to all infringements committed by non-residents. In this way, the city seeks to reinforce coexistence and prevent images that, according to the council, damage Barcelona’s image.

Barcelona’s Ordenanza de Convivencia was created in 2005 in response to the need to regulate the use of public spaces in an increasingly visited and diverse city. Over the years, it has adapted to social changes and new forms of urban leisure. The latest review, approved in December, not only toughens penalties for inappropriate dress, but also reinforces control over noise, cleanliness and drinking alcohol in the street. These measures seek to balance the everyday life of Barcelona residents with the constant influx of tourists, maintaining the city’s open character without abandoning respect for the basic rules of coexistence.