Importing your pet to Palma De Mallorca

Spain welcomes your pet. Spanish bureaucracy welcomes the opportunity to require seven specific documents, a microchip registered before a specific date, and a vet visit within ten days of travel.

Bringing a dog or cat to Palma de Mallorca from the UK is entirely achievable, but the process is sequential, time-sensitive, and unforgiving of small errors. A missed stamp, a certificate issued eleven days before travel instead of ten, or a microchip implanted after a rabies vaccination rather than before — any one of these can result in your pet being refused entry at Palma's Son Sant Joan Airport, which is a designated Travellers' Point of Entry with veterinary control facilities.

This guide is for UK pet owners who are relocating to Palma de Mallorca and need to understand exactly what the import process involves, what it costs in the context of Palma's specific cost base, and what the common mistakes are. Read it before you book anything.

What this actually involves in Palma de Mallorca

The sequential medical requirements that cannot be reordered

The process is not complicated, but it is strictly sequential. Your pet must be microchipped first — an ISO 11784/11785-compliant 15-digit chip — before any other medical step takes place. If the rabies vaccination is administered before the microchip is implanted, the vaccination is legally void under EU animal health regulations, and you restart from the beginning (pccproperty.com).

Once chipped, your pet needs a valid rabies vaccination from an approved vet. After a primary vaccination, you must wait 21 clear days before travel. This means the absolute minimum age a puppy can enter Spain from the UK is 15 weeks — 12 weeks to be old enough for the jab, plus 21 days waiting (movingtospain.com). The UK is on the EU's Part 2 listed approved countries, which means your pet is exempt from the rabies antibody titre test, provided they travel directly to Spain.

Son Sant Joan Airport handles the Border Inspection Post process for Palma arrivals. Customs veterinarians will scan your pet's microchip and check it against your paperwork. If everything matches, the process is swift. If it does not, it is not.

The paperwork trap that catches UK owners specifically

As a UK resident post-Brexit, you cannot use an EU Pet Passport. UK-issued pet passports ceased to be valid for EU entry from January 2021 (thinkspain.com). You need an Animal Health Certificate (AHC) issued by an authorised vet in the UK, within ten days of your arrival in Palma — not ten days of the appointment, ten days of the moment your pet enters Spain.

Spain also requires this certificate to be bilingual — printed in both English and Spanish. A standard English-only form will be rejected. The certificate must be ink-signed and physically embossed by DEFRA, not submitted electronically (pccproperty.com). The DEFRA endorsement step alone takes time to arrange, and many UK vets are not fully across the bilingual requirement. Check before you book the appointment.

Once you arrive in Palma, you have three months to register your pet on the Registro Andaluz de Identificación Animal — except Palma is in the Balearic Islands, not Andalusia. The relevant regional registry is the REIAC (Registro Español de Identificación de Animales de Compañía), and registration is handled through a local Palma vet who logs the microchip onto the database. Many municipalities in Mallorca also now require canine DNA registration — your vet takes a saliva swab for a small fee (pccproperty.com).

What it costs

Estimated costs for importing a pet to Palma de Mallorca from the UK

(Source: RelocateIQ research, cross-referenced with pccproperty.com)

Palma's cost of living runs approximately 45% below London's (Source: RelocateIQ research), which means ongoing pet costs — vet visits, food, insurance — are meaningfully lower once you arrive. The import costs themselves, however, are fixed by the process rather than the destination.

The figure that surprises people is the AHC. Many UK vets charge separately for the consultation, the certificate preparation, and the DEFRA endorsement coordination. Budget for the top of the range. If you are flying a larger dog in cargo to Son Sant Joan, airline fees alone can reach €1,500 (Source: RelocateIQ research). A full pet relocation service removes the administrative burden but adds cost — worth considering if you have a PPP breed or a complex travel situation.

Step by step — how to do it in Palma de Mallorca

Step 1: Get your pet microchipped by a UK vet — before anything else

Book a vet appointment specifically to implant an ISO 11784/11785-compliant 15-digit microchip. Confirm with the vet that the chip meets this standard — not all chips do. Do not schedule the rabies vaccination at the same appointment unless the microchip is being implanted first. Keep the implantation certificate and note the exact date. This date governs everything that follows.

