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Living on Mallorca: what you need to know for everyday island life

Mallorca has long been more than just a holiday destination. Around 40,000 Germans have moved their main residence permanently to the Balearic island, plus tens of thousands with a part-time residence, holiday properties or ongoing business activity on site. Anyone seriously planning the move quickly realises that there are worlds between a two-week holiday and actually living on Mallorca. Spanish bureaucracy, a different legal situation, property prices well above the German average, the language barrier and the particularities of the Balearic job market challenge you from day one.

Mallorca Plus brings together the topics that really matter. Our guides are sorted into eight areas of life so you can quickly find what you need: from applying for the NIE number and Spanish vehicle registration to setting up an S.L. or choosing suitable health insurance. Every guide is updated regularly, includes official sources and shows you step by step how to clear each hurdle.

The eight topic areas in detail

Arriving on Mallorca

The bureaucratic start of life in Spain is the biggest hurdle for many. In this category you will find all the basics: applying for the NIE number, the empadronamiento at your town hall, applying for residencia, the Certificado Digital for electronic communication with the authorities and the TIE as a residence document. Handling these basics in the right order saves you weeks of waiting and several appointments at the Extranjería.

Housing on Mallorca

The housing market on Mallorca is tight. Long-term rentals are scarce, and prices in Palma, Santa Ponsa or Port d'Andratx are close to Munich or Hamburg levels. Our guides on renting, buying and moving show you what to look out for in a rental contract, how the Spanish ITP transfer tax works, which documents a notary needs and how to avoid pitfalls such as non-legalised pools or a missing Cédula de Habitabilidad. We also cover practical topics such as switching electricity providers, comparing internet providers and what you should know about waste separation.

Mobility on Mallorca

Without a car, life on the island outside of Palma is tough. In the mobility category we explain the process of re-registering your German vehicle with Spanish number plates, exchanging your driving licence after 185 days of residencia, the IVTM vehicle tax, the annual ITV (the Spanish vehicle inspection) and alternatives such as long-term rental, leasing or buying a used car locally. We also cover topics such as taxi alternatives, EMT Palma public transport and ferry connections to the mainland.

Language on Mallorca

Three languages are present on Mallorca: Spanish (Castellano), Catalan or its Mallorcan variant, and at many offices English or German. Our language guides help you realistically assess which level you need for which situation, which apps and online courses are worthwhile, where the best language schools in Palma are and how to navigate appointments with the authorities using B1 Spanish. For applications at the Hacienda or conversations with tradespeople, active Spanish is essential.

Health on Mallorca

The Spanish healthcare system is strong, but organised differently from the German one. You can choose between the public system (Seguridad Social), funded through social security contributions, and private health insurers such as Sanitas, Adeslas or DKV. Our health insurance guides compare premiums, waiting times, choice-of-doctor options and emergency coverage. You will also find information on the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), German-speaking doctors and the most important hospitals on the island.

Money and law on Mallorca

Taxes in Spain are not a side topic. Anyone living on Mallorca for more than 183 days a year becomes fully liable for tax there and must file the Modelo 100 income tax return. The Spain-Germany double taxation agreement prevents double taxation, but requires clean reporting. Our guides cover tax liability and tax residency, the Modelo 720 for foreign assets, the Modelo 210 for non-residents, opening a Spanish bank account, dealing with tax advisors (asesor fiscal) and the basics of Spanish inheritance law, which differs significantly from the German one.

Everyday life and leisure on Mallorca

Beyond the paperwork, how life feels matters. In this category you will find tips on shopping at Lidl, Mercadona and Eroski, on the German community on the island, on events and festivals such as Sant Sebastià or the Fira del Ram, on pets and the rules for bringing them in, on sport and outdoor activities from hiking in the Tramuntana to sailing, and on receiving German TV via satellite or streaming.

Business on Mallorca

More and more Germans are moving not just their lives but also their businesses to Mallorca. Whether as an autónomo (freelancer), with an S.L. (the equivalent of a German GmbH) or as a remote worker in a coworking space: our business guides explain how to set up an S.L. including the articles of association and notarisation, how to register as autónomo with the quota mensual, Spanish VAT (IVA), social security obligations and the best coworking spots in Palma, Santa Catalina and the southeast.

How our guides are created

Every guide on Mallorca Plus is based on official sources such as the Agencia Tributaria, the Boletín Oficial del Estado, the websites of the Balearic government (Govern de les Illes Balears) or the Consell portals. Where personal experience is involved, we add interviews with German-speaking residents, lawyers, gestores and tax advisors. The texts are checked regularly for accuracy because deadlines, contribution rates and application procedures change more often in Spain than in Germany. You will find the date of the last update on every article page.

Who Mallorca Plus is for

Our content is aimed at three groups: new residents who have just moved to the island or are concretely planning the move. Part-time residents with a holiday property who spend several months a year on Mallorca and need to document the 183-day rule cleanly. And entrepreneurs and self-employed people who want to relocate their main base of life or their company. If you are only on holiday, you will still find useful information here, but our focus is clearly on permanent life on Mallorca.

How to find the right topic

Use the topic tiles above to jump straight into the right category. If you are looking for a specific term, the search on the homepage will help you. We collect new articles and updates in the blog. For questions that text alone cannot solve, we are planning the concierge service and the service provider directory with vetted German-speaking providers - both launching soon.