Professional Certificate in Palm Tree Cultivation and Work 2026: What Companies and VET Centers Should Know

Key data

The palm sector in Spain had workers without official certification that accredited their competencies. The Royal Decree 490/2026 changes that: it establishes the first specific professional certificate for palm tree cultivation and work, with official curriculum, national validity and the possibility of European funding. For companies in the sector, this opens the door to incorporating workers in dual training and professionalizing staff with recognized certification.

What does this regulation establish?

Royal Decree 490/2026 creates the Professional Certificate in Palm Tree Cultivation and Work within the Agricultural professional family. It defines the complete curriculum, the general and professional competencies that the worker must accredit, and structures the certification levels in two grades:

The competencies and operations covered by the certificate are:

• Palm tree cultivation operations
• Palm tree maintenance
• Palm tree climbing
• Preparation of compositions with white palm

The certificate has a dual nature, which means it includes a mandatory period of training in the company. This implies that companies in the palm sector can—and must, if they participate—host students during part of the training.

Additionally, the Royal Decree modifies Royal Decree 1127/2025, of December 11, which regulates the Professional Certificate in Ecotourism (Hospitality and Tourism professional family). The specific changes introduced in that certificate are not detailed in the summary, beyond its connection in this same regulatory text.

Economic and operational impact

The main economic impact for companies in the palm sector is the possibility of accessing European funding. As it is framed within the ESF+ EFESO Program 2021-2027, the teaching of this certificate can count on European co-financing, which reduces the cost of training for both centers and companies participating in the dual modality.

For Vocational Training centers, the impact is operational: they must incorporate this certificate into their training offer, adapt facilities and teaching resources to the 530 hours of official curriculum, and manage agreements with companies for the period of training in the company.

For companies in the palm sector, participating as a collaborating company in dual training involves:

• Receiving students in internships with an official curriculum and defined competencies
• Contributing to the professionalization of the sector and the recruitment of qualified talent
• Possible access to incentives or bonuses associated with dual training, according to regional and state calls linked to ESF+

The validity of the certificate throughout the entire national territory facilitates the mobility of certified workers between autonomous communities, which expands the labor market available to the sector.

Who does it affect?

• Companies in the palm sector: nurseries, gardens, palm tree maintenance services, companies providing work at height in palm trees and white palm producers.
• Agricultural sector workers who perform cultivation, maintenance, climbing or composition preparation tasks with white palm and want to accredit their experience or train officially.
• Vocational Training centers (public and private) that want to incorporate this qualification into their training offer.
• Regional educational administrations, responsible for authorizing and managing the teaching of the certificate in their territories.
• Ecotourism centers and companies in the tourism sector linked to Royal Decree 1127/2025, which see their professional certificate modified by this regulation.

Practical example

A palm tree maintenance company in the Valencian Community, with 8 employees, wants to professionalize its workforce and attract new profiles. Thanks to Royal Decree 490/2026, it can:

1. Contact an authorized VET center to teach certificate AGA_C_011_4B and sign a dual training agreement.
2. Host students during the mandatory period of training in the company, who will be part of its team under supervision.
3. Upon completion of the training (530 hours), students will obtain a level 2 certificate with national validity that accredits competencies in cultivation, maintenance, climbing and preparation of compositions with white palm.
4. If the regional ESF+ EFESO 2021-2027 call finances the teaching, the cost for the company may be reduced or zero, depending on the conditions of each call.

For workers already in active employment without certification, grade A (partial accreditations) allows recognition of specific units of competency without the need to complete the full certificate.

What should companies do now?

1. Identify if your company belongs to the palm sector: if you perform cultivation, maintenance, climbing or work with white palm, this regulation directly affects you.
2. Contact VET centers in your autonomous community to find out when they start teaching certificate AGA_C_011_4B and how to participate as a collaborating company in dual training.
3. Consult the ESF+ EFESO 2021-2027 calls in your autonomous community to verify if funding is available for teaching or for participation as a company in dual training.
4. Evaluate the current workforce: workers with experience can opt for partial accreditations of grade A without completing the full certificate. Consult with the VET center about the competency recognition procedure.
5. If you are a VET center or educational administration: review the official curriculum published in Royal Decree 490/2026 and plan the incorporation of the certificate into the training offer for the next academic year.

Official source

Consult complete regulation in official source

Notice: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-13296