The promotion of Spanish culture abroad is a joint endeavour between the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation. Within the Ministry of Culture, the Subdirectorate‑General for International Relations and the European Union is responsible for coordination, management, and advisory functions in the field of international cultural relations and technical cooperation.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation is responsible for Spain’s external cultural action through its State Secretariat for International Development Cooperation and for Ibero‑America, the Caribbean and Spanish in the World. Within this framework, the Spanish Agency for International Co-operation and Development (AECID) oversees cultural and scientific exchanges, including grants and scholarships, and manages Spain’s international commitments in these areas. AECID operates through Spanish embassies and consulates, as well as through its network of cultural centres abroad.
The Cervantes Institute, established in 1991 as an autonomous public body under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is responsible for promoting the Spanish language and culture internationally. It operates through a network of 100 centres in 54 countries.
The Spanish Public Agency for Cultural Action (AC/E), established in 2010, promotes and disseminates Spanish culture both domestically and internationally, supports joint initiatives involving regional and national cultural institutions, and fosters the international presence of artists, scientists and cultural and creative industries. Since 2013, it has implemented the Programme for the Internationalisation of Spanish Culture (PICE).
The governance of Spain’s external cultural policy has traditionally involved a degree of institutional overlap between the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This was addressed in July 2009 through an agreement to establish the National Plan for Cultural Action Abroad (PACE), aimed at improving coordination.
At present, the Subdirectorate‑General for International Relations and the European Union is responsible for drafting and coordinating the Ministry of Culture’s international strategy and for promoting Spanish culture abroad, in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the relevant policy departments.
At the end of 2024, the Ministry of Culture outlined the main priorities of its forthcoming Strategic Plan for External Cultural Action (2025–2028). The Plan aims to strengthen the international projection of Spanish culture and heritage by promoting cultural rights as a global public good, reinforcing cultural diplomacy as a tool for peace, and supporting the internationalisation of the cultural and creative industries.
Cultural activities abroad are also supported by a range of public and semi-public institutions, including:
- the Carolina Foundation (established in 2000), which promotes cultural and academic exchanges—particularly with the Ibero‑American community—through grants, research and mobility programmes;
- Casa de América (Madrid, established in 1990), which fosters dialogue and cooperation between Spain and Latin America;
- the Euro-Arab Foundation for Higher Studies (Granada, established in 1995), which promotes cooperation between the European Union and the League of Arab States;
- the European Institute of the Mediterranean (established in 1989), which supports cooperation initiatives and promotes institutional relations in the Mediterranean area;
- Casa Asia (Barcelona, established in 2001; Madrid office opened in 2007), which promotes relations between Spain and countries in Asia and the Pacific across institutional, economic, academic and cultural fields;
- Casa África (Las Palmas, established in 2006), which fosters dialogue and cooperation between Spain and African partners;
- Casa Árabe (established in 2006, with centres in Madrid and Córdoba), which promotes knowledge and engagement with Arab and Muslim countries;
- Casa Sefarad-Israel (established in 2006), which promotes knowledge of Jewish culture and relations between Spanish and Israeli societies;
- Casa Mediterráneo (established in 2009), which serves as a platform for dialogue and cultural exchange in the Mediterranean region.
From a budgetary perspective, state policy for cultural promotion abroad is mainly implemented through the programme Cultural Diffusion Abroad. In 2024, this programme amounted to 153 047 000 euro, representing 11% of total public cultural expenditure. Since 2020, funding has increased by 37%.
Recent initiatives include Mostra Espanha 2026 (a biennial festival of Spanish culture in Portugal), España–Portugal: 50 años de democracia, and Cultura para la Paz – España–Palestina (developed in collaboration with the Palestinian Embassy in Spain).
The international promotion of cultural industries includes Spain’s participation as a guest country at book fairs in Latin America, as well as its role as guest of honour at the Angoulême International Comics Festival (France) in 2025. Spain was also the “Focus Country” at the Berlinale in 2025 and participated in the Cannes Film Market and the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
In 2026, the Ministry of Culture signed two Memoranda of Understanding with Brazil to promote cooperation in the ecological transition of cultural and heritage institutions, cultural rights, the protection of cultural workers and the development of cultural industries. These agreements were announced at the first Spain–Brazil Summit in Barcelona.
At the regional level, autonomous communities have expanded their international cultural activities in recent years. Early initiatives include the Catalan Consortium for the External Promotion of Culture (established in 1992, now integrated into the Catalan Institute of Cultural Enterprises) and the Etxepare Basque Institute (established in 2007).
More broadly, regions with strong diasporic ties, such as Galicia, promote cultural exchanges, particularly in music and dance. Border regions engage in cross-border cooperation within European Union frameworks, while Andalusia prioritises cultural relations with Morocco. Increasingly, regional governments use cultural diplomacy as a strategic tool to support trade and tourism.
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