Find current VFR charts for Spain through ENAIRE’s official eAIP, including VACs, en-route coverage, AIRAC dates and update checks.
For Aviation & Real-World Flying, obtain current VFR charts for Spain from ENAIRE’s official Aeronautical Information Service. Use the effective Spanish eAIP for en-route information and each aerodrome’s Visual Approach Chart (VAC), then check AIP amendments, supplements and NOTAMs before relying on a chart for real-world flight.
Where are Spain’s official VFR charts published?
ENAIRE, Spain’s air navigation and aeronautical information provider, is the authoritative starting point. Search for ENAIRE AIP España, confirm that the service is operated by ENAIRE, and open the in-force eAIP rather than a cached PDF or an edition whose effective date has not arrived.
Spain does not package every piece of VFR information like a single American sectional chart. Area coverage, controlled airspace, local procedures and temporary restrictions may come from different parts of the official publication.
| Information needed | Official source to use |
|---|---|
| Broad VFR route planning | ENAIRE’s VFR chart product or official Insignia digital map, checked against the eAIP |
| Airspace, routes and chart indexes | eAIP ENR section, including the ENR 6 chart pages |
| Arrival and departure at an aerodrome | The aerodrome’s VAC in AIP AD 2 |
| Runways, taxiways and stands | Aerodrome Chart or ground-movement charts in AD 2 |
| Temporary or short-notice changes | AIP Supplements and NOTAMs |
Insignia is useful for seeing aeronautical information geographically, but its map display should not be treated as the whole pre-flight briefing. Read the service disclaimer and verify the displayed information against the effective eAIP, supplements and NOTAMs.
How do I find the correct Spanish VFR chart?
- Open the official Spanish eAIP. Enter through ENAIRE’s Aeronautical Information or AIS service, not a copied chart collection found through image search.
- Select the publication in force. The portal may also offer a forthcoming AIRAC edition. Do not use that edition before its printed effective date.
- Check the ENR section for the route. Use ENR data and its chart index for airspace, reporting points, restricted areas and other en-route information. A continuous topographical VFR chart may be offered as a separate ENAIRE chart product or map layer.
- Open AD 2 for the destination. Select the aerodrome by ICAO code and find its VAC. Download the Aerodrome Chart as well if you need runway, taxiway or apron detail.
- Complete the update check. Review applicable AIP amendments, AIP Supplements and NOTAMs. A NOTAM can change the usable runway, frequency, airspace status or procedure without redrawing the saved chart.
Choose the geographic coverage carefully. Mainland Spain, the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands and other Spanish territories are not necessarily presented on one chart sheet. Our country-by-country method for finding official free VFR and en-route material explains the same AIP-first approach outside Spain.
How can I tell whether a Spanish VFR chart is current?
A current chart is one whose effective date and amendment status agree with the in-force AIP, after any applicable supplements and NOTAMs have been considered. AIRAC operates on a 28-day cycle, but that does not mean every Spanish chart is redrawn every 28 days.
- Check the chart identification and amendment information printed on the PDF itself.
- Compare it with the eAIP edition marked as effective on the intended flight date.
- Read the AIP Supplement list for temporary changes lasting longer than a typical NOTAM.
- Check NOTAMs during the official pre-flight briefing, especially for restricted airspace, runway work and frequency changes.
A mistake we see constantly is saving a VAC and treating it as permanently valid. Another is opening the next AIRAC package early because its publication date appears newer. The effective date, not the download date, decides which edition applies.
Are Spanish VFR charts free?
The online eAIP and its published aerodrome charts are generally available to consult or download without buying a copied chart pack. Printed charts and separately distributed products may have different access or purchase arrangements, and a downloaded PDF does not update itself.
Avoid unidentified scans, screenshots and chart bundles with no amendment record. Our guide to distinguishing official charts from outdated or unauthorised copies covers the checks that matter.
Can I use ENAIRE charts in a flight simulator?
Yes. Current Spanish charts work well for VFR flying in Microsoft Flight Simulator, X-Plane, Prepar3D and other simulators, but the simulator’s scenery and navigation database may represent an older effective date. A chart may therefore show a renamed taxiway, revised frequency, altered airspace boundary or runway configuration that the simulator does not reproduce.
For simulation, either match the chart period to the simulator’s data or accept and brief the discrepancy before departure. For real-world flying, use only the effective official information and required operational briefing. If the symbols or airspace markings are unfamiliar, our practical guide to interpreting aeronautical charts in a flight simulator explains the essentials without duplicating the Spanish source material.