Moving to Mallorca: A guide to Spanish visas and residency
Moving to Mallorca for a job in Palma, bringing your remote work with you and retiring on the island are three different plans. They can also mean three different sets of paperwork. Before you start booking appointments, check which Spanish route fits your nationality, any residence rights you already have and what you plan to do once you’re here.
Official guidance checked 7 November 2026.
Do I need a visa to live in Mallorca?
If you’re an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen, start with Spain’s residence registration rules for stays of more than three months. The evidence you need depends on whether you’re working, studying or supporting yourself without working. See Spain’s residence rules for EU, EEA and Swiss citizens.
If you’re moving from the UK on a British passport, start with the routes below unless you already have a right to live in Spain. If you were legally living in Spain before 1 January 2021 and have continued to live here, check your rights under the Withdrawal Agreement. If you hold an EU passport as well, check the EU registration route. See the UK government’s Living in Spain guide.
Which Spanish visa or residence route should I look at?
If you’re a non-EU, non-EEA and non-Swiss citizen planning a move, start with what you’ll actually be doing in Mallorca. A family connection or an existing Spanish residence status can change which process applies.
| What you plan to do | Which route to look at |
|---|---|
| Take a job with a Spanish employer | Employee residence and work authorisation (cuenta ajena). Your prospective employer starts the standard application. Ministry guide to employed work. |
| Work for yourself in Spain | Self-employed residence and work authorisation (cuenta propia). Check what you need to show about your planned activity, investment and any licences or qualifications. Ministry guide to self-employed work. |
| Work remotely for a business or clients abroad | International teleworking (teletrabajo de carácter internacional). Often called the digital nomad route. The rules differ for employees and freelancers, especially if you have clients in Spain. Official teleworking guidance and FAQs. |
| Retire or live in Mallorca without working | Non-lucrative residence (residencia no lucrativa). This route is for living in Spain without working, including remotely. Check the current financial means and health insurance requirements. Ministry guide to residence without working. |
| Study in Spain | Study visa or long-stay study authorisation (estancia de larga duración por estudios). Start with the type of course and your admission documents. Check any work rights against your specific authorisation. Ministry guide to studying in Spain. |
| Join a family member | Family residence routes. The route depends on your relationship and your family member’s nationality or residence status. Start with the guidance for family of a Spanish citizen, family of an EU citizen or general family reunification. |
If a Mallorca employer is offering you a job, check whether the exact role appears in Spain’s shortage occupations catalogue for the area. That can satisfy one requirement in the employer’s work permit application. Read our guide to shortage occupations and work permits in Mallorca.
Where to start with the paperwork
If your route involves applying for a visa from abroad, check the Spanish consulate responsible for where you live. Use the current checklist for your route before ordering translations or paying for documents. If you’re already in Mallorca, check where your particular application goes. The official directory for the Balearic immigration office in Palma is a starting point for local enquiries.
You’ll hear people talk about getting an NIE early on. An NIE is your foreigner identification number. Check the visa, residence or registration process separately, even if you already have that number. Read the Interior Ministry’s explanation of the NIE.
Listen to the Mallorca Solutions episodes
Residency, NIEs, visas and Spanish citizenship (2026). Vicki McLeod talks to Becky Bellafont Evans and Rebecca Edwards about preparing for a move, including residency paperwork and seasonal work.
Navigating Spanish paperwork, residency and life admin (2025). Becky joins Vicki to talk through the difference between an NIE and a TIE, alongside the everyday paperwork that comes with living on the island.
More guides to moving to Mallorca
NIE, TIE and padrón in Mallorca · Working remotely from Mallorca · Where to look for work in Mallorca · Becoming self-employed in Mallorca
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