Most worries about a holiday tattoo come down to one question: how do you know a studio in a city you don’t live in is any good? You can’t ask a friend. You can check four things before you pay anything, and all of them are things you can see for yourself.
Hygiene you can see
Ask about needles first. A good studio opens new needles, cartridges and gloves in front of you, for every client, and disinfects every surface between sessions. At Ink’side that is how every session starts. If a studio can’t say the same, or gets vague when you ask, go somewhere else.
In Spain, tattooing is covered by regional health rules. In Andalusia, where Málaga is, artists need training in tattooing, hygiene and infection control. Both of our artists have it. Ask any studio what training its artists have.
A portfolio of real work
Look for photos of healed and fresh tattoos by the artist you would book, not only a feed of polished images that could come from anywhere. Check that the style matches what you want. A fine-line artist and a bold traditional artist do different work, so pick the one whose work you would wear.
We list every frame in our work and name the artist who made it. You can filter by artist and by style, then book with the person behind the piece.
Reviews you can read yourself
Reviews on a map listing are public and dated, and you can read them without taking the studio’s word for anything. Look at the number as well as the score. Ours is 4.9 from 228 Google reviews, and the topic people mention most is the friendly staff. One caution: nobody checks whether reviewers were customers, including us, so read a few instead of trusting the average.
Paperwork and honest questions
A proper studio asks you to sign an informed consent form. In Andalusia the health rules require one. It explains how the session goes, the risks, what the artist needs to know about your health and how to look after the tattoo. You read it, ask about anything unclear and sign. The studio checks your photo ID, and you must be 18 or older. Under 18 is possible with written consent from a parent or legal guardian, in person.
The studio should also ask about your health. We ask you to tell us anything that could affect healing, especially if this is your first tattoo. A nickel allergy is a no from us. Skin conditions and medication count too. Honest answers go both ways: if a studio never asks, that tells you something.
What a studio should tell you before you pay
- the price, with VAT included, and the size it is for
- whether there is a deposit, and whether it comes off the final price
- how long the session takes
- written aftercare to take away
At Ink’side the walk-in prices are on the prices section of our site. For custom work we quote for free from a photo, a sketch or a frame number. More on what decides the price is in how much a tattoo costs in Spain.
Questions people ask
Is it safe to get a tattoo in Spain as a tourist?
Málaga is Spain, with the same hygiene rules and the same healthcare system as the rest of the EU, in tourist season or not. What differs between studios is how carefully they follow the rules, which is why you check the four things above.
What if I don’t speak Spanish?
We speak English, Italian, French, German, Polish and Ukrainian as well. Send your idea by chat before you arrive and we confirm the design and price.
Can I check the studio before I travel?
Yes. Read the Google reviews, look through the work, and message us on WhatsApp with a question. For timing and flying home, the tattoo on holiday guide goes through it step by step.
Do you do walk-ins?
For small pieces, yes: Tuesday to Sunday, 11:00–23:00. How that works is in walk-in tattoos in Málaga.