Pedro Suárez, president of Puertos de Tenerife, meets the media this Tuesday in Brussels to present the joint document of the ports of the Outermost Regions, outlining its main proposals for the European Port Strategy. EFE/ Pablo Garrigós
The Santa Cruz de Tenerife Port Authority has made official the approval of the Rules for Particular Conditions governing the Port Service to Cruise Passenger traffic
The Port Authority of Santa Cruz de Tenerife has made official the approval of the Pliego de Prescripciones Particulares governing the Port Service to Cruise Passenger traffic under a Cruise Regime. The measure, issued by Resolution of 30 June 2026 and published in the Official State Gazette under the signature of the entity’s president, Pedro Suárez, establishes uniform operating conditions for this sector across the port facilities of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, San Sebastián de La Gomera, Santa Cruz de La Palma and La Estaca (El Hierro).
Investment criteria and thresholds define the length of licences
One of the key points in the rules is the setting of criteria to determine when an investment is considered ‘significant’, a factor that directly determines the length of licences. For rolling stock and equipment, the minimum required thresholds vary by port: €800,000 for the Port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, €400,000 in La Palma, €250,000 in La Gomera, and €150,000 in El Hierro. For large works and fixed installations, or breakwater and quay infrastructure, the required investments reach €2 million and €7.5 million, respectively.
As for the validity period of the titles, licences opened for general use without significant investment will have a standard duration of 6 years. This period may be extended to 10, 15 or 20 years depending on the investment in equipment and the link with maritime terminals under concession. In cases involving major civil works executions and fixed infrastructure, the timelines could be extended to up to 30 or 50 years. With this new set of regulations coming into force, operating companies will have an updated regulatory framework to meet the standards of economic and technical solvency, as well as protection, required in the Tenerife port facilities.
Aligned with EU rules and Spain’s Port Law consolidated text
The new regulatory text is adapted to the framework set by European Regulation (EU) 2017/352 and the Recast Text of the Law on Ports of the State and Merchant Shipping. The definitive approval by the Board of Directors of the Port Authority took place on 25 June 2026, after incorporating in a mandatory way the conditions and binding reports issued by the public body Puertos del Estado.
A regulatory framework for embarkation, disembarkation and passenger luggage
The rules define precisely the scope of the cruise passenger service, structuring it into two main operational blocks: on the one hand, the embarkation and disembarkation tasks—which include the organisation, control and access of cruise passengers between the maritime station or quay and the vessel—and, on the other, the loading and unloading of luggage service, covering everything from reception on land and identification to transfer, stowage onboard or delivery to the passenger.
The regulations establish a regime of free competition for obtaining specific licences, classified between licences open to general use and licences restricted to the scope of dedicated terminal facilities (including the self-supply modality). To ensure operability and safety at each facility across the province, the text specifies the minimum human and material resources required to operate at each port—such as mobile gangways, homologated wheelchairs for people with reduced mobility (PMR) and billing counters—which must be consistent with the volume of traffic handled.
The article New figures from Puertos de Tenerife’s cruise service regulations enter into force was first published on canarymaritime.com.
