It all starts with a dream and / or the desire for change.
Where and how do I want to live and how do I want to live in the future?
These are fundamental questions should be asked before moving to Mallorca.
Why so many people and families decide to move to Mallorca is obvious: the quality of life factor!
With over 300 days of sunshine a year and a stable climate, Mallorca is one of the most popular destinations for lovers of the Mediterranean lifestyle.
Optimal flight connections, easy accessibility, safety and a year-round infrastructure make the island unique. Especially in German and English-speaking countries as well as among Scandinavians, Mallorca enjoys enormous popularity.
In addition to the climate and easy accessibility, Mallorca is characterised by its numerous turquoise-blue bays and extensive sand beaches, which are spread all over the island. The cliffs along the Tramuntana Mountains in the northwest, which were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2011, offer a varied contrast.
Anyone who enjoys outdoor sports or leads an active life will feel right at home in Mallorca. Water sports, hiking, cycling or playing golf on one of the 23 golf courses are typical and popular leisure activities on Mallorca.
Mallorca is very diverse and, due to its year-round infrastructure, ideally suited for lifestyle lovers. Europe-wide known marinas such as Puerto Portals, Port Adriano, Puerto de Andratx, Port Calanova or Puerto de Alcudia offer extensive water sports facilities, exclusive boutiques and various culinary highlights such as restaurants or trendy lounges and bars.
Another highlight of the island is the Balearic capital Palma. The city centre simply offers everything: impressive architecture, national and international gastronomy, markets with local products, the largest harbour in Mallorca, the historic old town as well as countless shops – at the same time, the city is not too big, so that you can reach almost everything within walking distance; including the city beach of Palma. For these reasons, among others, Mallorca offers an incomparable lifestyle and, moreover, security.
5 points to consider when moving to Mallorca:
Develop a basic understanding of the Spanish language
If you are moving to a foreign country where a different language is spoken, it is absolutely beneficial to familiarise yourself with the basics of the Spanish language.
Mallorca is very international and many languages such as German, English or French are spoken, but not everywhere. Learning the basics of Castellano before emigrating to Mallorca will make the initial period on Mallorca easier and help you to become integrated.
Registration – What documents do I need when moving to Mallorca?
After you have decided to move to Mallorca and thus to move your centre of life partially or completely to the most beautiful island in the Mediterranean, you must deregister your previous residence and you have to be registered on Mallorca.
Once on the island, you must register as an emigrant at the Foreigners’ Office in Palma (Extranjeria) and at the town hall of your respective municipality. There is a three-month deadline for this. Basically, moving to Mallorca is relatively uncomplicated, as you can live in any country of the European Union without further ado if you are an EU citizen. In addition to your identity card, you may also need to provide certificates of employment, which can be helpful when looking for a job in Mallorca.
It is also possible for non-EU citizens to emigrate to Mallorca with a so-called “Golden Visa”. The requirements for a Golden Visa in Mallorca are regulated in a comprehensive document. Below we list the most important requirements for a Golden Visa in Mallorca:
You must be over 18 years old, you must not have a criminal record, you must have health insurance in Spain, you must be able to prove that you have sufficient financial means for the time of your stay in Spain and, above all, you must provide proof of ownership of a property with an unencumbered value of over 500,000 euros. The latter makes the investment in a corresponding property particularly interesting for non-EU citizens.
How does the Golden Visa application process work in Mallorca?
First, you need to apply for a non-European residence visa that allows you to stay in Spain for at least one year.
During this period, the requirements for the first Golden Visa in Mallorca can be initiated.
The first Golden Visa to Mallorca is valid for two years for the applicant, husband or wife, children under 18 and dependent family members. At the end of the two years, the Golden Visa to Mallorca can be extended for another two years.
After five years, you can then apply for a permanent residence permit.
Feel free to ask us about specialist lawyers who can help you apply for a Golden Visa in Mallorca.
NIE number in Mallorca and essential documents for it
Probably the most important document for you as an emigrant / foreigner is the so-called NIE: Numero Identidad de Extranjero (Foreigner Identity Number).
The NIE assigned to you individually by the Spanish government also serves as your Spanish tax number and, if necessary, as your international tax number. Among other things, you need an NIE to open a Spanish bank account.
On Mallorca, you can get the NIE at the Oficina de Extranjería in the Polígono de Levante in Palma. You can make an appointment online for the one-off application.
