Which documents to prepare before moving to the Balearics

Before you move to the Balearics, prepare four families of documents: your valid photo ID, proof of income, your health file, and the paperwork tied to island life (ferry, vehicle, pet). The classic mistake is not a missing stamp, it is arriving without a solid rental file on the tightest housing market in Spain. Whether you need a visa first depends on your passport: none if you are EU or Irish; yes if you are British or American, as covered in our visa guide.

The logic is simple. Part of the preparation happens before you leave, the rest is settled on the ground in your first 90 days. Here is the list, then the specifics of the archipelago.

Which documents should you bring with you?

Travel with the original and a digital copy of each document. Pay particular attention to whatever will help you rent, enrol children at school, or open your rights.

What needs sorting in your first 90 days on the ground?

Three steps structure your settling-in. The empadronamiento, your registration at the town hall of your municipality (Palma, Ibiza, Mao, Ciutadella, Sant Francesc in Formentera and so on), which unlocks almost everything else. Your NIE, your foreigner number. And, depending on nationality, either the EU citizen's registration certificate (the green certificate, for EU and Irish citizens, to request within 90 days of arrival) or, for British and American citizens, the TIE residence card following your visa. Our residency guide covers both routes in detail, and our first 90 days guide sets out the priority order.

The Balearics: what to prepare that is specific to the archipelago?

This is where moving here differs from settling on the mainland. Three points deserve real forward planning.

Housing first. The Balearic rental market is the tightest in Spain, with rents around 20.2 euros per square metre at the end of June 2026 (idealista) and year-round supply that thins out in summer. Secure something before you even land, even a temporary let to start. Our guide to renting a home in the Balearics will help you avoid the pitfalls.

Vehicle and removals. If you bring your car or your furniture, everything goes by ferry (Balearia, Trasmediterranea). Prepare the vehicle registration document, proof of insurance, and book well ahead, especially in high season. For Formentera, remember there is no airport, you only reach it by ferry from Ibiza.

Your pet. An EU pet passport (or the equivalent health certificate for a non-EU pet), a microchip and up-to-date rabies vaccination, and a booked spot on the ferry or flight suited to animals.

Do you need to translate and apostille everything?

Not everything. Multilingual civil-status documents are accepted without translation. However, a degree or a certificate destined for an equivalence or an official procedure can require a Hague apostille and a sworn translation. The right move is to ask the relevant administration before you pay for a translation you may not need. To choose your island before you even pack, look at our comparison of where to live in the Balearics.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a visa to move to the Balearics?

It depends on your passport. No if you are an EU or Irish citizen: you move and settle freely, and beyond three months you only need the EU registration certificate, within 90 days. Yes if you are British or American: you need a visa first (non-lucrative, digital nomad or work), then a TIE.

Which document should you tackle first on arrival?

The empadronamiento at your island municipality's town hall. It opens access to everything else, from your residency document to registering with IB-Salut and school.

Which papers do you need to bring your car by ferry?

The vehicle registration document, a current proof of insurance and photo ID, with an early booking on Balearia or Trasmediterranea, especially from June to September.

Is my home-country health cover enough at the start?

For EU and Irish citizens, the EHIC covers you at the start, while you switch to the public IB-Salut system once resident, or take out private insurance if you are not yet entitled. For British and American arrivals on a non-lucrative or digital nomad visa, full private insurance is required from day one by the visa itself.

Requirements change; always confirm current rules with the official Spanish sources and your consulate before you travel. Information verified in August 2026. The Daily Baleares is an AI-assisted publication with human review.