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Free course · 1.5 hours · 8 languages

Food handler course for Spain free, with a certificate

¿Hablas español? Haz el curso y el test en castellano →Free online food handler course with certificate: 1.5 hours, 8 modules and a final test of 30 questions; free PDF certificate when you pass.Take the final test and get your certificate →Free PDF certificate when you pass. Does the Spanish food handler certificate expire? Not by law: since Royal Decree 109/2010 there is no card and no renewal period. But many employers ask for a recent certificate that covers Law 1/2025 (leftovers to take away): this free course brings yours up to date.

Important (in Spanish): Este curso no sustituye la formación en higiene alimentaria que debe garantizarte tu empresa según tu puesto (Reglamento (CE) 852/2004, anexo II, capítulo XII). Desde el Real Decreto 109/2010 no existe un carnet oficial de manipulador. See the law: Reglamento (CE) 852/2004

Start module 1 (≈10 min)

8 short modules · final test · free PDF certificate when you pass

Already know the topic? Take the final test now

Is an online food handler course valid? Yes, as training: the official «carnet» no longer exists and the rules do not require face-to-face training; it is not an official qualification and your employer decides whether it is enough for your job. Hygiene, temperatures, cross-contamination and the 14 allergens, with examples from bars, kitchens and shops. A 30-question test and a PDF training certificate, with no sign-up and nothing to pay.

The course in brief

Where can I take the Food handler and allergens course for free with a certificate? At LaborIA: online, free and no sign-up.

What it is: “Food handler and allergens course (manipulador de alimentos)” is a free online LaborIA course with no sign-up. Reference rule: Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs.

Length: 8 modules and about 84 minutes of reading in total; at the end, a 30-question test that you pass with 24 correct answers.

Certificate: when you pass you can download a training certificate as a PDF, free of charge. This is a training certificate, not an «official card»: that card has not existed in Spain since 2010 (Royal Decree 109/2010). It shows what you have studied; the employer decides whether it is enough and adds training for your specific job.

Updated:

Is there a free food handler course with a certificate for working in Spain? Yes, this one: 8 short modules based on Regulation (EC) 852/2004, Regulation (EU) 1169/2011 (allergens) and guidance from AESAN, the Spanish food safety agency, a 30-question test and, if you pass, a PDF training certificate generated on your phone. It is not an «official food handler card» (carnet de manipulador): that card has not existed since Royal Decree 109/2010, and it is the employer who must make sure you are trained.

FreeCourse, test and certificate, no sign-up
8 modulesAbout 10 minutes each
30 questionsPass with 24, with explanation and source
Instant PDFYour details never leave your phone
  1. StudyThe 8 modules, at your own pace.
  2. Take the test30 questions; you can retake it.
  3. Download the PDFWith your name, the date, the syllabus and a code to check it.

Start the course

The course: 8 modules

Each module has its own page: the text, a practical example, the rule it comes from and a few review questions. Your progress is saved in this browser.

  1. 1What a food handler is and what the law requiresYou are a food handler ( manipulador de alimentos ) if your job means touching food that someone is going to eat: you…10 min
  2. 2Food hazards and foodborne illnessFood is dangerous when it contains something that can harm whoever eats it.10 min
  3. 3Personal hygieneYou are the main route by which germs reach food: hands, hair, nose, mouth, wounds and clothes.10 min
  4. 4Temperatures, storage and datesCold slows germs down, heat kills them and time at room temperature lets them multiply.12 min
  5. 5Cross-contamination, cleaning and pestsCross-contamination happens when a hazard passes from one food, surface or utensil to another food: from raw meat to…10 min
  6. 6Allergens: the 14 and how to inform customersFor someone with an allergy, a tiny amount of a food can cause a serious reaction.14 min
  7. 7Food safety management: HACCP and recordsEvery food business (except primary production) must have a food safety management system based on HACCP (Hazard…10 min
  8. 8Food safety cultureSince 2021, Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 (as amended by Regulation (EU) 2021/382) requires businesses to have an…8 min
  9. ✓Final test and certificateFinal test: 30 questions
Asked for a «carnet de manipulador de alimentos»?What Spanish law really requires, whether online courses count and whether it expires (in Spanish)

