Markets · Spain · Balearics
Luxury property in Mallorca, Ibiza and Menorca
The Balearics are not one market: they are three. Mallorca, Ibiza and Menorca have their own island administration and different rules on tourist letting and on land. Any foreign national may buy. Buying has not granted residency since April 2025. Here, a purchase is decided in the planning file.
This page is published with its full structure and with the field data still to be filled in: we do not publish a price per square metre we have not observed. What is written in full is what separates the three islands from one another, and what is verified before an offer is made on any of them.
Why does this page not yet carry prices by area?
Because we have not observed them. A price per square metre is only useful if it says what was transacted, on which island, in which area, in which typology and on what date. What circulates as an «average Balearic price» aggregates three markets with different rules, and an average built over three distinct markets describes none of them.
The easy alternative would be to copy those figures and publish them with an air of authority. We do not, for two reasons. The first runs through the whole site: we do not publish a figure we cannot date and defend. The second is editorial — a page that could have been written by someone who has never been to the islands is of no use to the reader, and none to whoever indexes it.
The rule we apply
If a page could be written by someone who has never been to Mallorca, Ibiza or Menorca, it is not published as though someone had. The defence against generic text is direct observation.
What is missing, specifically
- 01
An observed price per square metre by island and by area, with the date and the method of observation.
- 02
The dominant typology by island, and what is gained and given up by choosing it.
- 03
One field observation per island, made by someone who has been there, signed and dated.
- 04
The state of the tourist-letting regime on each island, at the date, with the instrument named.
- 05
The consultant responsible for the market, with a portrait and an author page.
- 06
At least one property under mandate or one completed transaction in the archipelago.
- 07
The transfer-tax rate in force in the Balearic Islands, confirmed against the primary source and dated.
Why are the Balearics three markets rather than one?
Because the decision that matters most to a buyer — what may be built on a plot, and what may be let in a property — is not taken at the level of the archipelago. Each island has its own island council, holding its own competences over territorial planning and tourism, and each exercises them in its own way. The right answer in Mallorca can be the wrong answer in Ibiza.
This is not an administrative detail. It is why general advice about «buying in the Balearics» is of little use and sometimes misleading: anyone who reads about tourist-letting rules on one island and applies what they read on another is planning against the wrong rule, and will find out after the deed.
The archipelago also has a fourth inhabited island with an administration of its own, Formentera, which this page does not cover. We would rather say so than leave it to be inferred that what is written here applies across the whole territory.
| Island | Island administration | Tourist-letting regime | Observed € / m² |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mallorca | Mallorca island council | Island-specific — to be confirmed at the date | Not yet observed |
| Ibiza | Ibiza island council | Island-specific — to be confirmed at the date | Not yet observed |
| Menorca | Menorca island council | Island-specific — to be confirmed at the date | Not yet observed |
How does the tourist-letting licence work?
Letting a dwelling to tourists in the Balearics is not a free use: it depends on an administrative title attached to the property itself — the estancia turística en vivienda, ETV. The title either exists for that particular dwelling or it does not. It is not a permission a buyer may assume because the property has been advertised as income-producing.
The regime is island-specific and capped. Each island sets, in its own planning instrument, where the activity is possible and to what extent, and the number of places available is limited. From that follows the consequence that most often catches an unprepared buyer: there may be no title available for an area, whatever the qualities of the property. The question is not the building; it is the title.
There is a second door, and it closes from the inside: the rules of the community of owners may prohibit the activity even where the administrative title exists. These are two separate checks, and failing either is enough to make the intended use impossible.
We publish no number of places here, no figures for the transfer of titles and no forecasts of availability. The cap changes, it is island-specific, and publishing it undated would produce wrong information wearing the appearance of useful information. It is confirmed for the island, for the area and at the date.
| Point | What is established |
|---|---|
| Existence of the title | Whether a tourist-letting title attaches to that property, under what registration number and in what state. |
| Public register | Whether the number appears in the competent administration's register and corresponds to that property, not another. |
| Scope of the title | Which typology, which period and what capacity it covers, because not all titles cover the same thing. |
| Community rules | Whether the statutes of the community of owners prohibit or condition the activity. |
| Transfer | What happens to the title on transfer of the property, which formality must be completed, and by when. |
| An advertisement with no registration number | An advertisement promising tourist income without stating a registration number is an unverified claim, not a fact. |
The tourist-letting regime is set by autonomous and insular instruments, published in the islands' own official gazettes. We do not link a state source here, because the state does not govern it: it is confirmed with the competent island administration, on the date of the transaction.
