Driving in Mallorca: rules and tips

Driving in Mallorca is easy: there are no tolls (the Sóller tunnel is free) and the motorways run from Palma to Inca and Alcúdia (Ma-13), the airport and Llucmajor (Ma-19) and Andratx (Ma-1). The basics:

• Limits: 120 km/h on motorways, 90 on roads and 30-50 in towns. Alcohol: 0.5 g/l in the blood at most (0.3 if you've had your licence for under 2 years).
• Leave at least 1.5 m when overtaking cyclists; in the Serra de Tramuntana you'll pass hundreds.
• Mountain roads like the Ma-10 or the descent to Sa Calobra are narrow with tight bends: be patient, and don't stop on the verge for photos.
• Camera-controlled low emission zones: central Palma (with foreign plates you need a Mobipalma authorisation) and, since February 2026, central Sóller, where a rental car that is not electric may not enter. Palma's old town is also ACIRE: residents and authorised vehicles only.
• Kerbs: blue, pay zone (ORA); yellow, no parking; white, free.

In summer, access to Cap de Formentor is restricted during the day.

With an EU licence you can drive as normal. Visitors with a UK photocard licence can too; with other licences, check with the hire company whether it wants an International Driving Permit. Since 1 January 2026, Spanish-registered cars must carry a connected V16 warning light instead of triangles, so a hire car should have one: check when you collect it.

In Palma, until 31 December 2026, cars with a B, C, ECO or 0 DGT label may enter the low emission zone; from 1 January 2027, only C, ECO and 0. A foreign-registered car needs a Mobipalma authorisation requested at least five days ahead, and the fine is €200; signed routes lead to the public car parks in the centre without one. In Sóller, since 27 February 2026, the centre is for residents and zero-emission cars only. At Formentor, from 15 May to 18 October, 10:00 to 22:00, you can only drive to the beach while the car park has spaces, and the lighthouse is reached on TIB bus 334. And in August, if the sign for Sa Calobra says full, do not drive down: there is nowhere to leave the car.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need an International Driving Permit in Mallorca?

Not with an EU licence, and tourists with a UK photocard licence do not need one either. With other licences, the hire company may ask for it, so check before booking, and always carry your original licence and your passport or ID card.

Can I drive a hire car into Palma city centre?

Into the low emission zone, yes if it has a label (B is still allowed until the end of 2026; from 2027 only C, ECO or 0). But the old town is an ACIRE zone for residents and authorised vehicles only, with a €200 fine. Use a public car park and walk in.

Can you drive to the Formentor lighthouse?

Not from 15 May to 18 October between 10:00 and 22:00: from the beach to the lighthouse only the TIB shuttle bus (line 334), bikes, taxis and authorised vehicles may pass. Outside those hours and dates you can drive up.

Is driving in Mallorca difficult?

Not really: motorways fan out from Palma, there are no tolls and signs are clear. The tricky parts are the narrow, winding Tramuntana roads full of cyclists, and summer parking at coves and villages. Set off early and keep coins or a parking app handy.

Updated in November 2026