Pensioners In Spain Given Green Light To Apply For New Season Of Imserso Trips

Pensioners in Spain have finally received the green light to apply for the new season on Imserso trips.

This Monday, June 26, Ione Belarra, from the Ministry of Social Rights, announced the opening of the period for presenting applications to participate in the new season’s programme.

A total of 886,269 places available for the 2023-24 Imserso trips were officially published in the Official State Gazette (BOE) this morning. It is not yet known which companies will win the contracts to sell the trips but it is expected to be announced sometime in early July.

This latest season of discounted holidays offered around Spain is scheduled to start in October and will continue until June 2024.

Applications can start on Thursday, June 29

These trips will be available to apply for from Thursday 29 until July 25. Preference will be given to pensioners who have not experienced one of these trips before.

Access to the database can be made via the internet through the Imserso Electronic Office. Once the online application form is completed, it can be submitted via the program’s telematics or in a stamped envelope, not by registered mail, to the address of the Imserso Tourism Program, at PO Box 10.140, 28080 Madrid.

Those who have already been accredited in previous seasons will receive at their home address a document containing their personal details and their preference of destination. This application only needs to be resubmitted if any of the details are to be changed, as reported by laopiniondemalaga.es.

Who can participate in Imserso 2023-24?

As specified by the BOE, anybody residing in Spain who meets any of the following requirements can apply for an Imserso trip.

These are:

• A retired pensioner of the Spanish Social Security system

• Awidow pensioner of the Spanish Social Security system aged 55 or more

• A pensioner for other reasons of the Spanish Social Security system or the recipient of unemployment benefits or subsidies, aged 60 years or more.

• Be insured or a beneficiary of the Spanish Social Security system, aged 65 years or more.

• Spaniards residing abroad will also be entitled to apply, as long as they are retirement pensioners of the Spanish Social Security system.

• Spaniards of emigrant origin who have since returned to Spain, provided they are pensioners of the public social security systems of the country or countries to which they emigrated.

Applicants may also be accompanied by their spouse or, where appropriate, by a common-law partner or person with whom a stable and cohabitation union is established with an analogous affective relationship to the conjugal one.

They may also be accompanied by children with disabilities, to a degree equal to or greater than 45 per cent. This is provided they travel with their parents and stay in the same room or, where appropriate, pay the supplement established for single rooms that will be subject to the availability of places.

How are applications assessed?

When assessing the applications, various factors will be taken into account. These include the age of the applicant.

• Those under 60 will receive one point, up to those over 78, with a maximum of 20 points.

• If the applicant has a disability they earn 10 points.

• Regarding an applicant’s financial situation, the lowest pensions will receive 50 points, and the highest – receiving pensions of more than €2,100 – no points.

• Participation in the programme in previous editions (with a maximum of 225 points) or whether the applicant is a member of a large family (maximum of 10 points).

How much do the trips cost?

There are a variety of different trips. They include:

• Peninsular coastal areas (Andalucia, Catalonia, Murcia and the Valencian Community) with transport:  For a nine-night stay, the price will be €290.07, and for a seven-night stay, €228.93.
• Peninsular coastal areas (Andalucia, Catalonia, Murcia and the Valencian Community) without transport:  For a nine-night stay, the price will be €253.65, and for a seven-night stay, €210.72.
• Balearic Islands with transport:  For a nine-night stay, the price will be €331.49, and for a seven-night stay, €267.63.
• Balearic Islands without transport:  For a nine-night stay, the price will be  €253.77, and for a seven-night stay, €210.47.
• Canary Islands with transport:  For a nine-night stay, the price will be €435.95, and for a seven-night stay, €355.30.
• Canary Islands without transportation:  For a nine-night stay, the price will be €253.65, and for a seven-night stay, €210.39.
• Getaway tourism (cultural circuits with 5 nights): €293.16.
• Getaway tourism (nature with 4 nights): €286.82.
• Getaway tourism (province capitals 3 nights): €124.68.
• Getaway tourism (Ceuta and Melilla 4 nights): €286.82.