Guide
Is B2B cold email legal in Spain? Article 21, quoted
The Spanish rule has no exception for businesses, and the law's own definition of recipient says so.
Short answer
Generally no. Article 21.1 of the LSSI prohibits advertising email "que previamente no hubieran sido solicitadas o expresamente autorizadas por los destinatarios de las mismas" (that was not previously requested or expressly authorised by the recipients) [1]. A recipient is any natural or legal person, "sea o no por motivos profesionales" (whether or not for professional reasons) [3], so companies are covered. The only exception is for your own existing customers [2].
General information, not legal advice, as of the date above. Where a regulator says its guidance is under review, we say so. If your situation is unusual, ask a lawyer who practises in that country.
The rule
Article 21.1: "Queda prohibido el envío de comunicaciones publicitarias o promocionales por correo electrónico u otro medio de comunicación electrónica equivalente que previamente no hubieran sido solicitadas o expresamente autorizadas por los destinatarios de las mismas" [1]. Our translation: it is prohibited to send advertising or promotional communications by email or other equivalent electronic means that were not previously requested or expressly authorised by their recipients.
Why "B2B" does not help
The Act's annex defines the recipient of a service as a "persona física o jurídica que utiliza, sea o no por motivos profesionales, un servicio de la sociedad de la información" [3]. Our translation: a natural or legal person who uses an information society service, whether or not for professional reasons. Article 21 speaks of "los destinatarios", so a company mailbox is covered. A published address is not a request for advertising: our reading is that an address on a contact page invites enquiries, not sales approaches.
The existing-customer exception
Article 21.2: "Lo dispuesto en el apartado anterior no será de aplicación cuando exista una relación contractual previa, siempre que el prestador hubiera obtenido de forma lícita los datos de contacto del destinatario y los empleara para el envío de comunicaciones comerciales referentes a productos o servicios de su propia empresa que sean similares a los que inicialmente fueron objeto de contratación con el cliente" [2]. Our translation: the prohibition does not apply where there is a prior contractual relationship, provided the provider lawfully obtained the recipient's contact details and uses them for commercial communications about its own similar products or services. It does not cover new prospects.
What every email must contain
- Article 20.1: "Las comunicaciones comerciales realizadas por vía electrónica deberán ser claramente identificables como tales, y la persona física o jurídica en nombre de la cual se realizan también deberá ser claramente identificable" [4]. In short: the email is recognisable as commercial, and who sends it is clear.
- Article 22.1: the recipient "podrá revocar en cualquier momento el consentimiento prestado a la recepción de comunicaciones comerciales con la simple notificación de su voluntad al remitente" [5]. In short: they can withdraw at any time by simply telling the sender.
- For email, the way to do so must include "una dirección de correo electrónico u otra dirección electrónica válida donde pueda ejercitarse este derecho" and the same article forbids sending communications "que no incluyan dicha dirección" [6]. In short: a valid address to opt out, in every email.
Penalties
Article 38.3.c makes it a serious infringement to send commercial email in bulk, or insistently or systematically to the same recipient, without meeting article 21 [7]. Serious infringements carry a fine of "multa de 30.001 hasta 150.000 euros" (a fine of 30,001 to 150,000 euros) [9]. Other breaches of article 21 are classed as minor [8].
Decision table
| Who you write to | Rule |
|---|---|
| A company or professional who asked to hear from you | Allowed |
| A new prospect, address from their website | Not covered by an exception: authorisation needed first |
| Your own customer, similar products, easy opt-out | Allowed under article 21.2 |
| Anyone who withdrew | Stop at once (article 22.1) |
What to do instead
- Leave Spanish organisations out of cold email campaigns, or ask for a request first through a channel that allows it.
- Reach them where they invite contact: a referral, an event, a download or a form they fill in.
- Keep proof of any authorisation: the date, the page and what they agreed to.
What we could and could not check
This page rests on the text of the LSSI as published by the Boletín Oficial del Estado, read on 1 October 2026. We did not use the AEPD's guidance, so we say nothing here about how the regulator applies the rule to companies in practice.
How Honest Intros fits
Honest Intros shows warnings on German and Australian companies only. It has no Spanish rule, so a campaign aimed at Spanish organisations is your decision at approval. Each email carries your details and an unsubscribe link, and an opt-out stops all further email at once.
Questions
Is B2B cold email legal in Spain?
Generally no. LSSI article 21 prohibits advertising email that was not previously requested or expressly authorised by the recipient, and the Act's definition of recipient includes legal persons, whether or not acting professionally.
Can I email a Spanish company at an address published on its website?
Publication alone is not a request for advertising. Article 21 asks for a prior request or express authorisation, and the only exception is for your own customers buying similar products.
What must a commercial email in Spain include?
It must be clearly identifiable as commercial, identify who sends it, and include a valid email or electronic address where the recipient can withdraw consent. Emails without it are prohibited.
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