The Ertzaintza and local police will open 593 agent positio…

The Basque Police and Emergency Academy has called for 593 agent positions —430 in the Ertzaintza and 163 in municipal police— through an opposition call under the Department of Security. The call is contained in the Resolution of September 9, 2026, signed by general director Jon Gurutz Gómez Goicoechea, and was published on October 29, 2026, in issue number 207 of the Official Gazette of the Basque Country, with official reference 2026/4557. All positions are for entry at the basic scale, in the Agent category, and are public job offers primarily intended to fill vacancies and guarantee the relief requested by many municipalities for some time.

430 positions in the Ertzaintza and 163 in municipal police

The first bases of the resolution specify the number and its composition: 430 positions for the Ertzaintza and 163 positions for local police, according to the distribution gathered in Annex I. The Ertzaintza positions are divided into two groups based on language requirements:

344 positions: Ertzaintza language profile 1 (Basque) mandatory, preceptivity date exceeded.
86 positions: Ertzaintza language profile 1, without a preceptivity date.
All positions are located in sub-group C1, within professional group C.

The call is not for a closed number: the number of positions may be increased based on vacancies that arise during the process, provided it is before the publication of the provisional list of those who passed the test and via a resolution by the general director of the Basque Police and Emergency Academy.

Local police positions composed of requests from 37 municipalities

The 163 local police positions are the result of requests made by 37 councils, processed through Eudel. The largest municipalities hold the greatest weight in the distribution:

Bilbao: 26 positions.
Vitoria-Gasteiz: 25 positions.
Donostia / San Sebastián: 24 positions.
Barakaldo: 8 positions; Irun: 7 positions.
Errenteria and Sestao: 6 positions each.

The remaining councils request a few positions: the list is completed together with Amorebieta-Etxano, Aretxabaleta, Azkoitia, Getxo, Elgoibar, Lasarte-Oria, Eibar, Ermua, Legazpi, Urretxu, Galdakao, Leioa, Loiu, Mungia, Zumarraga, Etxebarri, Durango, Berango, Bermeo, Basauri, Derio, Erandio, Gorliz, Muskiz, Portugalete, Santurtzi, Urnieta, Zamudio, Bakio, Balmaseda, and Azkoitia. Many of these positions have special requirements, such as a type B driver’s license or types A, A1, A2, C1, and C1+E, depending on what each council requests, and the annexes also include specific salary supplements from municipality to municipality.

Women’s quota at 40% in the Ertzaintza

The call applies Legislative Decree 1/2020 (of July 22, which approves the consolidated text of the Law of the Police of the Basque Country) and develops article 66 thereof. Regarding the Ertzaintza, the percentage of positions to be filled by women will be 40%, according to the current Women’s Promotion Plan, to balance the presence of women and men in the public security service. Regarding local police and municipal guards, the minimum percentage will be 25% in cases where more than three positions are called, until a women’s promotion plan is implemented.

To achieve this balance, preference will be given to female candidates over men at the end of the selection process, provided that three conditions are met: having equal qualification, the score difference not being greater than 15%, and the presence of women in the current body being below 33%.

Five tests and a period of 20 business days

The selection system is a free competitive-opposition, and it includes the following tests:

First test: psychotechnical test, up to 120 points and a minimum of 60 required.
Second test: knowledge tests, up to 150 points and a minimum threshold of 85.
Third test: psychotechnical test, up to 100 points.
Fourth test: physical ability test, up to 80 points (swimming, bench press, skill circuit, and shuttle run).
Fifth test: personal interview, up to 50 points.

The competition phase can be valued up to 80 points (qualifications, English, French and German, and previously provided services). All tests cannot begin until two months have passed since the call was published. There is a period of 20 business days for registration, starting from the day after publication, and the fee is 20.68 euros. Other requirements: having Spanish nationality, being between 18 and 38 years old, having a Baccalaureate or equivalent, and no criminal record.

Impact

These 593 positions are one of the largest public job offers in recent years within the Basque security system and have two clear impacts. On one hand, they allow for the relief and renewal of the police staff belonging to many municipalities; on the other hand, they consolidate the commitment to significantly increase the presence of women in the Ertzaintza, making the 40% goal legally binding. If the response is positive, the call will directly impact the generation of agents who will train around Arkaute in the coming courses and the service level of each municipality.

Fuente: Official Gazette of the Basque Country, number 207, October 29, 2026, Authorities and personnel — Oppositions and competitions (official reference: 2026/4557).