Catalan certificate in Mallorca: who really needs it

If you live in Mallorca, sooner or later you'll come across the question: Do I need a Catalan certificate? The short answer up front: for residence permits, NIE, empadronamiento, driving licence exchange or a normal job in the private sector, you don't need one – Catalan is simply not a requirement there. The Catalan certificate becomes relevant mainly if you're applying for a position in the public sector of the Balearics or if a specific job posting explicitly requires it. This guide explains what levels exist, who issues them, when Catalan is a genuine access requirement and when it only counts as an evaluation point – including the important differences between medical staff and other healthcare personnel, and why a certificate from Catalonia is not automatically recognised.

Are you planning to apply for a position in the public sector of the Balearics, or are you unsure which language level your situation requires?

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First clarification: What you DON'T need a certificate for

This is the most common unspoken concern among German-speaking residents, and the answer is clear: Catalan plays no role in everyday administrative matters in Mallorca.

• Residence permits and residencia: no language requirement. Details on this in the guide Residencia Spain.
• NIE number: no language requirement.
• Empadronamiento (municipal registration certificate): no language requirement.
• Driving licence exchange: no language requirement.
• Registering as a self-employed autónomo or setting up an SL: no language requirement.
• Private employment relationships: An employer may wish for Catalan, but there is no legal obligation as there is in the public sector.

Note: The Catalan certificate is only relevant where an authority or a public job posting explicitly names it as a requirement or evaluation criterion. The rest of this article explains exactly these cases.

The certificates at a glance: levels and legal basis

The legal basis for testing and certifying Catalan language skills in the Balearics is the Decret 21/2019, de 15 de març, d'avaluació i certificació de coneixements de català of the Govern de les Illes Balears. The exams have been adapted to this since the January 2020 sitting and also incorporate the orthographic and grammatical changes made by the Institut d'Estudis Catalans in 2016, which came into force in 2020.

There are two categories of certificates: general language levels according to the Common European Framework of Reference, and an additional specialist certificate for administrative language.

A separate exam must be passed for each level. One important point that many descriptions blur is that there are two bodies on the Balearics that issue these certificates, and both are valid.

Both routes lead to the same levels (A2 to C2 as well as LA), and job announcements explicitly accept both. The difference only becomes relevant with the digital lookup, more on that below.

Careful, risk of confusion: Online, exam dates from the Generalitat de Catalunya and the Institut Ramon Llull are prominently displayed. These convocations apply to Catalonia, not the Balearics. Anyone interested in the Balearic certificates must follow the announcements of the Govern de les Illes Balears, not the Catalan ones.

Where the certificate really counts: Public sector in the Balearics

The basis is the Llei 3/2007, de 27 de març, de la funció pública de la Comunitat Autònoma de les Illes Balears, in its respective amended version. This area has been changed several times since 2023 – so it's worth taking a close look depending on the staff category, rather than making a blanket statement.

For the general autonomous administration of the Balearics, the following applies: Catalan language skills are a genuine access requirement (requisit) for a position. Which level is specifically required is always stated in the respective job announcement itself – this can vary from position to position.

The situation looks completely different in the healthcare sector, where the legal situation has diverged in two directions since 2023 – depending on whether you are healthcare or non-healthcare staff.

Special case healthcare: healthcare staff vs. other staff

For statutory and employed healthcare staff of the Servei de Salut (i.e. doctors, nursing staff and comparable medical personnel), the Decret llei 5/2023, de 28 d'agost amended articles 30 d) and 50.1 f) of the Llei 3/2007. This means the access requirement of Catalan for this staff category has been abolished. Since 28 August 2023, Catalan there only counts as a mèrit – as an evaluation point in the selection process – no longer as a condition for employment.