Before you get the NIE, you have to pay in about 10 euros, for which you will receive a form that you have to hand in at a bank.
With the deposit slip from the bank, it goes back and you immediately receive a certificate with your NIE number.
The NIE is valid for life and always remains the same.
Make sure you bring your identity card, a copy of it or your passport with a copy of it and a passport photo.
It is advisable to have some knowledge of Spanish for the process or to have someone with you who speaks the language.
Appointments for this cannot be made on site and must be booked online.
We recommend that you have an external service provider, a so-called “Gestor”, assist you with the application for the NIE in Mallorca. Although there is a charge for this service, it is financially manageable and will save you time and simplify the whole process.
However, by obtaining your NIE number in Mallorca, you are not yet considered as a resident, i.e. a permanent resident of Mallorca, and you are not yet registered. You are only able to conduct business that requires an NIE number. To register, you must apply for residencia in Mallorca.
Apply for Residencia in Mallorca
The word Residencia means residence and this refers to registration in the Spanish Register of Foreigners.
If you live in Mallorca for more than three months, you must apply for the so-called green card, i.e. an actual green NIE number in Mallorca. Once this has been done, you are a resident and liable to pay taxes in Mallorca.
Just like the NIE, you can apply for residency in Mallorca at the foreigners’ office, the “Oficina de Extranjería” in Palma de Mallorca.
Cost of living in Mallorca
In addition to the running costs such as electricity, water, gas (if applicable) and communication (telephone & internet, which is much faster in Mallorca than in Germany), which can be compared with, for example, German conditions, the following points are worth knowing:
The average salary in Mallorca is comparatively lower than in Germany, for example. Of course, this varies depending on the industry and region, but many employees choose Mallorca for quality of life and not necessarily for career or salary.
On the other hand, rental and purchase prices are comparatively high and have risen in recent years due to the influx of foreigners and investors from all over the world. As a result, the rent level in some locations is now comparable to that of the most expensive major cities in Germany.
Food on Mallorca is generally not cheaper than in Germany, which also depends on the region where you shop and the supermarket chain, etc. The quality of fruit and vegetables as well as meat and fish is very good on Mallorca and generally better than in Germany.
There are also German supermarkets like Aldi and Lidl throughout the island. These brands are very popular, especially with people from German-speaking countries. A good price/performance ratio and a diverse selection of daily fresh products as well as some familiar items from home make Aldi and Lidl popular on Mallorca.
You should also note that petrol costs in Mallorca are at a similar price level to those in Germany.
The same applies to rental cars. We recommend renting a vehicle from a reputable car rental company, such as Europcar, so that you do not incur any hidden extra costs.
If you are driving your rental car, it is advisable to stick to the speed limits here on Mallorca, as there are some speed cameras and the cost of a speeding ticket on Mallorca is relatively high. The same applies to unpaid or expired parking tickets. You may incur costs starting at around 50 euros. Please note that the parking tickets are issued to the rental car and are therefore received by Europcar, for example, so that these costs must be paid by you accordingly.
If you want to go out, the price level depends strongly on the location. For example, you can often eat out and go out relatively more cheaply in the countryside than in the city or in the marinas. Feel free to ask us for recommendations.
In summary, regarding the cost of living in Mallorca, it is advisable that you have a financial cushion for emigrating to Mallorca before you have really found your feet and settled in Mallorca.
Planning your move to Mallorca
Moving to Mallorca can be costly depending on the volume and goods being moved.
There are some transport companies that can help you. You should roughly expect to pay between 80 and 150 euros per cubic metre. It may be advisable to agree on a flat rate with the transport company to avoid surprises.
Those moving to Mallorca without their own furniture can benefit from the fact that many properties on the island are offered furnished. Therefore, you can weigh up the costs and benefits of moving with and without furniture, and in some cases it may even make more sense to buy new furniture on Mallorca.
If you want to bring a car or motorbike from your home country to Mallorca, you can save money when moving. If the vehicle was registered in your name in the country of origin for at least six months before the move, is re-registered in Mallorca in your name on Spanish licence plates and you move your main residence to Mallorca, you can declare the vehicle as removal goods and save the import tax, which otherwise accrues when re-registering on Spanish licence plates and can amount to almost 15 % of the list price.
