The regenerability of Ni catalysts in reforming reactions is a key factor for process viability. Accordingly, this study addresses the regeneration of two spinel NiAl 2 O 4 type catalysts by reaction-regeneration cycles in the oxidative steam reforming (OSR) of raw bio-oil. The spinel type catalysts were prepared by different methods including a supported Ni/La 2 O 3 -αAl 2 O 3 catalyst and a bulk NiAl 2 O 4 catalyst. The experimental setup consists of two units connected in series for i) the thermal treatment of bio-oil at 500 ºC, in order to control the deposition of pyrolytic lignin, followed by; ii) the oxidative steam reforming (OSR) of the remaining oxygenates in a fluidized bed catalytic reactor.The conditions in the OSR reaction step were: 700 ºC; oxygen/steam/carbon ratio (O/S/C), 0.34/6/1; space time, 0.75 g catalyst h/g bio-oil (for supported catalyst) and 0.15 g catalyst h/g bio-oil (for bulk catalyst). Three different strategies have been studied in the regeneration step by coke combustion, including the in situ regeneration inside the reactor at 650 ºC and 850 ºC, and the ex situ regeneration in an external oven at 850 ºC, for 4 h in all the cases. The behavior of the fresh and regenerated catalysts has been explained according to their metallic properties, determined by different characterization techniques (temperature programmed reduction (TPR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and transmission electronic microscopy (TEM)). According to these results, the combustion ex situ of the catalyst at 850 °C is able to completely regenerate the bulk catalyst, since these