Holiday Rental Licence in Mallorca: ETV Explained

What the ETV licence is

Marketing a residential property to holiday guests (an “estancia turística en vivienda”, ETV) is governed in the Balearics by the tourism act Ley 8/2012: only properties registered with the island council and holding allocated tourist places (plazas) may be let short-term. The licence number must appear in every advertisement — including portal listings. Letting without a licence is a serious offence with substantial fines, and the authorities actively pursue online listings.

The situation for new applications

Since 2022 the allocation of new tourist places in the Balearics has been largely suspended. Decreto-ley 4/2025 (“contra la oferta ilegal … y por la calidad turística”) tightened the line further: new places for flats in multi-family buildings are ruled out, and otherwise the only route to a new licence runs through the island council’s time-limited place exchanges (bolsa de plazas), which open only occasionally and with fixed quotas — most recently with an allocation round in March 2026. In Palma, new licences for flats in apartment buildings have been barred for years.

For buyers this means, plainly: whoever buys today without an existing licence cannot, in most cases, obtain a new holiday rental licence. Whether an exchange round is open and whether a specific property qualifies is a case-by-case check.

What to verify when a licence exists

An existing ETV licence is accordingly one of the value-defining features of a property. Before buying, put these on the checklist — ideally through your lawyer or a gestoría:

• Licence number and registry status: is the ETV number active with the Consell de Mallorca, and does it match the property?
• Number of places: the licence covers a fixed number of guest places — it defines how the property may be let.
• Time limit: places from recent allocation rounds are often granted for a limited term; older unlimited licences are correspondingly more valuable. The expiry date is in the registry extract.
• Conditions and zoning: modality (year-round or seasonal), the municipality’s zoning and any restrictions imposed by the community of owners.

In our exposés we state a holiday rental licence only together with its number — listings without a number deserve scepticism as a rule.

Frequently asked questions

Can I simply apply for an ETV licence after buying?

In most cases currently not: the allocation of new places is suspended, and for flats in multi-family buildings it is ruled out under Decreto-ley 4/2025. New places only become available when the island council opens a time-limited place exchange — most recently in March 2026 — and the property meets all requirements. If letting is part of your plan, the safest purchase is a property with an existing, valid licence.

Does the ETV licence transfer to the buyer on a sale?

The licence attaches to the specific property and is re-registered to the new owner on a change of ownership. What matters is that it is active at the time of purchase and that its conditions (places, term, requirements) continue to be met — your lawyer verifies this in the registry before completion.

May I let long-term without a licence?

Yes. Long-term residential letting under Spanish tenancy law is not affected by the ETV regime — it needs no tourist licence. The line runs at short-term, touristically marketed letting; that is exactly what the licence regime covers.