For non-healthcare staff of the Servei de Salut (personal estatutari de gestió i serveis as well as non-healthcare staff of affiliated institutions), the opposite applies: Catalan remains an access requirement. The Llei 4/2025, de 18 de juliol amended the disposición adicional quinzena of the Llei 3/2007 and specifically sets out the required levels per staff group:

Catalan as an assessment point: the unified scale in the healthcare sector

For all selection, appointment and mobility procedures of the Servei de Salut, a unified assessment scale (barem únic) applies. It was established by decision of the Mesa Sectorial de Sanitat of 04.12.2023, ratified on 22.12.2023 (published in BOIB No. 173 of 23.12.2023) and most recently amended by decision of the Consell de Govern of 16.01.2026 (published in BOIB of 20.01.2026).

The most important rules from this barem, without the specific point values, which shifted with the January 2026 amendment:

• For Catalan language skills, a maximum of 5 points are awarded.
• Only the highest certificate proven counts – lower levels are not additionally added.
• Points for the specialist certificate llenguatge administratiu (LA) are added to the points of the general level added on top.
• Only certificates above are assessed the level that applies as the access requirement for the respective position.

You'll find the exact number of points per level in the currently valid scoring table (barem) of the call for applications — a figure quoted here wouldn't be reliable, because the scale was last changed in January 2026.

Certificate from Catalonia or from the Institut Ramon Llull: does it count?

A typical question from residents who already learned Catalan before moving to Mallorca – for example at a university in Germany or through the Institut Ramon Llull. The answer is nuanced.

Calls for applications from the Servei de Salut usually state this wording verbatim: A certificate is recognised if it was either issued by the EBAP, or issued by the body responsible for Catalan certification, homologated, or recognised as equivalent under the applicable regional regulation. Responsible for recognition and equivalence assessment is the relevant Directorate-General of the Govern — today the Direcció General de Cultura via the Servei de Formació i Certificació de Coneixements de Català. Older calls for applications still refer to the same authority under its former name, the Direcció General de Política Lingüística; the same body is meant.

In practice this means: a certificate from Catalonia or from the Institut Ramon Llull is not automatically worthless – but on the Balearics it only counts if it goes through this recognition process. Anyone holding such a certificate should have the equivalence checked in advance, rather than relying on it during the application process.

For older certificates issued before 2011 under the nomenclature used at the time, an official equivalence table also applies, under the Ordre del conseller d'Educació, Cultura i Universitats de 21 de febrer de 2013:

Titles, diplomas or certificates that are not listed in this Order can be assessed for equivalence upon separate application to the competent Directorate-General.

Note: For a recognised equivalence, the Directorate-General does not issue its own certificate. Your original document remains valid — recognition means that every Balearic administration must accept it without requiring further proof.

How authorities check your certificate: the Pinbal platform

Affiliated public bodies and administrations of the Balearic Islands can look up official Catalan certificates directly online, instead of requiring a fresh paper record. This is made possible by the Balearic Interoperability Platform (PINBAL) through its Catalan certificate lookup service. It covers certificates issued by the competent body of the Govern after passing an official examination — the service description explicitly names the Direcció General de Cultura, the Direcció General de Política Lingüística and the Institut d'Estudis Baleàrics for this purpose.

Not covered are homologations obtained through regular courses of study and certificates recognised as equivalent — and, explicitly mentioned, certificates from other institutions in the Balearic Islands such as the Escola Oficial d'Idiomes and the EBAP. Applicants should therefore not automatically assume that an EBAP certificate is already retrievable digitally – the paper record remains the safer option for many procedures.

Note: The purpose of the Pinbal lookup is to speed up personnel selection procedures – both for career civil servants and for interim and temporary staff. In these cases, applicants do not need to resubmit a certificate that the administration already holds.

