Short answer regarding 2026: it can no longer be applied automatically. The process has two milestones.
The CJEU, 8 June 2023 (Case C-50/21, Prestige and Limousine, concerning the Barcelona metropolitan area): limiting ride-hailing authorisations using a ratio such as 1/30 restricts the freedom of establishment (Article 49 TFEU) and is only justified on the basis of substantiated overriding reasons in the public interest — ‘protecting the economic viability of the taxi industry’ is not sufficient on its own.
The Supreme Court, in January and February 2024, extended this doctrine to the national level: the judgement of 17 January 2024 (ECLI:ES:TS:2024:96) upheld the appeal against the refusal of 1,000 licences in the Community of Madrid, and Supreme Court Judgment 230/2024 of 12 February did the same in respect of a further 50. Refusal solely on the basis of the ratio is contrary to European law unless the Administration proves suitability and proportionality, and the cases are returned to be resolved without automatically applying the 1/30 rule.
What this does not mean: neither will the refused licences be granted automatically (the Supreme Court returns the case file; it does not grant the licence), nor will the housing stock double overnight — each application follows its own procedure, and the authorities are testing new justifications on a region-by-region basis.
For those buying or selling today, the practical takeaway is this: the scarcity that is propping up prices is inherited and is no longer guaranteed, and there is a real trend towards greater supply that should be factored into the price. We are tracking this province by province on the regulatory map, with the source and date cited for each piece of data.
LAST REVIEWED · Jul 19, 2026 — VTC360 guide: general criteria, not advice for your specific case.