More than 374,000 young people have applied for the 2026 Cultural Voucher, with two out of three individuals who will turn 18 this year participating in the initiative. This represents 66.6% of the estimated population of 561,459 individuals born in 2008, according to the National Statistics Institute.
For the first time, the Cultural Voucher can be used for the purchase of musical instruments, artistic creation materials, and training. Once granted, beneficiaries can use the voucher for one year at over 4,200 participating establishments across Spain.
The programme, launched by the Ministry of Culture, is expected to benefit more than 1.6 million individuals across its five editions. In this fifth edition, 374,131 young people have applied, surpassing the previous year's total of 363,054 by 10,946 applicants.
Following registration and approval, each application undergoes an individual review process by the General State Administration, which may lead to variations in the final number of beneficiaries. The public company Correos, responsible for the banking support of the Cultural Voucher, has already begun sending virtual and physical cards to successful applicants.
Beneficiaries will receive €400 to spend on cultural products or services at participating establishments, which include 4,217 locations throughout Spain.
About the cultural voucher
The Cultural Voucher operates through a prepaid card, which can be accessed virtually on a mobile device or received physically at home. The 2026 version offers two options:
- Option 1: Distribute the €400 across various categories: live arts and audiovisuals, cultural heritage, and artistic creation materials (up to €200); physical cultural products (up to €100); and digital or online consumption (up to €100).
- Option 2: Allocate the entire amount to a single category, such as cultural courses and workshops (both in-person and online), musical instruments, or artistic creation materials.
The Ministry of Culture aims to foster a lasting interest in culture among young people, encouraging them to become future cultural consumers while providing additional support to the cultural sector. The Cultural Voucher is regulated by a Royal Decree approved by the Council of Ministers on 21 March 2023, with an indefinite duration and a budget of €170 million from the extended General State Budgets.
In its first year, 2022, the Cultural Voucher benefited 277,607 individuals, with numbers increasing to 323,668 in 2023, 334,435 in 2024, and 363,054 in 2025. Over the four years since its inception, the total number of young beneficiaries has reached 1,298,764.
