Business activity licence in Palma de Mallorca: Steps and documents

Applying for an activity licence in Palma de Mallorca does not necessarily mean waiting for a conventional approval letter if you plan to run a business from permanent premises. The City of Palma describes starting and carrying out an activity as a procedure requiring a prior declaración responsable — a declaration of responsibility. For it to authorise you to start operating, the required documents must be in place, the municipal fee must have been paid, and the proposed use must comply with planning rules. That is why preparation starts before you fill in a form: what matters is whether your specific plans are suitable for the premises you have chosen and whether you need to carry out any work there. Here you can find out what steps to take before renovating, which documents Palma requires for permanent activities, and where to submit your application. We also distinguish between operating from permanent premises and running temporary activities, which may be subject to different rules.

What does “activity licence” mean in Palma?

“Activity licence” is a commonly used term. To start and carry out a permanent activity, however, the City of Palma requires you to submit a declaración responsable in advance. According to the city, it authorises you to start the activity provided that the required documents are attached, the prescribed fee has been paid, and the plans comply with planning rules.

This does not give you carte blanche to use any premises for any purpose. Palma has a specific procedure for permanent activities and changes to them. Temporary activities, by contrast, require official authorisation after the relevant documents have been submitted.

Please note: The 30 working days refer to the authorisation procedure described by the Consell for temporary activities involving a route. They are not a general processing time for opening commercial premises in Palma.

Are your commercial premises suitable for the planned activity?

First, check the specific use at the specific location. The city expressly makes the start of an activity conditional on its compatibility with town planning rules. The fact that a different business previously operated on the premises does not answer that question for your plans.

Describe your plans as precisely as possible before commissioning any work: What activity will take place on the premises, and what installations or alterations will it require? This will help establish which activity project is needed and whether a separate procedure is required for the building work. If you are renting premises, this check will also help you assess the proposed commercial lease alongside what you actually intend to do.

How do you apply for an activity licence in Palma de Mallorca?

For an ongoing activity, the process described by Palma can be set out in a practical order:

1. Check the location and use: Establish whether the planned activity is compatible with town planning rules.
2. Define the work required: Determine whether building work or installations are needed to fit out the premises.
3. Prepare and submit the activity project: Palma requires the project to be submitted before work begins to set up the activity.
4. Address any building work separately: If building work is carried out on the premises, the activity project must be submitted together with either the prior notification of works or the building project for the urban planning licence, depending on which procedure applies to the work.
5. Declare the start of the activity: Submit the declaration of responsibility with the documents required for your case and pay the municipal fee.

Palma allows you to submit your application in person at the OAC citizen service offices or online via the relevant procedure on the city’s online administration portal.

What if you need to renovate the premises?

The activity procedure and the procedure for building work are linked, but they are not the same. According to the city’s guidance, the activity project must be in place before fit-out begins. If work is carried out, you submit it together with the prior notification required for that work or the building project needed to obtain planning permission.

Even if the work does not require official approval, Palma requires the activity project before work begins. So do not leave this question until tradespeople or fittings have already been booked. You can also use the guide to building permits and comunicación previa on Mallorca to work out which planning requirements apply to your project.

Note: Submitting the activity project before fit-out and subsequently declaring the start of the activity are separate steps. Plan for both.

Which documents does the city of Palma list?

The procedure page for starting and carrying out permanent activities lists the following documents. Some are expressly dependent on the circumstances of the case.

The forms and additional guidance on completing them are available on the City of Palma’s procedure page. Check there before submitting which documents are required for your works and installations.

Where do you submit the application, and who can you ask if anything is unclear?

At the City of Palma, the responsible department is the Departamento de Actividades y de Seguridad de los Establecimientos within the municipal urban planning administration. Palma lists the OAC citizen service offices and the online procedure as submission options; for enquiries, the city distinguishes between administrative and straightforward technical questions.

For technical or legal questions, or enquiries about complaints concerning activities, the city says you can arrange an appointment in advance. You can find the contacts and responsibilities on Palma’s page about activities and the safety of premises.

What fees and timeframes should you allow for?

Palma requires payment of the assessed municipal fee, but its general information page does not give a single amount for every business premises. The municipal fee regulations and the specific procedure determine the amount. A blanket total for the project, works and submission would therefore be misleading.

In terms of timing, the order of steps is particularly important: the activity project must be submitted before fitting out begins; where works are involved, the links to the relevant building works procedure described on the procedure page apply. The city does not specify a standard waiting period that applies to every opening.

Most common mistakes

• Choosing premises solely on the basis of their previous use. What matters is whether your planned activity is compatible with town planning rules at that location.
• Starting to fit out the premises before submitting the activity project. Palma requires it to be submitted before fitting out begins.
• Treating building works and the activity as a single procedure. Works may require separate steps with the city.
• Overlooking documents required in certain circumstances. Palma calls for installation plans if the relevant works or installations have been carried out.
• Treating a temporary event like permanent business premises. Palma describes a different approval process for this.

What happens next?

Once the responsible declaration has been submitted with the appropriate documents and the municipal fee has been paid, the right to start operating still depends on compatibility with town planning rules. Keep the project, declarations, technical certificates and proof of submission in order. If you later want to change the activity, check the procedure Palma expressly provides for changes to permanent activities, rather than assuming the existing documents will remain valid without changes.

Opening the premises may involve further administrative steps. If you employ staff, see the separate guide to hiring employees in Spain.

Checklist before submission

• The planned activity has been described for the specific premises.
• Compatibility with urban planning requirements checked.
• Determined whether any building work or installations are needed.
• The activity project before fitting out begins prepared for submission.
• Where work is required, the appropriate urban planning procedure taken into account.
• A1, A6 and A7 checked against the city council's procedures page.
• Installation plans allowed for if the relevant work or installations have been carried out.
• Municipal fee and submission method checked.

Conclusion

The most important step towards obtaining an activity licence for your commercial premises in Palma comes before renovation: check that the location is suitable for your intended activity and submit the activity project in good time. To begin an ongoing activity, Palma then sets out the responsible declaration, the required documents and payment of the fee. This way, you deal with the location, building work and start of operations in the right order – rather than leaving procedural questions unresolved until after fitting out the premises.

Not legal or tax advice. The requirements in any particular case depend on the activity, the premises and the planned work.

Official sources

• Palma City Council: Activities and safety of establishments – basic procedure, requirements and contacts; also includes a reference to the Balearic law Ley 7/2013 and municipal regulations on fees and use.
• Palma City Council: Procedures for starting, carrying out and modifying ongoing activities – sequence, documents and submission methods.
• Consell de Mallorca: Activity permits – special procedure for temporary activities involving a route.