Its team is organised by the Spanish Olympic Committee (COE, Comité Olímpico Español) created in 1924.

Spain withdrew from the 1936 Summer Olympics in Nazi Germany because of the Civil War, and also boycotted the 1956 Games in Melbourne because of the Soviet Union's invasion of Hungary.

The COE counts one medal more than the IOC because they recognized one won by Pedro José Pidal y Bernaldo de Quirós in live pigeon shooting in the 1900 Summer Olympics, while the IOC doesn't recognize the event as an official one as the winners were given a money award.

Spain is credited with a gold medal in the only appearance of basque pelota as a medal sport at the Olympics in 1900, though the French team (one of only two teams to enter) withdrew shortly before the competition started and so no competition was held.

Spain's 1900 Olympic debut included 1 fencer, Mauricio Álvarez de las Asturias Bohorques, 4th Duke of Gor, who competed in each of the 3 weapons' individual amateur events and reached the semifinals (5th to 8th place) in the sabre.