Do British citizens need defence permission to buy in Mallorca? And other non-EU citizens? •

British citizens, as with any non-EU citizen, need permission from the Ministry of Defence to buy a property in rural areas of Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera, but also in other locations of Spain. This will be the case from the 1st of January 2021, when the United Kingdom left the European Union.

Is this a problem?

NO if you know it in advance. It is just another step in the buying process that has to be carried out.Feel free to contact me if you want me to help you with this process.

Why do British citizens need the defense permission?

The norm is from 1975 and regulates the protection of areas and interest of National Defense. The Islands are considered an area of interest and that’s why not only british citizens, but also all non European Union nationals, need defence permission.

Will the permission always be necessary for British citizens?

It is not known. Spain has agreements with other non-EU European countries. Maybe in the future there will be an agreement with the United Kingdom and this defence permission to buy will not be necessary for British.

Is it complicated to obtain defence permission to buy in Mallorca?

No. If you know the procedure it is not complicated but it can take between two and four months.

Feel free to contact me if you want me to help you with this process.

I have to buy a house in Mallorca quickly and I don’t have the defence permission. What will happen?

It can be solved with proper advice

You can go to the notary, you can buy and you can pay the taxes, but you cannot send the deed to the land registry to register it in your name.
This situation is not the end of the world but it is not recommended. The land registry guarantees that you are the owner and nobody else can dispose of your property.
If you have to buy at short notice, don’t waste a day and get the permit as soon as possible.