Brexit – Travel Between the UK and Mallorca
Since the end of the Brexit transition period, new rules have come into force for travel between the UK and Mallorca, Spain. We have summarised some of the changes for you below.
Travel Documentation after Brexit
Passport
You will need a passport to be able to travel between the UK and Mallorca. National ID cards are no longer accepted. It is important to check the age and expiry date of your passport to ensure that it is valid for travel. Your passport has to meet two criteria:
- Your passport needs to be valid for 3 months or more after the day you leave Spain. Please check the expiry date of your passport.
and - Your passport needs to be less than 10 years old when you travel to Mallorca. This is calculated from the date of issue.
| PLEASE NOTE: If your passport was renewed early, some additional months may have been added to its expiry date. Your passport may therefore still be valid for 3 months on the day of your return from Mallorca, but may already be more than 10 years old from the date of issue. Please check in good time before you travel that your passport fulfils both criteria. The above information is based on advice from the European Union and the UK government. Please note that some airlines are currently requesting the passport to be valid for 6 months or more at the time of travel, so please also double-check your airline’s requirements. If you need to renew your passport, please see here. |
Please also take a look at our post “Travel documents for your Mallorca holiday: how to avoid getting turned away at the boarding gate“.
Visa
You may not need a visa for travel between the UK and Mallorca after Brexit. If you visit Mallorca as a tourist, a visa is not needed for short trips. You can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period. However, if you are also visiting other EU countries, you will need to check that you do not spend more than 90 days in total across all the countries you visit, in any given 180-day period. Different rules apply for business travel and longer stays.
Passport Stamping
When visiting Mallorca as a tourist, do check that your passport has been stamped when you enter and leave Spain. This is important, as border guards will use the stamps in your passport to check that you are complying with the 90-day rule (see above).
Please also see our related page “Visa and entry requirements for Mallorca”.
Healthcare
You may have a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) or Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC). These cards can give you access to state health care in Mallorca at a reduced cost or for free. Both of these are valid if you are travelling to Mallorca.
You can continue to use your EHIC until the expiry date written on the card. Once it expires, if you are a UK citizen, you will need to apply for a GHIC to replace it. Please note that GHIC and EHIC do not replace travel insurance. For more information, please also see the GOV.UK website.
Mobile Roaming after Brexit
Sadly, the days of guaranteed free mobile roaming are over. You will need to check with your mobile phone operator to find out whether you will be charged a roaming fee in Spain. However, a new law has come into force that ensures that you will need to be notified once your roaming charges have reached £45. This will safeguard you from inadvertently spending large sums of money on mobile roaming without realising.
Taking Food from the UK to Mallorca
The import/export of food items is now tightly controlled. This applies even to small quantities of food you might wish to take for personal use during your journey or on your holiday. You can no longer take the following with you:
- meat or products containing meat
- milk or dairy products
- fresh fruit and vegetables
There are some exceptions to this rule – you are allowed to bring certain amounts of the following:
- powdered infant milk
- infant food
- special food for the dietary management of a diagnosed disease, disorder or medical condition
- pet food required for medical reasons
For more information on these rules, please also see the European Commission website.
Duty-Free Shopping and Tax Refund
If you are travelling from Mallorca outside of the EU, you may be tax-exempt. At the Mallorca Airport Duty-Free store, look for items with green labels that state ‘only for passengers travelling outside the EU’. You will need to show ID and a boarding pass for a flight bound outside the EU. Please see our Duty-Free page for details on shopping opportunities at Mallorca Airport and duty-free allowances for your travel back to Great Britain.
If you go shopping in Mallorca, you may be eligible for a VAT refund prior to your return home. For more information, please see our page Tax Refund at Palma Airport.
Flying to Mallorca with your Pet
It is still possible to bring your dog, cat, or ferret with you from the UK to Spain via Palma de Mallorca Airport. However, this will take some preparation. Your pet will need the following documentation:
- An animal health certificate, which must be signed by a licensed veterinarian and written in Spanish.
- A declaration certifying that you are adhering to the conditions of travel for your pet.
- Both of the above must be in accordance with the European Union’s models. Please see here for a sample health certificate and declaration.
- A certified copy of the animal’s identification and vaccination information.
In addition to the above, your pet must be:
- Microchipped or tattooed (if this was done before 3 July 2011).
- Vaccinated against rabies with a vaccine that is valid at the time of the trip.
It is not necessary to perform an antibody titration test against rabies.
Please see here for information on bringing a pet to Great Britain.
For more information about flying with pets, please also see our page “Flying to Mallorca with your pet“.
Your Brexit Travel Checklist
| Don’t forget to… | |
|---|---|
| ✔️ | Check the age of your passport and its expiry date |
| ✔️ | Take your EHIC / GHIC |
| ✔️ | Decide whether you need travel insurance |
| ✔️ | Check roaming charges with your mobile phone operator |
Please note that, currently, you will require additional travel documentation due to Covid.
If you are travelling from the UK to Mallorca, please see our page Covid-19 mandatory documentation on arrival at Palma Airport.
If you are travelling from Mallorca to England, please see Travelling from Mallorca to England – Covid-19 rules.