The permit to visit the Cíes Islands, explained once and for all

To set foot on the Cíes in summer you need two things: a Xunta permit (free) and a ferry ticket. The permit comes first, and that is where the trouble is: the quota runs out before the boats do. This page explains the real procedure, its traps, and what to do when there are no places left.

First things first, because almost nobody says it: the permit is free. Nobody should charge you for it. What you pay for is the boat.

When do you have to request it yourself?

Only in high season. The Xunta's official site puts it this way:

"Remember to obtain the visit permit here during the Easter season and from 15 May to 15 September. On other dates, to obtain the visit permit you must contact the authorised ferry operators directly."

Translated: from 16 September to 14 May you have no paperwork to do. Off season the permit still exists, but the ferry operator handles it, because in winter you can only visit in a guided group (see the Cíes in winter).

The procedure, step by step

Go to autorizacionillasatlanticas.xunta.gal and pick Islas Cíes → Visitantes.
Fill in the 4 steps: booking details, applicant, visitors and confirmation.
You get a provisional pre-booking code.
⏳ You have 2 hours to buy the ferry ticket from an authorised operator. Miss that window and the code expires — you start over.
Once the ticket is bought, the final permit arrives by email (or you download it from the Xunta site).
On the day: carry it on your phone or printed, and stop by the operator's ticket desk first to collect the physical ticket.

The rules worth knowing beforehand

Permit price	Free
Maximum booking window	90 days
Places per application	maximum 10
Provisional code validity	2 hours
Cancellation	up to 15 days before the visit
Daily quota in high season	1.600 – 1.800 people
Daily quota in low season	250 – 450 people, guided groups only

Who carries the permit on the day?

It depends on the season, and this causes a lot of confusion in reviews from people who went:

In high season (15 May – 30 September and Easter): you carry it, on your phone or on paper. It is emailed to you.
The rest of the year: the guide carries it on the day. Nothing will be emailed to you, and that is not a mistake.

The classic scare: summer travellers reaching the port without having received the permit email. If you booked well ahead, check your spam folder and keep your booking reference handy: the permit can also be downloaded from the Xunta site with that code.

The shortcut: have it handled with your ticket

If the paperwork puts you off — or the 2-hour window makes you nervous — there is a route that skips it entirely: booking the ferry through Civitatis, where handling the permit is included in the ticket. Their own listing says it plainly: "You won't have to request any extra permit, it's included!", and among the inclusions is the "handling of the Xunta de Galicia permit to access the Cíes Islands".

Same Xunta quota, same boat: what changes is who fills in the form and who watches the clock.

BOOK FROM VIGO → SEE ALL 6 PORTS →

And if there are no places left?

It happens a lot in August. When the Xunta calendar marks a day in red, that day is closed for everyone: it is not that one operator sold out, it is that the National Park has filled its quota. Easy to check: if the Xunta calendar won't let you request the permit, no website can sell you a valid ticket for that day.

What you can do:

Try weekdays and early slots. The quota is released per full day; weekends go first.
Watch for cancellations. Since permits can be cancelled up to 15 days ahead, places often reappear right around that mark.
Book the campsite. Campers have their own allocation, separate from day visitors. It is the door that stays open when the other one shuts — see the Cíes campsite.
Switch island. Ons has its own quota and is usually less pressured: Cíes or Ons.

Data verified on 14 August 2026 on the Xunta de Galicia permit website and the Atlantic Islands National Park portal. The binding information is always the official one: quotas, dates and conditions can change from season to season.