Balearic boat hire: 111 cases over permits and skippers

Mallorca, in the Balearic Islands, has 57 boats listed for tourist trips: across the islands, officials have opened 111 cases this year over irregular boat hire, missing permits and other breaches. The tally runs to 9 November 2026, according to the Balearic Directorate-General for Ports and Maritime Transport. It also includes private boats used commercially and skippers without the required qualifications.

The Balearic Ministry of the Sea and Water Cycle says penalties linked to the cases total more than €394,000. Five cases involve tourist passenger services that had not filed the required advance notice or whose notice was no longer valid.

Since 2023, the directorate has opened 542 cases, with penalties totalling around €1.5 million. Inspectors drew up 44 reports in 2023, 61 in 2024 and 99 in 2025.

The public Balearic shipping register lists 105 boats for tourist trips, including the 57 operating on Mallorca. A review of paperwork in recent years removed 76 boats from the register. Fifty had a type of registration that did not allow them to provide this service; the other 26 failed other legal requirements. Common problems included insurance that did not meet the rules and no permission to dock where passengers were due to board or leave. The register shows each boat’s operator, name, registration and route.

Topics: Tourism

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com