Your easy guide to the new face mask rules in Mallorca
Thursday, July 16th, 2020
Mallorca’s new regulations on the compulsory wearing of face masks have made the headlines in recent days. But where and when are facemasks required from now on? Here is an overview of the rules that came into force on Monday, 13th July 2020.
In general, the wearing of a face mask is compulsory whenever you are in a public space, i.e. as soon as you leave your hotel room or holiday apartment. This applies regardless of whether you are in a building or outside, even if it is easily possible to keep a safe distance of at least 1.50m from others around you.
While the new rules apply to locals and tourists alike, children under the age of six are exempt. Until the end of this week, anyone not complying will merely receive a warning. But beware, from the 20th of July fines of up to € 100 will be issued.
However, there are several exceptions to the rule. You are not required to wear a face mask:
- On the beach
- At the pool
- When strolling along the seafront promenade
- When outside villages, towns or residential areas
- In restaurants, bars and cafés
- During sports or watersports
- When smoking
Also exempt are people suffering from respiratory problems whose breathing might be compromised when wearing a face mask. However, this needs to be confirmed by a doctor’s certificate (with Spanish translation if needed).
When travelling by car, face masks are not required if the driver and all the passengers live in the same household.
On public transport, the wearing of face masks continues to be mandatory. This also applies to taxi rides. However, with regards to the latter, there has been a slight change to the rules. While passengers were only permitted on the back seat until recently, the passenger seat can now be occupied again, as long as the taxi driver is in agreement.
The mask you are using can either be the disposable type or a cloth face mask – this needs to cover your mouth as well as your nose. FFP-masks (filtered masks) are also permitted, although these should be reserved mainly for people who are at higher risk.
The new regulations have led to heated discussions over the last few days, as there are fears that they may have a negative impact on tourism on the island. However, as the Health Minister explained, Mallorca continues to be a safe holiday destination with a very low number of coronavirus cases. These latest measures are designed to ensure that this continues to be the case and to protect visitors and locals alike.
For more recent information on this topic, please also see our page “Coronavirus rules – 10 things you need to know for your Mallorca holiday“.