Step 2: Administer the rabies vaccination and begin the 21-day wait

Once chipped, your vet can administer the rabies vaccination. The 21-day waiting period begins from the date of the jab, not the date of the microchip. Mark the earliest possible travel date in your calendar. If your pet has a current, valid rabies vaccination already, check whether it was administered after the microchip was implanted — if not, it may not be legally recognised (idealista.com).

Step 3: Book an authorised vet for the Animal Health Certificate — within the ten-day window

Find a DEFRA-authorised vet in the UK who is familiar with the bilingual AHC format required for Spain. This is not a standard vet visit — not every practice can issue this certificate. Book the appointment so that it falls within ten days of your planned arrival date at Son Sant Joan Airport. The certificate must be physically endorsed by DEFRA before travel, so factor in the endorsement turnaround time when scheduling.

Step 4: Arrange DEFRA endorsement of the certificate

After your vet issues the AHC, it must be submitted to DEFRA for physical ink-stamping and embossing. Electronic copies are not accepted at the Spanish border (pccproperty.com). Allow sufficient time for this step — do not assume it is same-day. Confirm the current DEFRA processing time when you book your vet appointment, as it varies.

Step 5: Book your flight and confirm pet transport arrangements with the airline

Son Sant Joan Airport in Palma is a designated Travellers' Point of Entry, so your pet can arrive here directly from the UK. Most major European carriers — Iberia, Lufthansa, Air France, KLM — allow pets in cargo (thinkspain.com). Small dogs under 8kg including carrier may travel in-cabin on these airlines (Source: RelocateIQ research). Avoid peak summer months if flying cargo — ground temperatures at Palma Airport regularly exceed 29°C between June and September, triggering airline heat embargoes on pet transport (pccproperty.com).

Step 6: Arrive at Son Sant Joan and present documents at the Border Inspection Post

Have printed copies of your AHC, microchip documentation, and vaccination records. The customs veterinarian will scan your pet's chip and verify it against the paperwork. If everything is in order, your pet is released to you. You must travel within five days of your pet, or the movement is reclassified as a commercial import, which triggers a significantly more complex process (movingtospain.com).

Step 7: Register your pet with a Palma vet and on the REIAC database

Within the first few weeks of arrival, take your pet and import paperwork to a local Palma vet. They will register your pet's microchip on the REIAC database. Many Palma municipalities also require DNA registration — your vet handles this with a saliva swab. If your dog is a PPP breed, you must apply for a special licence from the Ajuntament de Palma and arrange specific liability insurance before walking your dog in public (youroverseashome.com).

What people get wrong

Assuming any UK vet can issue the right certificate

The Animal Health Certificate for Spain is not a standard document that any vet can produce. It must be issued by a DEFRA-authorised official veterinarian, it must be bilingual, and it must be physically endorsed by DEFRA before travel. Many UK pet owners book their regular vet, receive a certificate, and only discover at the airport — or worse, at the Palma Border Inspection Post — that the document is not in the correct format. The bilingual requirement is Spain-specific and catches people who have researched the general EU process but not the Spain-specific one (pccproperty.com).

Booking a summer flight to Palma without checking the heat embargo

Son Sant Joan Airport sits in a climate that delivers 300-plus sunny days per year (Source: RelocateIQ research), which is exactly the problem when you are trying to fly a dog in cargo. Ground temperatures at Palma regularly exceed 29°C from June through September, and most major airlines impose strict embargoes on pet cargo transport above this threshold. People plan their relocation for summer — when they have annual leave, when the kids are off school — and then discover their dog cannot fly. The solution is to either fly in spring or autumn, or to use a specialist pet relocation service that can navigate the restrictions. Do not assume the airline will flag this when you book.

Treating the Balearic Islands as equivalent to mainland Spain for post-arrival registration

Palma is in the Balearic Islands, an autonomous community with its own regional regulations. The RAIA registry referenced in many general Spain pet guides is the Andalusian system — it does not apply in Mallorca. The relevant database for Palma is the REIAC, and the local registration requirements, including DNA registration in many Palma municipalities, are handled through Balearic-registered vets. Using mainland Spain guidance for post-arrival steps in Palma will leave gaps in your compliance. Confirm requirements with a Palma-based vet on arrival, not a general Spain expat forum.

