What is Madrid’s urban planning authorisation and what does it change?

Ever since Royal Decree-Law 13/2018 transferred the regulation of urban transport services to the autonomous communities, Madrid has developed its own system: a regional licence to operate in urban areas, which coexists with the national VTC authorisation. The result is Madrid’s ‘dual licence’ system: the state authorisation grants you VTC status; the regional urban licence grants you the right to provide the urban service, which is at the heart of the platform business in the region.

What this means in practice:

• To operate in the city of Madrid and its urban area, you need the licence to be in order in terms of urban authorisation, not just a valid state authorisation. These are two separate matters and are checked independently.
• When buying, due diligence in Madrid involves one more question than in other provinces: what is the status of the urban authorisation following the transfer? A licence with the ‘double title’ issue resolved is worth what the market indicates; one with an outstanding urban authorisation issue requires analysis before a price can be discussed.
• The finer details are subject to change. Requirements, vehicle conditions and timeframes under Madrid’s urban planning regime have been adjusted since its inception — always check the status with source and date on the regulatory map before each transaction, and confirm the specific case during due diligence.

The apparent paradox is that this framework, far from crippling the market, actually sustains it: Madrid is the deepest and most expensive market in the index after the Balearic Islands — €145,502 in July 2026, with the largest sample (n=20) — precisely because its regulation opted for orderly coexistence with the sector. Regulatory certainty comes at a price; the contrast with the Barcelona model is analysed in Madrid vs Barcelona.

If you’re looking to buy in the region, there are two starting points: the current listings in Madrid with their verification status clearly displayed, and the Madrid index to negotiate against a benchmark rather than against the advertised price.