Business License on Mallorca: Activity License for Shops

Anyone who wants to register a business on Mallorca to open a shop, cafe, workshop, or studio needs a second permit in addition to registering as an autonomo with Hacienda: the activity license from the town hall. It determines whether your business may operate at all at the chosen address, regardless of whether you're already registered for tax purposes. The legal basis is the Balearic law Ley 7/2013, reformed since 2019 and most recently in 2022.

What is an activity license on Mallorca?

The activity license (Spanish: licencia de actividad, technically declaración responsable de actividad) is the municipal permit to run a business at a specific address. It covers noise, fire safety, and accessibility, and it's separate from your tax registration with Hacienda.

Without it, you can't open a premises, even if you've long since registered as an autonomo with the Agencia Tributaria and the Seguridad Social.

This permit is separate from your tax registration. The Modelo 036 with Hacienda and the alta with the Seguridad Social register you as self-employed, but they say nothing about whether your premises is suitable for the planned use. We cover the tax side in our guide to registering as an autonomo.

Inocua, menor, or mayor: how the town hall classifies your business

Palma and the other municipalities on Mallorca classify every activity under Ley 7/2013 into one of three tiers. The classification determines which documents you need and whether a technician has to draw up a project.

• Small shops, offices, or retail spaces up to 100 square meters without a high-risk kitchen are usually classed as inocua (harmless). A simple form is usually enough.
• Workshops, cafes, and larger shops up to around 1,000 square meters usually fall under menor, though an activity project may already be required here.
• Businesses over 2,500 square meters, with high visitor numbers, a particularly high fire load, or elevated noise levels count as mayor and need a full technical project from an engineer or architect.

Good to know: for the menor and mayor categories too, Palma no longer requires a license issued in advance; it also works with a declaración responsable. The difference lies in the amount of work involved, not in whether you have to wait for approval.

How the registration process works

In Palma, the procedures run through Trámites Actividades.01 for inocuas and Actividades.02 for menor and mayor. Both can be done online through the Sede electrónica or in person at the citizen office. The fee depends on floor area, street category, and type of activity, and you have to calculate it yourself in advance through the Tributarios portal.

Common mistakes when taking over bars and shops

Anyone taking over an existing premises in Palma, Port d'Alcúdia, or Cala Ratjada often assumes the previous owner's license simply carries over. That's only true if the new use matches the old one exactly and you formally report the change of operator. Change even just the focus, say from a cafe to a bar with music, and you'll need a new declaración responsable.

A second common mistake involves renovations without a building permit. If you move walls or enlarge the kitchen before moving in, you'll also need a separate obras permit, regardless of the activity license. A gestoria on Mallorca knows the procedures for each municipality and can prepare both applications in parallel. If you'd rather set up a sociedad limitada straight away instead of registering as an autonomo, you'll find the steps in our guide to starting a company.

Frequently asked questions

Do I really need a license for a small shop? Yes, but in the inocua category the effort is minimal. A declaración responsable with proof of payment is enough, and you don't have to wait for a separate approval.

Can I start operating while the application is still being processed? With the declaración responsable, your activity counts as registered from the date of submission. The town hall can still check the details later and step in afterward if it finds problems.

Bottom line

The activity license is a separate hurdle alongside registering as an autonomo with Hacienda and the Seguridad Social, and it decides whether your location is even suitable for what you want to do. Sort out the classification under Ley 7/2013 and the certificado de compatibilidad urbanística before signing a lease, and the declaración responsable usually stays a formality. When taking over an existing premises, a second look at the previous owner's paperwork is worth it, so a good deal doesn't turn into an expensive fix later.