🇪🇸

Spain

High celiac awareness

Certified by: FACE — Federación de Asociaciones de Celíacos de España

FACE certifies many restaurants and Mercadona has a huge 'sin gluten' section. Tapas culture is risky (shared surfaces and oil), but dedicated GF options are growing fast.

Capital

Madrid

Language

Spanish

Awareness

High

Emergency

112

Many certified venues, staff understand cross-contamination, GF products widely available.

Generally safer choices

FACE-certified restaurants
Tortilla española (verify pan)
Jamón ibérico
Grilled fish (a la plancha)
Paella (some are GF — confirm broth)
Gazpacho (check recipe)

Avoid or verify carefully

Croquetas (bechamel base)
Empanadas
Fried calamari (battered)
Migas
Most beer (cider is safer)
Pan con tomate (bread)

Trusted GF brands in stores

Schär
Adpan
Mercadona Sin Gluten
Beiker
Soria Natural

Look for these in the free-from / "sans gluten" / "glutenvrij" aisle, or in the diabetic / health section.

Celiac travel tips

Look for the FACE crossed-grain logo on restaurant windows.
Mercadona has a huge dedicated 'sin gluten' section.
Carrefour and Eroski carry Schär and Adpan.
In Catalonia, look for 'sense gluten' on menus.

Words to scan on food labels (Spanish)

Avoid products listing any of these ingredients:

trigo harina de trigo cebada centeno avena malta espelta kamut sémola cuscús

Safe to look for on packaging:

sin gluten espiga barrada (FACE)

How to order in a restaurant (Spanish)

Ask if it's gluten-free

¿Es sin gluten? / ¿Tienen menú para celíacos?

Ask about cross-contamination

¿Pueden evitar la contaminación cruzada? Utensilios limpios, sartén aparte.

Say thank you

¡Muchas gracias!

Tip: show, don't tell. Generate a printable card and let the kitchen staff read it directly.

Cross-contamination red flags

Shared fryers (fries, tempura, calamari)
Same toaster used for regular bread
Shared pasta water or noodle broth
Wooden spoons and rolling pins (porous, retain gluten)
Pizza ovens dusted with semolina
Sauces thickened with wheat flour (roux, gravy, bechamel)
Soy sauce, oyster sauce and many marinades
Buffet utensils swapped between dishes
Bulk bins (cross-contact from scoops)
Flour-dusted boards for cutting fruit or cheese

Pack this before flying to Spain

Translation card in Spanish
GF snack bars / crackers for travel days
Travel-size tamari packets (for soy sauce countries)
List of certified restaurants near your hotel
Photo of the FACE — Federación de Asociaciones de Celíacos de España logo so you recognise it
Doctor's note mentioning celiac disease (for customs / pharmacies)
Address of the nearest hospital + emergency number saved offline
Insurance card with celiac listed as a medical condition

Eating-out playbook

1
Research before you go
Check Find Me Gluten Free, the local celiac association's restaurant finder, or our restaurant search for Madrid.
2
Call ahead for dinner
Reserve and mention celiac disease — kitchens that aren't equipped will tell you, and good ones will prep.
3
Show your card on arrival
Hand it to the waiter before ordering, ideally to the manager or chef.
4
Confirm preparation
Ask: clean utensils, separate pan, dedicated fryer, no shared sauces, no flour dusting.
5
Eat off-peak when possible
Lunches and early dinners reduce kitchen pressure and mistakes.
6
Keep evidence
Photo of menu / packaging. If you react, you can report cross-contact and warn other celiacs in reviews.

⚠️

Emergency phrase — Spanish

Soy celíaco/a. Incluso pequeñas cantidades de gluten me hacen enfermar gravemente. ¿Pueden preparar mi plato por separado, sin contaminación cruzada, con utensilios limpios?

Local emergency: 112Show this to the waiter or chef.