Who can help

For the UK-side paperwork, you need a DEFRA-authorised official veterinarian who has issued AHCs for Spain before and understands the bilingual format requirement. Ask explicitly whether they have done this for Spain — not just for EU entry generally. The DEFRA website maintains a register of official veterinarians.

If you have a larger dog, a PPP breed, or are relocating during summer, a specialist pet relocation company is worth the cost. These firms handle the full logistics — certificate coordination, DEFRA endorsement, airline booking, and Border Inspection Post paperwork — and they know the Son Sant Joan process specifically. Expect to pay €1,500–€4,000 for a full service (Source: RelocateIQ research), but weigh that against the cost of a rejected entry.

Once in Palma, a local vet registered with the Balearic Islands veterinary authority will handle REIAC registration and DNA sampling. Ask in expat communities — the Palma expat network of 20,000-plus UK and Northern European residents (Source: RelocateIQ research) is active and well-informed, and personal recommendations for English-speaking vets in the city centre and Santa Catalina area circulate regularly. For PPP breed licensing, the Ajuntament de Palma's animal services department handles applications directly.

Frequently asked questions

What documents do I need to bring my dog or cat to Palma de Mallorca?

As a UK resident, you need an Animal Health Certificate (AHC) issued by a DEFRA-authorised official veterinarian within ten days of your arrival at Son Sant Joan Airport. This replaces the EU Pet Passport, which ceased to be valid for UK residents entering the EU from January 2021 (thinkspain.com). The certificate must be bilingual — English and Spanish — and must be physically ink-stamped and embossed by DEFRA before travel. Electronic copies are not accepted at the Palma Border Inspection Post (pccproperty.com).

You will also need your pet's microchip documentation and vaccination records. Bring printed copies of everything — the customs veterinarians at Son Sant Joan will scan the microchip and verify it against the paperwork. Once in Palma, you will need these same documents to register your pet on the REIAC database through a local vet.

Does my pet need to be microchipped to enter Spain?

Yes, and the microchip must meet a specific standard: ISO 11784/11785-compliant, 15-digit, non-encrypted. More importantly, the microchip must be implanted before the rabies vaccination is administered — not on the same day after, and not at a later date (pccproperty.com). If the vaccination predates the chip, the vaccination is legally void under EU regulations and you will need to restart the vaccination timeline.

When your pet arrives at Son Sant Joan Airport, the Border Inspection Post veterinarian will scan the chip and cross-reference the number against your Animal Health Certificate. If the numbers do not match exactly — including if there is a transcription error on the certificate — entry can be refused. Double-check the microchip number on every document before you travel.

After arrival in Palma, the microchip number is used to register your pet on the REIAC database through a local vet. Many Palma municipalities also now require canine DNA registration alongside the microchip, handled by the same vet at the same appointment (pccproperty.com).

Do I need a pet passport to bring my pet to Palma de Mallorca?

No — and if you are a UK resident, you cannot use one. UK-issued EU Pet Passports ceased to be valid for entry into EU countries, including Spain, from January 2021 following Brexit (thinkspain.com). Even if your pet travelled frequently between the UK and Palma before Brexit using a pet passport, that document is no longer accepted at Son Sant Joan's Border Inspection Post.

What you need instead is the Animal Health Certificate, issued by a DEFRA-authorised vet in the UK within ten days of travel and endorsed by DEFRA before departure. The AHC is valid for four months once issued, which means you can use it to travel between Palma and other EU countries during that period without needing a new one — useful if you are making multiple trips during your relocation (youroverseashome.com).

If your pet's rabies vaccination falls due before the four months are up, you will need a new AHC. Keep a note of the expiry dates on both the certificate and the vaccination.

What vaccinations does my pet need to enter Spain?

The mandatory vaccination for entry into Spain from the UK is rabies. It must be administered after the microchip is implanted, and your pet must wait 21 clear days after a primary vaccination before travelling (idealista.com). If your pet already has a valid rabies vaccination from a previous booster cycle, and it was administered after the microchip was implanted, you do not need to wait the 21 days again.

The UK is on the EU's Part 2 approved countries list, which means your pet is exempt from the rabies antibody titre test — a blood test required for pets coming from higher-risk countries (pccproperty.com). This is a significant administrative saving compared to pets travelling from unlisted countries.

