SMS gateway for Spain: send SMS from your own Spain number
Published and updated
An Android phone holding a Spain SIM sends the messages, so the API call goes out over that SIM and recipients see the +34 number that sent it. Any Android phone with a Spain SIM that can send SMS runs the textbee app. Ley 25/2007 requires an operator selling a prepaid SIM to record the buyer name, surname, nationality and identity document number in a register before the line is activated. The SIM keeps its own carrier plan, and textbee is $9.99 a month at 5,000 messages on top of it.
How it works with a local SIM
- Put a Spain SIM in an Android phone that stays on and on power, and install the textbee app on it.
- Register the device from the dashboard, which pairs the phone with your API key.
- Call
POST /gateway/send-smswith the recipient in E.164 form. The phone sends it over the SIM and reports the result back.
What it costs at 1K, 5K and 25K messages
| Provider | 1K messages | 5K messages | 25K messages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Twilio | $88.65$87.50 messages, $1.15 number | $438.65$437.50 messages, $1.15 number | $2,188.65$2,187.50 messages, $1.15 number |
| DIGI Movil 25 GB prepaid, 1,000 free SMS to DIGI numbers | $5.81EUR 5 per month | Above the plan1,000 SMS a month for EUR 5 per month | Above the plan1,000 SMS a month for EUR 5 per month |
| textbee | $9.99Pro plan, up to 5,000 messages included | $9.99Pro plan, up to 5,000 messages included | $29.99Scale plan, up to 25,000 messages included |
textbee plans include the messages shown. There is no per message fee, number rental or carrier surcharge.
Provider prices checked on September 4, 2026
The textbee plan is the platform fee and the SIM plan is what the carrier charges for the messages, so a local setup costs the plan price plus the SIM.
Rules for application to person SMS in Spain
- Article 21 of the Information Society Services Act, Ley 34/2002, bans advertising or promotional communications by email or an equivalent electronic means that the recipient did not request or expressly authorise, and requires every commercial message to offer a simple, free way to object. boe.es, checked on September 4, 2026
- The Spanish data protection authority states that SMS and messaging app advertising falls under the same rules as email spam, and that every consent must be given by a clear affirmative act. aepd.es, checked on September 4, 2026
Quickstart
curl -X POST https://api.textbee.dev/api/v1/gateway/send-sms \
-H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"recipients": ["+34612345678"], "message": "Your textbee code is 482913. It expires in 10 minutes."}'On a dual SIM phone, pass simSubscriptionId to pick the SIM the message goes out on, as the send reference describes.
Format and check Spain numbers
The API takes E.164, which for Spain looks like +34612345678, so strip any local trunk prefix before you send.
Result
Enter a phone number above.
Use E.164 format (e.g. +15551234567) for textbee.dev API recipients.
Count segments
A message over one segment is sent as more than one SMS, so it draws more than once on the SIM plan.
Result
- Characters: 54
- Encoding: GSM-7
- Segments: 1 SMS
- 1 segment = 1 SMS
GSM-7: 160 chars per segment (153 for multi-part). Unicode/emoji: 70 chars per segment (67 for multi-part). Carriers may charge per segment.
Honest limits
One phone sends roughly 10 to 15 messages a minute, so a large blast takes time to drain. Carriers can filter bulk patterns on consumer SIMs. Marketing messages still need consent from the recipient under the local rules.
Frequently asked questions
Can I send promotional SMS in Spain without consent?
No. Article 21 of Ley 34/2002 bans advertising or promotional messages by email or an equivalent electronic means unless the recipient requested or expressly authorised them. The one exception is an existing customer relationship for similar products, and even then every message must offer a simple, free way to object. The AEPD confirms SMS falls under these rules.
What counts as valid consent for SMS marketing in Spain?
The AEPD states that every consent must be given by a clear affirmative act. Silence, or a message saying that not replying counts as agreement, is not valid. The way to object can be a reply by SMS, a link, or a free phone number.
Do I need ID to buy a Spanish prepaid SIM for the textbee phone?
Yes. Ley 25/2007 requires mobile operators to keep a register recording the identity of each prepaid SIM buyer, taken from an identity document, including name, surname, nationality and the document number.
Sources
- SMS rules Spain, boe.es, checked on September 4, 2026
- SMS rules Spain, aepd.es, checked on September 4, 2026
- Sending from a local SIM Spain, boe.es, checked on September 4, 2026
- DIGI Movil 25 GB prepaid, 1,000 free SMS to DIGI numbers, checked on September 4, 2026
- Twilio SMS pricing, Spain, checked on September 4, 2026