How to get to the exam

The examinations for the Balearic Catalan certificates are held through set convocations announced by the Govern de les Illes Balears. The process in broad steps:

1. Find a convocation: Current announcements of the Catalan exams are published on the Seu Electrònica des Govern; the EBAP announces its own exams separately.
2. Check the requirements and deadline of the relevant convocation: Registration deadlines, exam dates and fees are set anew for each announcement – there is no fixed annual calendar.
3. Sit the exam: depending on the level sought (A2 to C2) or for the specialised llenguatge administratiu certificate.
4. Receive your certificate: The issuing body forwards it once you've passed the exam; the EBAP sends its certificates digitally signed by email.
5. Submit as part of the application process: Check in advance in the specific job advertisement (usually published in the BOIB) which level is required.

There are also free courses available for exam preparation in the Balearics – offered, among others, by municipalities, the Consorci, and local cultural associations. If you'd rather attend a structured course at a language school, you'll find providers in the Directory of language schools in Mallorca.

If you're also looking for a job in the public sector at the same time, it's worth taking a look at the guide Finding a job in Mallorca. If you also need to have a foreign professional qualification recognised, you'll find details in the guide Recognising professional qualifications in Spain.

Mallorquí, Catalan and Standard Catalan: a brief overview

A regional variety of Catalan is spoken in Mallorca, with its own name, Mallorquí (mallorquí), which differs noticeably from Standard Catalan in pronunciation and vocabulary. Both languages – Spanish and Catalan – are co-official languages in the Balearics. The official Catalan certificates issued by the Govern de les Illes Balears test standard Catalan according to the spelling and grammar rules of the Institut d'Estudis Catalans, not a separate "Mallorquí standard" – so the certificate is valid regardless of whether you mostly hear Mallorcan expressions in everyday life.

For parents of school-age children, dealing with Catalan in everyday school life is a topic of its own with its own rules – you'll find details in the guide Catalan: school & authorities as well as information on the introductory programme for newly arrived children in the guide on the PALIC programme.

Most common mistakes

What comes next?

Once you have your certificate in hand, it's worth taking a look at the specific job announcement you're applying for – it will state whether Catalan is a requirement or simply counts as an evaluation point, and which level is specifically required. For procedures within the Servei de Salut, you should also check the currently applicable barem, as the points per level can change. Anyone wanting to establish themselves professionally on a long-term basis in the Balearics will find additional information in the guide Working & Career as well as – for studying at the Balearic university – in the guide UIB Mallorca Studies.

Checklist: Do you need a Catalan certificate?

• I am applying not for the public service of the Balearics → generally no certificate needed
• I am applying for the general autonomous administration → Catalan is a requirement for access, level is stated in the job announcement
• I am medical staff at the Servei de Salut → since 28.08.2023, Catalan is no longer an access criterion, but it does count as an evaluation point
• I am non-medical staff at the Servei de Salut → a level between A2 and B2, depending on the staff group, is mandatory
• I have a certificate from Catalonia or from the Institut Ramon Llull → have the equivalence checked in advance with the Direcció General de Política Lingüística
• I would like to use a certificate from before 2011 → check the equivalence table of the Ordre from 2013
• I don't know which level my target position requires → look it up in the BOIB job announcement text, don't guess

Conclusion

The Catalan certificate in Mallorca is not a topic for everyday life, but for the public sector. Anyone not aiming for a position with the Balearic administration or the healthcare system can safely ignore it. Those who do need it should distinguish carefully by staff group: for the general administration and for non-medical staff of the Servei de Salut, Catalan remains a genuine access requirement, while for medical staff it has only counted as an evaluation point since 2023. And anyone who already holds a certificate from Catalonia should have the equivalence checked in good time rather than relying on it during the application process.

Official sources

• Govern de les Illes Balears — https://www.caib.es
• Recognised equivalences of titles, diplomas and certificates of Catalan (GOIB Website): https://www.caib.es/webgoib/w/equival%C3%A8ncies-reconegudes-de-t%C3%ADtols-diplomes-i-certificats-de-catal%C3%A0-1
• Catalan certificates — Consell de Mallorca (Llengua Mallorca): https://llenguamallorca.cat/certificats-de-catal%C3%A0
• Consell de Mallorca — https://www.conselldemallorca.cat