Frequently asked questions

Where can I take the Food handler and allergens course for free with a certificate?
At LaborIA: online, free and no sign-up. “Food handler and allergens course (manipulador de alimentos)” is a free online LaborIA course with no sign-up. Reference rule: Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs. 8 modules and about 84 minutes of reading in total; at the end, a 30-question test that you pass with 24 correct answers. When you pass you can download a training certificate as a PDF, free of charge. This is a training certificate, not an «official card»: that card has not existed in Spain since 2010 (Royal Decree 109/2010). It shows what you have studied; the employer decides whether it is enough and adds training for your specific job.
Is an online food handler course valid?
Yes, as training: the official food handler «carnet» no longer exists (Royal Decree 109/2010 repealed Royal Decree 202/2000, which regulated it) and the rules do not require the training to be face-to-face. Regulation (EC) 852/2004 (Annex II, Chapter XII) requires food businesses to ensure that their food handlers are supervised and instructed and/or trained in food hygiene in line with their work activity: so it is your employer who decides whether the training you bring is enough and adds the training specific to its premises. It is not an official qualification or an approved course: no course is approved by AESAN. You can do it here for free, with a PDF certificate.
Are the course and certificate really free?
Yes. The 8 modules, the test and the PDF certificate are free and you don't need to sign up. LaborIA is funded by advertising.
Is it an official certificate? Does it replace the «carnet de manipulador»?
There has been no official food handler certificate or card in Spain since Royal Decree 109/2010, and no course is approved by AESAN. This is a training certificate in free format: it lists the content, hours, legal framework and your score. The employer decides whether your training is suitable for your job.
Can I use it to work in a bar, restaurant or supermarket in Spain?
It shows you have studied the basics of hygiene and allergens. AESAN describes certificates from training centres as originals, signed and stamped; you generate this PDF yourself, with the name of the person responsible for the training and a code that can be checked. The employer decides whether it is enough or adds its own training, which it has to give you about its premises anyway.
How long does it take?
About 1.5 hours: 8 modules of 8 to 14 minutes plus the test.
Does the food handler certificate expire in Spain?
Not by law: the food handler card has not existed since Royal Decree 109/2010, which repealed Royal Decree 202/2000, and no national rule sets an expiry date or a renewal period. What Regulation (EC) 852/2004 (Annex II, Chapter XII) requires is that the business makes sure its staff are trained and supervised in food hygiene for their job, and keeps that training up to date. In practice, many employers and job agencies ask for a recent certificate that covers the latest rules, such as Law 1/2025 (Article 8, leftovers to take away at no extra cost): this free course brings yours up to date in about 1.5 hours, with a PDF certificate.
Do you keep my data?
No. The name and DNI or NIE you type are only used in your browser to draw the PDF: they are not sent to LaborIA. Your device only stores that you passed and your score, so you can download it again.
How can an employer check the certificate?
With the code: in «Check a certificate», at the end of this page, they enter the name, ID number, date and code. If they match, the certificate has not been altered. As LaborIA stores no data, it cannot confirm who took the test.
Which languages is the course in?
Spanish, Catalan, English, French, Arabic, Romanian, Ukrainian and Portuguese. The certificate comes in your language and, if that is not Spanish, with a second page in Spanish for the employer.

Check a certificate

For employers: type the details exactly as they appear on the certificate. Your browser checks that the code matches that name, ID number and date. LaborIA stores no data, so this confirms the certificate has not been altered, not who took the test.

Certificate of completion issued by LaborIA. It is not an official qualification or a Spanish «certificado de profesionalidad».

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Rules and official sources

Texts read on 18 October 2026; temperatures checked against the BOE on 22 October 2026. General information: your employer may also ask you to take training specific to your job.