What determines what can be built on a plot?
The land classification, before anything else. A plot of urban land, a plot of development land and a plot of rustic land do not carry the same regime, and the difference is not read in the landscape: it is read in the plan. With a substantial part of the island territory classified as rustic, and with planning instruments particular to each island, this is the first question rather than the last.
On rustic land, the possibility of building, extending or dividing a plot depends on parameters set in the island and municipal plans, and may simply not exist. A large plot is not, in itself, a buildable plot, and an existing house is not evidence that anything may be added to it. The useful question is not whether it fits: it is what the classification permits.
It is also on rustic land that the most expensive situations appear: unlicensed construction, undeclared extensions, buildings outside the current plan. Each carries its own regime and its own effect on what may be done next, and none of them is identified on a viewing.
| Document or check | What it establishes |
|---|---|
| Planning statement for the plot | Land classification, permitted use, applicable parameters and the planning instruments in force over that plot. |
| Area and boundaries | The area and boundaries held at the registry and the cadastre, set against the survey on the ground. |
| Licences for the existing building | Building licence, approved design and subsequent licences, with the dates on which they were issued. |
| Status of the building | Whether it conforms, sits outside the current plan, or is subject to proceedings — and what each position allows. |
| Water, drainage and access | The source of water and the authorisation for it, waste-water treatment, the electricity connection and any registered right of way. |
| Applicable protections | Whether the plot falls within environmental, landscape or heritage protection, and what that protection conditions. |
Land classification and building parameters follow from autonomous, insular and municipal instruments. They are confirmed for the specific plot, with the competent administration and at the date — not from this page.
What restrictions apply near the coast and in protected areas?
Two different layers, and they add up. The first is state: the maritime-terrestrial public domain is defined by state law and delimited, stretch by stretch, by an administrative act of its own — the deslinde — and landward of that line there are easements conditioning what may be done on the adjoining land. The second is Balearic: protected natural areas designated under the islands' legislation, each with its own regime of use and building.
A plot may fall within both, one or neither, and the answer cannot be inferred from the distance to the sea or from the view. It is taken from the file: the delimitation for that stretch, the designation resting on the plot and what the applicable instrument permits. We publish no widths, distances or density parameters here, because they depend on the case and date quickly.
On an island the coast is not a detail affecting part of the market: it is the market. So this check is done early and in writing, before the conversation moves on to price.
What do we verify in the Balearics specifically?
Here a purchase is decided more in the file than in the building. A property can be immaculate and at the same time impossible to let to tourists, impossible to extend or difficult to finance — and all three are read in documents rather than on a viewing. These nine checks are written from the method, not from street observation.
01
The island before the property
The first question is not about the property: it is about the island. The applicable planning instrument, the competent island administration and the tourist-letting regime in force determine what it makes sense to look for. Criteria built in Mallorca do not carry across to Ibiza without being revised.
02
Land classification
We ask for the planning statement for the plot before discussing the building. It is what says whether there is any building capacity, whether an extension is possible and whether dividing the plot is ruled out. Without that document, any conversation about future works is a conversation about a hypothesis.
03
The tourist-letting title, where the intended use requires it
We check whether a title attaches to the property, its registration number, what it covers and what state it is in. An advertisement promising tourist income with no verifiable registration number describes an intention, not a right.
04
The community rules
Statutes, minutes of the last general meetings, budget, and levies approved or foreseen. It is where you read what the community permits — letting, works, access — and what it costs each year to live there, before that cost is taken on.
05
Agreement between registry, cadastre and what is built
We measure and set the three against each other. Divergence is common in houses of some age, particularly where a pool, an annexe, a garage or a basement was added later. All of it must be identified before an offer, because not all of it has the same remedy.
06
Habitation certificate (cédula de habitabilidad)
It is the document by which the administration certifies that the dwelling meets habitability conditions, and it has a period of validity. We check whether it exists, what it covers and when it expires. If it does not exist, we establish in writing what obtaining it requires, how long it takes and who bears the cost.
07
Water, drainage and power
On a plot outside an urban centre, the source of water and the authorisation for it, waste-water treatment and the electricity connection are part of viability and of cost. They are not technical details: they are conditions of use.
08
Protections and the coast
We check the delimitation for the stretch, the easements resting on the plot and any environmental, landscape or heritage designation. It is what separates works that are possible from works that will not be authorised.
09
The viewing out of season
A coastal area in November and the same area in August differ in occupancy, access, noise and the services available. We view at both points when the calendar allows, and we say so when it did not.
