Active AEO authorisations in Spain
892 authorisations
Full (AEOF: customs + security)
553 authorisations
Customs simplifications only (AEOC)
309 authorisations
Security only (AEOS)
30 authorisations
What the data say · 2 October 2026
Spain has 892 active AEO authorisations on 2 October 2026, according to the European Commission register, which places it 6th in the European Union. 553 are full authorisations (AEOF, customs simplifications and security), 309 customs only and 30 security only.
In Europe, the register’s top three are Germany (6,112), France (1,881) and Italy (1,687). Spain, with 887, ranks 6th.
EED Data locates 620 companies by province (620% of the register) by matching their names against the BORME; the rest have no identifiable registered office in the gazettes.
Barcelona ranks first among provinces with 188 companies on 2 October 2026. It is followed by Madrid (140 companies) and Valencia/València (58 companies). Together, the three account for 62.3% of the total.
The rest of the top ten are Cádiz (4th, 24 companies), Bizkaia (5th, 19 companies), Castellón/Castelló (6th, 19 companies), Murcia (7th, 17 companies), Tarragona (8th, 16 companies), Sevilla (9th, 13 companies) and Gipuzkoa (10th, 12 companies).
At the bottom of the table are Melilla (1 companies), Palencia (1 companies) and Teruel (1 companies), out of a total of 37 provinces with data.
The distribution is concentrated: the top five account for 69.2% of the total and 10 provinces are enough to reach 80%, while the other 27 provinces further down share the remaining 18.4%.
Between 2012 and 2026 the figure went from 308 to 892, an increase of 189.6% over 14 years (+7.9% a year on average); the last year is the high point of the series and the low was 2012 (308).
Top 10 · Provinces by companies with AEO authorisation
Companies with an active authorisation, by year of first certification
Full table · 37 provinces
| # | Provinces | AEO companies | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barcelona | 188 | 30.3% |
| 2 | Madrid | 140 | 22.6% |
| 3 | Valencia/València | 58 | 9.4% |
| 4 | Cádiz | 24 | 3.9% |
| 5 | Bizkaia | 19 | 3.1% |
| 6 | Castellón/Castelló | 19 | 3.1% |
| 7 | Murcia | 17 | 2.7% |
| 8 | Tarragona | 16 | 2.6% |
| 9 | Sevilla | 13 | 2.1% |
| 10 | Gipuzkoa | 12 | 1.9% |
| 11 | Pontevedra | 12 | 1.9% |
| 12 | Zaragoza | 12 | 1.9% |
| 13 | Alicante/Alacant | 11 | 1.8% |
| 14 | Navarra | 10 | 1.6% |
| 15 | Girona | 9 | 1.5% |
| 16 | Almería | 7 | 1.1% |
| 17 | Cantabria | 7 | 1.1% |
| 18 | Málaga | 7 | 1.1% |
| 19 | Lleida | 6 | 1.0% |
| 20 | Jaén | 4 | 0.6% |
| 21 | Burgos | 3 | 0.5% |
| 22 | Córdoba | 3 | 0.5% |
| 23 | Huelva | 3 | 0.5% |
| 24 | Toledo | 3 | 0.5% |
| 25 | Valladolid | 3 | 0.5% |
| 26 | Asturias | 2 | 0.3% |
| 27 | Ourense | 2 | 0.3% |
| 28 | Albacete | 1 | 0.2% |
| 29 | Ciudad Real | 1 | 0.2% |
| 30 | Cuenca | 1 | 0.2% |
| 31 | Granada | 1 | 0.2% |
| 32 | Guadalajara | 1 | 0.2% |
| 33 | La Rioja | 1 | 0.2% |
| 34 | Lugo | 1 | 0.2% |
| 35 | Melilla | 1 | 0.2% |
| 36 | Palencia | 1 | 0.2% |
| 37 | Teruel | 1 | 0.2% |
What this indicator measures
The Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) is the trust label customs grants to companies that meet solvency, control and security requirements: freight forwarders, shipping lines, terminals, hauliers, manufacturers and importers. There are three types: customs simplifications (AEOC), security (AEOS) and full (AEOF). Every month EED Data reads the European Commission register and locates companies by province using the BORME.
Context
Spain is among the five EU countries with the most AEO authorisations, behind Germany, the Netherlands and France. Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia hold most of them thanks to their logistics base; in Andalusia, Cádiz (Algeciras) and Sevilla stand out. Large shippers increasingly require AEO status, and it shortens border checks.
Frequently asked questions
How many AEO companies are there in Spain?
892 authorisations on 2 October 2026, 0.6% less than the previous month in the European register.
Which province has the most authorised economic operators?
Barcelona, with 188 companies on 2 October 2026, 30.3% of the total.
When is this data updated?
European Commission (AEO register) publishes the data every month. Latest data available: 2 October 2026.
Source
European Commission (AEO register). To explore the data in detail, use Radar OEA (Spanish) or see the original source.