Course and certificate
Food Handler Course (Spain)
For anyone who handles food in hospitality, shops, catering, school canteens or the food industry in Spain. Eight plain lessons on the regulations, foodborne illness, personal hygiene, cross-contamination, temperatures, cleaning and pests, self-checking (HACCP) and allergens, followed by a 25-question test.
- Jurisdiction
- 🇪🇸 Spain
- Languages
- Español, Български, English, Français, Italiano, Português, Română, Українська
- Lessons
- 8
- Time needed
- About 45 minutes for the lessons and the test
- Assessment
- 25 questions, pass mark 80%
- Refresher
- Recommended after 4 years
- Content updated
- 27 October 2026
- Certificate fee
- €9.00, payable after passing
01Who this course is for
- Cooks, kitchen assistants and kitchen cleaning staff
- Waiters and floor or bar staff who serve food
- Shop assistants in food shops, butchers, fishmongers and bakeries
- Staff in catering, school canteens, care homes and hospitals
- Anyone starting a job in the food industry or catering in Spain
02Syllabus
- 01Regulations and responsibilities
- 02Foodborne illnesses and their hazards
- 03Personal hygiene and the food handler's health
- 04Cross-contamination
- 05Temperatures and storage
- 06Cleaning, disinfection and pest control
- 07Self-checking systems: HACCP and prerequisite programmes
- 08Labelling and allergens (summary)
03Assessment
25 multiple-choice questions drawn from the whole course. The pass mark is 80%. The test is free and can be retaken as often as needed; wrong answers point to the lesson to read again.
04The certificate
- With your name, your score and the date you passed.
- A unique number, recorded in our register.
- Your employer or an inspector scans it to see that it is genuine.
- Download it, print it or show it on your phone.
05Sources
The course follows the published guidance below. We are not affiliated with the bodies that publish it.
- Reglamento (CE) 852/2004
- Guías de prácticas correctas de higiene
- Reglamento (UE) 1169/2011
- Reglamento (CE) 178/2002
- AESAN — Anisakis
- Real Decreto 1086/2020, art. 30
06Questions
Does the food handler card (carné de manipulador de alimentos) still exist?
No. Real Decreto 109/2010 (a Spanish royal decree) repealed Real Decreto 202/2000, and with it the last official cards and the authorisation of training bodies disappeared. Regulation (EC) 852/2004 only requires food handlers to be supervised and to receive instruction or training in hygiene suited to their activity. Several autonomous communities (Spain's regions) explain it this way on their official websites, including the Comunidad de Madrid and the Illes Balears. If you have doubts about your region, ask your health authority. It is your employer who decides what training each job needs.
So what is this certificate?
It is a certificate of completion: it shows that you have completed the course and passed the test. It is not an official card or a regulated qualification, and no authority has approved or accredited it. It is your employer who decides whether this training covers what your job needs.
What else does my employer have to do?
General training does not replace training for your own job. Your employer must give you the instructions specific to your workplace and its self-checking (HACCP) procedures, supervise you and show you in practice how to work in their kitchen or shop.
How long does it take?
Most people finish the lessons and the 25-question test in about two hours. You can stop and carry on whenever you like from the same device.
What if I fail the test?
You are not charged anything. You will see which lessons are worth going over again, and you can retake the test as many times as you need.
When do I pay, and how much?
Only after you pass: €9 for the certificate. The course and the test are free.
How can my employer check the certificate?
Every certificate has a number and a QR code. When it is scanned, or when the number is typed into our verification page, your name, the course and the date you passed appear.
How long is the certificate valid?
The law sets no expiry for this training. The certificate shows a renewal date 48 months after you pass, as a guide. Your employer may require refresher courses at a different interval.
The certificate confirms that you completed this course and passed its test. It is not a regulated or accredited qualification; your employer decides whether this training meets their requirements.