What Deposit Is Actually Blocked When Hiring a Car in Spain in 2026?

The size of the deposit required when hiring a car in Spain can vary dramatically. While many websites claim that rental companies routinely block between €1,500 and €3,000, the reality is that many travellers successfully hire cars with no deposit at all or with a small security deposit starting from just €100–300.

To provide a realistic picture, we analysed Rentaholiday offers across Spain's most popular tourist destinations and compared them with the rental terms commonly found at other car hire companies.

In this guide, you'll discover where you can genuinely hire a car with no deposit, which cities typically offer low security deposits, and why some vehicles require significantly higher amounts to be blocked on your card.

Across the Spanish car hire market as a whole, the security deposit can range from €0 to €3,000 or even more. It depends on the rental company, the vehicle category, the insurance selected, and the terms of the specific rental package.

However, based on Rentaholiday's experience, the reality for most travellers is far more reassuring. Our catalogue includes a wide range of offers with security deposits of €0–300, and in many popular destinations you can even hire a car with no deposit at all.

The highest security deposits are typically charged by certain international rental companies when hiring premium or luxury vehicles without full insurance cover. These are the offers that usually give rise to stories about deposits of €1,500–3,000.

Important: the amount of the security deposit depends not only on the pick-up location but also on the specific vehicle, the insurance package, and the rental company's policy.

If your goal is to avoid having a large amount blocked on your bank card, it's worth paying attention not only to the car you choose but also to the pick-up location. In our experience, rental conditions can vary significantly, even within the same region.

For example, in the popular Costa Blanca resorts, you'll find plenty of offers with no security deposit at all. In other cities, a modest deposit of €100–300 is the norm, while higher amounts of €1,500–3,000 are usually required only by certain international rental companies when hiring premium vehicles or choosing a package without full insurance cover.

Below is an overview of the most popular destinations, based on the offers available in the Rentaholiday catalogue.

Many travellers are surprised to find that one car can be hired with no security deposit at all, while another requires €1,000–3,000 to be blocked on their bank card. In reality, there are several reasons for this difference.

The amount of the security deposit depends on a combination of factors, including the vehicle category, the insurance package selected, the rental company's policy, and even the pick-up location. That's why, in the same city, you may find offers with no deposit alongside others requiring a substantial security deposit.

Based on Rentaholiday's experience, most economy, compact, intermediate and family cars are available with either a low security deposit or none at all. Higher deposit requirements are usually associated with premium and luxury vehicles, as well as certain 7–9 seat MPVs.

Based on the offers available in the Rentaholiday catalogue, Alicante remains one of the best destinations in Spain for travellers looking to avoid having a large amount blocked on their bank card.

Most economy, compact, intermediate and family cars here are available with no security deposit. This is one of the main reasons why Alicante has remained one of our customers' most popular destinations for several years.

If hiring a car with no security deposit in Alicante is particularly important to you, we recommend exploring our dedicated selection of these offers. It includes vehicles from various categories with up-to-date rental conditions, allowing you to understand all your travel costs before you book.

Even when a security deposit is required, it is usually much lower than the figures often mentioned in general articles about car hire in Spain. For standard vehicles, the deposit is typically modest rather than several thousand euros.

A similar situation can be found in Valencia, where most standard vehicles are also available without a security deposit. Palma de Mallorca is another leading destination for no-deposit offers, particularly during the peak holiday season, when demand for transparent rental conditions is at its highest.

As in other regions of Spain, the main exceptions are premium and luxury vehicles, as well as certain 7–9 seat MPVs, where rental companies often apply different deposit policies.

While Alicante, Valencia and Mallorca now offer a wide range of no-deposit car hire deals, in many other popular tourist destinations across Spain a small security deposit is standard practice. In most cases, this means a deposit of around €100–150 rather than the large excess amounts that are often mentioned in online articles.

Based on Rentaholiday's experience, these conditions apply to most standard vehicle categories, allowing travellers to hire a car without having a substantial amount blocked on their bank card.

It's also worth remembering that a small security deposit does not necessarily mean less favourable rental terms. In many cases, full insurance cover or enhanced vehicle protection is already included, giving travellers a clear understanding of their total costs before the trip.

While no-deposit offers are most commonly found in Alicante, Valencia and Mallorca, a €200–300 security deposit is the standard practice across most other regions of Spain. Today, many rental companies offer these conditions for standard vehicle categories.

Based on Rentaholiday's experience, this level of security deposit allows travellers to enjoy transparent rental terms without having to block large amounts on their bank card. These offers are available not only at major airports but also at railway stations, city rental offices and popular holiday resorts.

Compared with deposits of €1,500–3,000, which are sometimes required by certain international rental companies for premium vehicles, a €200–300 security deposit is considered a normal and traveller-friendly option.

After learning about no-deposit and low-deposit car hire options, many travellers naturally wonder where the €1,000–3,000 deposits often mentioned on travel forums and websites actually come from.

In reality, such security deposits do exist, but they apply to only a small proportion of rental vehicles. They are most commonly required by certain international rental companies when hiring high-value vehicles without full insurance cover.

Based on Rentaholiday's experience, deposits of this size are rarely required for standard vehicle categories. Even when a higher deposit applies to premium vehicles, it is more commonly in the region of €400–600.

When researching car hire in Spain, you'll often come across stories about security deposits of €1,000, €2,000 or even €3,000. These cases do exist, but they usually apply only to specific types of vehicles and particular rental conditions.

In most cases, these deposits relate to premium and luxury vehicles, high-value SUVs, sports cars, or rental packages without full insurance cover, where the security deposit is directly linked to the insurance excess.

Based on Rentaholiday's experience, most travellers hire standard-category vehicles, for which deposits of this size are extremely uncommon. That's why the majority of offers in our catalogue require a security deposit of between €0 and €300, while selected higher-value vehicles typically require around €400–600.

Based on Rentaholiday's experience, most travellers are not simply looking for the cheapest car. What matters more is choosing an offer with transparent rental conditions, a low security deposit, and a total price that's clear before the trip begins.

In many cases, the security deposit can be significantly reduced simply by choosing the right vehicle. You only need to pay attention to a few key details, all of which are displayed before you complete your booking.

Selecting the right rental package helps you avoid unpleasant surprises when collecting the vehicle and ensures you know in advance exactly how much may be temporarily blocked on your bank card.

Based on Rentaholiday's experience, the size of the security deposit is no longer the main obstacle to hiring a car in Spain. For most standard vehicle categories, you'll find plenty of offers with no security deposit or only a small one, and all the key rental conditions are clearly displayed before you book.

What's far more important is choosing the right rental package, reading the rental conditions carefully, and understanding exactly how much may be temporarily blocked on your bank card. Taking a few minutes to check these details in advance helps you avoid unpleasant surprises when collecting your vehicle and enjoy your trip with complete peace of mind.