Once in Palma, your vet will recommend keeping up annual rabies boosters, along with standard vaccinations for dogs — distemper, parvovirus, parainfluenza, and hepatitis — and for cats, feline gastroenteritis and typhus (youroverseashome.com). If you plan to use a kennel in Palma, a kennel cough vaccine will typically be required by the facility.

How much does it cost to import a pet to Palma de Mallorca?

The core costs run from approximately €90–€230 for microchipping and the rabies vaccine, €150–€300 for the Animal Health Certificate including DEFRA endorsement, €80–€300 for an IATA-approved travel crate, and €300–€1,500 or more for airline cargo transport to Son Sant Joan (Source: RelocateIQ research). A full pet relocation service, which handles the entire process from UK paperwork to Palma registration, costs €1,500–€4,000 (Source: RelocateIQ research).

The figure that catches people out is the airline cargo fee. Son Sant Joan is served by Iberia, Vueling, and several European carriers, but not all of them transport pets in cargo on the UK-Palma route, and fees vary significantly by airline, dog size, and crate dimensions. Budget for the upper end if you have a large dog.

Palma's cost of living runs approximately 45% below London's (Source: RelocateIQ research), so ongoing costs once you arrive — vet visits, food, pet insurance — are considerably lower than you are used to. The import process itself is the expensive part; life with a pet in Palma is not.

Can I bring my pet on a plane to Palma de Mallorca?

Yes. Son Sant Joan Airport is a designated Travellers' Point of Entry with veterinary control facilities, so it is an approved entry point for pets arriving from outside the EU (movingtospain.com). Small dogs and cats weighing under 8kg including their carrier may be eligible to travel in the cabin on European carriers such as Iberia, Lufthansa, Air France, and KLM (Source: RelocateIQ research). Larger dogs must travel in the climate-controlled cargo hold.

The critical planning issue for Palma specifically is the summer heat embargo. Ground temperatures at Son Sant Joan regularly exceed 29°C between June and September, and most major airlines impose strict restrictions on pet cargo transport above this threshold (pccproperty.com). If you are relocating in summer, either fly your pet in the cabin if size permits, travel in the early morning when temperatures are lower, or plan the pet's travel for spring or autumn.

You must also travel within five days of your pet. If your pet arrives more than five days before or after you, the movement is reclassified as a commercial import under EU law, triggering a significantly more complex and expensive process (movingtospain.com).

Are there breed restrictions for dogs in Palma de Mallorca?

Spain does not ban specific breeds from entering the country, but it heavily regulates dogs classified as Perros Potencialmente Peligrosos (PPP). In Palma, this includes Staffordshire Bull Terriers, Pit Bull Terriers, Rottweilers, Akitas, and certain crossbreeds (pccproperty.com). If your dog falls into this category, you must obtain a special PPP licence from the Ajuntament de Palma, take out specific public liability insurance, and keep your dog muzzled and on a short lead in public spaces.

The PPP licence application must be completed before you walk your dog in public areas of Palma (youroverseashome.com). The Ajuntament de Palma's animal services department handles these applications. You will need to provide proof of your own clean criminal record, pass a basic medical assessment, and register the dog on the local dangerous animals register.

The practical implication for PPP breed owners is that finding rental accommodation in Palma becomes harder. Landlords across the island can be strict about pets in general, and a PPP breed narrows the field further. Being transparent from the outset — and offering a higher security deposit — is the standard advice from Palma-based letting agents (pccproperty.com).

What is the best pet insurance for expats in Palma de Mallorca?

Palma has a strong network of veterinary practices, and standards of care are high — but emergency treatment and specialist referrals can be expensive without cover. Pet insurance is worth arranging before you travel, not after arrival. Several UK-based providers offer policies that extend to Spain, though you should confirm that the policy covers treatment at Balearic Islands vets specifically, not just mainland Spain facilities.

Once resident in Palma, Spanish pet insurance providers are generally more cost-effective than UK equivalents, reflecting the island's lower overall cost base (Source: RelocateIQ research). Ask your Palma vet for recommendations — English-speaking practices in the city centre and Santa Catalina area are well-used to advising the island's large expat community and will know which insurers pay out reliably and which create administrative friction.

If your dog is a PPP breed, standard pet insurance is not sufficient — you are legally required to hold specific public liability insurance in addition to any health cover (idealista.com). Confirm with any insurer that their policy meets the PPP liability requirement before you sign.