The initial visit permit is granted after a meeting with family members at the prison. The family members must provide their name, address, ID, preferred day and time for the visit and their relationship to the inmate (via the family record book). The rules are different for non-family members. The prisoner requests a visit permit in writing, addressed to the prison governor, indicating the name and identify of the visitor. The governor decides whether or not to grant the permit.

Only family members and friends who have been authorised are allowed to visit a prisoner. Visits generally take place at the weekend and are limited to four visitors at a time (prison regulations, article 42).

Conjugal visits known as “vis-à-vis” are available to prisoners without exit permits. They take place at least once a month. These visits last between one and three hours and take place in a dedicated room that provides guaranteed privacy. These visits are also available to two inmates.

Another type of conjugal visit is the “shared life” visit (“Comunicaciones de conviviencia”), which is reserved for inmates who lived as part of a stable couple (whether married or not) before their incarceration. Children of less than ten years old may be present. These take place at least once a quarter and may last for up to six hours. The visiting area is furnished and equipped with drinks machines and food products. The length of these visits can be reduced by half if the prison does not have adequate premises (prison regulations, article 45).

Visitors are permitted to bring books and clothing when they attend. Food products must be purchased by the visitor from the prison shop. Items are provided to the prisoner by different methods depending on the type of visit:

• For ordinary visits, items are handed in when entering the prison, checked and then handed over to the prisoner.
• For other visits (vis-à-vis, shared life, etc.), the items are given directly to the inmate, who is often searched at the end of the visit.

The concerns of the prison administration are the main consideration when placing prisoners in an establishment. Family ties tend to deteriorate between the inmate and their loved ones. Travel costs are often cited as a reason.
The case of Basque prisoners being held far from their families demonstrates this point.
The detained members of ETA¹ accused of terrorism had previously been assigned to institutions across the country, in the framework of a dispersion policy implemented from 1987 to 2018. This meant that some families had to travel more than 1,000 kilometres in order to visit their detained relatives. As of 2018, a new policy has been implemented regarding the placement of ETA prisoners closer to their families. The Spanish government indicates, in March 2023, that 144 ETA prisoners are being held in the Basque Country. Twelve are still being held elsewhere and are awaiting transfer.