The checks on licensing, tourist letting, protections and the coast rest on a framework that changes and on administrative acts particular to each plot and each island. They are confirmed with the competent administration and on the date of the transaction, not from this page.
What tax falls on a purchase in the Balearics?
The rate applying to a property transfer is set at the level of the autonomous community. In the Balearic Islands the community sets it, so it differs from the rate in Madrid or Andalusia and can change without the state rule changing. A loose percentage taken from another site is, by construction, right for some readers and wrong for others.
So we publish no rate here. We confirm it against the primary source on the date of the transaction and deliver the calculation in writing, on the acquisition value of the specific property and with the rule applied. The distinction between resale and new-build, which changes the tax and not merely the amount, is dealt with on the Spain page.
Does buying in the Balearics grant residency?
No. The Spanish residence visa for investors — the golden visa — was repealed with effect from 3 April 2025, by Ley Orgánica 1/2025. There is no direct replacement: buying property in Spain is no longer, in itself, a basis for a residence permit.
Permits granted before that date remain valid on their own terms. Purchase by foreign nationals remains free and unrestricted by nationality: what changed is the link between buying and residing, not the right to buy. Anyone planning on the basis of information from before 2025 is planning against rules that no longer exist.
Which properties do we hold under mandate in the Balearics?
Properties under mandate in the islands appear here, each linked to its particulars.
A portion of our mandates is never advertised. If you are looking for something specific, tell us what.
Send a briefWho is responsible for the Balearics?
Each market has a named consultant, with a portrait and an author page. It is the same requirement we apply to Journal articles: without a real person's byline, we do not publish.
The consultant responsible for the Balearics is published here once the profile is complete — name, portrait, languages, years active and author page. Until then we do not put up a generic name or a contact box with nobody behind it.
See the teamFrequently asked questions about buying in the Balearics
Can a foreign national buy in Mallorca, Ibiza or Menorca?
Yes. Buying property in Spain as a foreign national is not restricted by nationality and does not require prior residence. A foreigner's identification number (NIE) is required and, in practice, a Spanish bank account to settle taxes and charges. The purchase may be made in your own name, jointly with others, or through a company, with different tax consequences in each case.
Do the three islands have the same rules?
No. Mallorca, Ibiza and Menorca each have their own island council, holding competences over territorial planning and tourism, and each island has its own planning instruments and its own tourist-letting regime. What is true on one island may not be true on the next, which is why we treat the Balearics as three markets rather than one.
Can I let the property I buy to tourists?
It depends on whether an administrative title attaches to that dwelling — the estancia turística en vivienda — and on the rules of the community of owners not prohibiting it. The regime is island-specific and capped: there may be no title available for an area, whatever the qualities of the property. We verify the registration number in the competent administration's register before accepting any income projection.
Does buying in the Balearics grant residency?
No. The residence visa for investors, known as the golden visa, was repealed with effect from 3 April 2025, by Ley Orgánica 1/2025, with no direct replacement. Permits granted before that date remain valid. Purchase by foreign nationals remains free: what ended is the link between buying property and obtaining residency.
Can I build on a plot of rustic land?
It depends on the plot's classification and on the parameters set in the island and municipal instruments, and it may not be possible. A large plot is not, in itself, a buildable plot, and an existing house is not evidence that it may be extended. We ask for the planning statement for the plot before discussing any design.
What is the transfer tax in the Balearics?
The rate is set by the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands and therefore differs from the rate in Madrid or Andalusia. We publish no percentage here: we confirm it against the primary source on the date of the transaction and deliver the calculation in writing, on the acquisition value of the specific property and with the rule applied.
Is there a 100% tax on buyers from outside the European Union?
No. There is a proposal, announced in January 2025 and submitted to parliament in May 2025. It has not been debated in plenary, it has no application date and it is not law. No transaction is subject to such a tax. We follow the file and we date what we publish.
Do you publish a price per square metre by island?
Not yet. We will publish a price per square metre once it has been observed by Rhamos in real transactions, by island and by area, with the date of observation and the method stated. An average combining Mallorca, Ibiza and Menorca describes a market that does not exist, because the three have different rules and different demand.
Where do we write about the islands' areas?
One article per area, with data of our own, is the hardest content to replicate and the kind that requires being there. It is linked from here as it is published.
The first editions are in preparation.
Looking in the islands, and wanting to know what the file allows
If you are considering buying in Mallorca, Ibiza or Menorca, the useful conversation starts with the island, the intended use and what the plot's classification permits, not with a list of properties. A portion of our mandates in this market is never advertised; if you are looking for something specific, tell us what.