Felipe VI and Queen Letizia will make their first official visit to Ceuta and Melilla since 2014 on 13 and 14 October 2026, after the Household of His Majesty the King confirmed the plan on Thursday. The last royal visit to both cities took place in 2014. Asked about the trip as he arrived at Congress for the XII Foro Parlamentario Iberoamericano, Felipe VI smiled and replied: "as always".
The central government agreed to the itinerary. That matters because Morocco continues to claim both Spanish territories. The Crown has also put Ceuta and Melilla at the centre of its recent public messaging. EFE and El País describe the journey as an agreement between Moncloa and the Casa del Rey. ABC also reports that it is an agreed trip, not a purely ceremonial journey arranged by the Crown.
Pedro Sánchez will not accompany the King and Queen. RTVE reports that the minister designated for duty is expected to represent the government instead. EFE and El País report the same.
The Casa de S.M. el Rey has not released the detailed programme. Zarzuela said officials will publish the schedule in the coming days, but the meetings and public appearances are still unknown. ABC and EFE have also reported that the itinerary remains pending.
The King and Queen will spend two days in the autonomous cities, following an itinerary agreed with the Executive.
For Ceuta and Melilla, this will be the monarchs' first official visit since Felipe VI's proclamation in 2014. The trip follows months of attention from the King after the events that affected Ceuta. Since 30 July, he has shown his support in telephone conversations with Juan Jesús Vivas, the president of Ceuta.
The visit is scheduled immediately after Spain’s National Day on 12 October. EFE and RTVE place the two-day trip within that broader national calendar. Its timing gives the journey additional political and symbolic weight. The detailed programme has yet to be announced.
On 1 August, the Crown issued a statement in which Felipe VI expressed "great concern and indignation". He called for measures to show the support and affection of the rest of Spain for the people of Ceuta and Melilla. He also said the state must protect their security and prevent a repeat of events that caused a tragic loss of dozens of lives.
Vivas later met the King at Marivent in what he called a historic meeting. Vivas said Felipe VI had committed to visiting both autonomous cities as soon as possible. The new dates turn that commitment into an official programme. Local authorities and residents now have a fixed date around which to organise the public reception.
The King's most recent remarks on Ceuta came during the gala dinner for the state visit of Emmanuel Macron and Brigitte Macron on 29 September. Felipe VI called the events there "unacceptable". He described them as the mass intrusion of tens of thousands of people across a Spanish and European border. He said the episode posed a major challenge for security and public order.
The visit has a clear political setting. The Crown has expressed support for the two cities and called on the government to guarantee their security. Readers following the wider Spanish agenda can also consult an earlier report on another major national story.
The trip puts the monarchy's constitutional role in a concrete setting. Felipe VI is expected to reaffirm the Crown's connection with every territory that forms Spain. The government's agreement gives the journey institutional backing, while the programme remains pending.
