Madrid court temporarily lifts travel ban on Prime Minister’s wife Begoña Gómez

The Provincial Court of Madrid has authorised Begoña Gómez, spouse of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, to leave Spain between 8 and 10 July to attend their daughter’s graduation ceremony in London, despite an ongoing passport confiscation ordered in a corruption probe. The court refused, however, to let her accompany the premier to this week’s NATO summit in Ankara, citing Turkey’s status outside the EU’s judicial co-operation space. Though the case is highly political, it also illustrates the breadth of Spain’s precautionary measures that can restrict international mobility even for high-profile individuals. Legal experts note that Spanish judges increasingly impose travel bans and periodic sign-ins while financial investigations proceed, a trend that multinationals should factor into risk assessments for senior executives under scrutiny. For mobility managers the ruling underscores the importance of contingency planning: when an employee’s passport is seized, companies may need to reroute meetings, shift board gatherings or arrange remote participation at short notice. Insurance policies covering “inability to travel” events rarely extend to judicial restrictions, so bespoke clauses may be advisable. The court ordered Gómez to surrender her passport no later than 13 July. Observers say that narrow, purpose-bound permits are becoming the norm, allowing courts to balance presumption of innocence with flight-risk concerns. Employers should expect similar tailoring if staff become entangled in Spanish white-collar cases.