Care Services on Mallorca: What Families Need to Know

When a family member on Mallorca suddenly needs care, many families face the same question: public, private, or back to the home country? Good care services on Mallorca certainly exist, but the system works differently from what most foreigners are used to, the applications run in Spanish and the waiting times for state benefits are long. This post sorts the options, names concrete costs and explains how to apply for state support before an emergency forces your hand.

At a glance

You will learn which care options exist on Mallorca (home care, day centers, nursing homes), how the Spanish care system works under the Ley de Dependencia, what the individual services cost and how to apply step by step for a dependency assessment with the IMAS.

A home care service is an outpatient provider that looks after people in their own home - from personal hygiene and administering medication to help with the household. On Mallorca this is done by private companies (Spanish: ayuda a domicilio) and in part by the municipalities through their social services. The scope ranges from a few hours a week to daily round-the-clock support.

The care options available on Mallorca

There are essentially four building blocks, which can also be combined:

Home care (ayuda a domicilio): A carer comes to the house by the hour or by the day. Ideal as long as the person is largely independent and only needs support.
Day centers (centros de dia): The person in need of care is looked after during the day and back home in the evening. This takes real pressure off caring relatives.
Nursing home (residencia): Full residential care around the clock. There are public and private facilities, and demand clearly exceeds supply.
Short-term and respite care: Some private residences offer temporary stays, for example after a hospital stay or while the caring relatives are on holiday.

English-speaking staff can be found here and there in facilities around Palma, Santa Ponsa and the southwest coast. Do not count on it, though; ask specifically before you commit.

Public or private: the Spanish care system

Spain has its own care system, the Sistema para la Autonomia y Atencion a la Dependencia (SAAD). It was introduced by Ley 39/2006, which governs the promotion of personal autonomy and the care of dependent people. Recognized residents can receive state support through it: home care, a place in a day center, a nursing home place or a financial benefit.

On Mallorca the responsible body is the IMAS, the Institut Mallorqui d'Afers Socials, an institution of the Consell de Mallorca. That is where you file the application for a dependency assessment (grado de dependencia). An assessor evaluates the degree of dependency and determines which benefits you are entitled to.

Watch out: long waiting times

Recognition takes time. The state has a maximum of six months to approve the application, but after that it can take another one to three years until an actual nursing home place becomes free. So start the application early, not once the care situation is already acute.

Important for newer arrivals: to receive the state benefits you must be legally resident in Spain for at least five years, two of them immediately before the application. If you do not yet meet this requirement, you will have to rely on private services for now. How basic medical care is organized is covered in our overview of health insurance on Mallorca.

What care on Mallorca costs

Private care is the biggest cost item and takes many families by surprise. Typical price ranges for 2026 as a guide:

Posten	Kosten	Dauer
Home care (private, 4h/day)	1,200-1,800 €/month	ongoing
Day center (private)	600-1,100 €/month	ongoing
Private nursing home (basic)	2,000-2,800 €/month	ongoing
Private nursing home (higher standard)	3,000-4,500 €/month	ongoing
Public nursing home place (with co-payment)	300-1,200 €/month	ongoing

The size of the co-payment in the public system depends on the income and assets of the person in need of care. If you have long-term care insurance in your home country, you may in some cases be able to draw benefits abroad within the EU. That does not happen automatically and has to be applied for. You will find the details in our post on long-term care cover for expats on Mallorca.

Tip: sort out the legal side early

Beyond the care itself, you need a Spanish notarial power of attorney (poder notarial) and a living will in Spanish. Without these documents, nobody can act with legal certainty for the person in need of care when it matters. What older expats should plan for beyond that is covered in our guide for seniors on Mallorca.

Applying for state care under the Ley de Dependencia

The road to state benefits is bureaucratic but doable. Roughly, it works like this:

File the application

Submit the application for a dependency assessment to the IMAS or via the local social services (servicios sociales) of your municipality.

Wait for the assessment

An assessor visits the person at home and assigns the degree of dependency (Grado I, II or III).

Receive the individual plan (PIA)

Based on the degree of dependency, a Programa Individual de Atencion is drawn up: which benefit is granted and to what extent.

Use the benefit

Depending on the decision, use home care, a day center, a nursing home place or a financial benefit.

The official bodies and forms are here:

IMAS - Institut Mallorqui d'Afers Socials

The authority on Mallorca responsible for dependency assessments and social benefits. Citizen hotline: 900 100 444.

IMSERSO - Sistema de Autonomia y Atencion a la Dependencia

National information on the care system, the application procedure and the degrees of dependency.

Frequently asked questions about care services on Mallorca

Can I get state care on Mallorca as a foreigner?

Yes, if you are registered as a resident and have lived legally in Spain for at least five years, two of them immediately before the application. Otherwise you will have to rely on private care services for the time being.

How long does the dependency assessment take?

The authority has a maximum of six months to approve the application. After that it can take another one to three years until an actual nursing home place becomes available.

Are there English-speaking carers?

Here and there, mainly in private facilities around Palma and Santa Ponsa. There is no entitlement to one; you have to search and ask specifically.

Conclusion

Care services on Mallorca cover every level, from a few hours of help at home to a full residential nursing home place. The critical mistake many families make is pushing the topic away until it becomes acute. File the dependency application with the IMAS early, have your Spanish power of attorney and living will ready, and budget 2,000 to 4,500 EUR per month for private options. Knowing the options and costs lets you decide calmly when it counts, instead of under time pressure.