Palma de Mallorca Airport (PMI) — The Complete Master Guide 2026

🛫 Modules A & D — UK / International / Mixed

Module A: non-Schengen — UK (Jet2, BA, easyJet UK), Switzerland (SWISS, Edelweiss), Norway/UK charters. Sala VIP Llevant is the non-Schengen lounge here.

Module D: mixed Schengen + selected intercontinental — undergoing refurbishment through 2026, gates rerouted to Module C. Sala VIP Formentor temporarily closed; Priority Pass cardholders need to use Sala VIP Mediterráneo (Module C) or Sala VIP Valldemossa (landside).

🇪🇺 Modules B & C — Schengen Mainland Europe

Module B: Air Nostrum regional Spanish + selected intra-Spanish.

Module C: Schengen mainland Europe. Carriers: Vueling, Iberia, Air Europa (the Spanish full-service carrier, base at PMI), Eurowings (German focus operation), TUI fly Deutschland, Condor, Discover, Lufthansa, KLM, Air France, SWISS, SAS, Norwegian, Aer Lingus seasonal. Module D refurbishment has temporarily increased Module C peak-hour density.

EES Live Since 10 April 2026

The EU Entry/Exit System went fully operational across all Schengen countries on 10 April 2026. At PMI’s Module A, first-time non-EU arrivals get fingerprints + facial scan registered instead of a passport stamp. Subsequent crossings within the 3-year biometric retention reuse the stored data and clear faster. Allow 1+ hour buffer on first arrival during the morning long-haul wave; queues have lengthened noticeably during the partial rollout. EU/EEA/Swiss citizens are exempt — continue using e-gates as before.

ETIAS Q4 2026 — €20, Valid 3 Years

ETIAS launches Q4 2026. €20 fee, valid 3 years or until passport expiry, 96-hour processing. Required for visa-exempt non-EU travellers (UK, US, Canada, Australia, NZ, Japan, Korea, etc.) before boarding any Schengen-bound flight including PMI. Apply via the official travel-europe.europa.eu/etias — avoid third-party scam sites.

Customs Reality at PMI

Standard EU customs allowances apply: 1L spirits, 4L wine, 16L beer, 200 cigarettes from non-EU. Cash declaration over €10,000 equivalent. Drone declaration required. For UK travellers post-Brexit: standard EU customs allowance now applies on UK→Spain travel. VAT refund available at PMI Module A for non-EU residents (UK / US / etc.) on qualifying retail purchases — kiosks at the international departures level; confirm the current minimum-purchase threshold at the point of sale.

⭐ EMT A1 Aerotaxi Bus — €5 Cash / ~€3 Contactless

The EMT bus A1 (“Aerotaxi 1”) connects PMI arrivals to Plaça d’Espanya (central Palma, walking distance to Cathedral and Old Town). ~20 minutes journey, 5 stops, every ~15 min daytime, every 30 min after 21:00. €5 single cash; ~€3 with contactless card (~40% cheaper with contactless). Summer hours 06:00–01:50; winter 06:00–01:10. This is the locals’ default — predictable, cheap, faster than taxi during summer-peak Saturday traffic.

🚕 Metered Taxi — €20–28 Day / ~€37 Night to Centre

NO airport flat-rate at PMI in 2026 — taxis run on the new 2025 unified Balearic tariff with metered fares. Centre €20–28 daytime, ~€37 night, plus the standard €4.65 airport surcharge + €0.60 per extra bag. Cards accepted in most PMI taxis; cash EUR works everywhere. Tipping standard 5–10%. The marked official rank is in front of arrivals; ignore touts.

📱 Bolt + FreeNow — FreeNow Dominant, Uber Patchy

FreeNow is the dominant ride-hailing app in Mallorca (formerly mytaxi, German-owned) — full coverage at PMI, in-app payment, tracked rides. Bolt also operates with reasonable coverage. Uber availability is patchy at PMI; FreeNow is the safer bet. Pickup at Module A arrivals, signposted. Roughly comparable pricing to metered taxi; surge during summer-peak Saturday turnarounds runs 1.5–2.5×.

🚗 Rental Car — 2026 Cap In Force, Pre-Book or Skip

Rental-car counters are on the arrivals floor, but expect long queues June–September (60–120 min waits at peak). Critical 2026 update: the Balearic government’s rental-vehicle cap law is due to take effect for summer 2026 — expected to mean fewer cars available and prices higher still. Rental prices were already climbing before the cap: average ~€42/day in summer 2025 vs €23/day in 2019. Pre-book online 30+ days ahead for any guaranteed availability; walk-up rentals are increasingly impractical in peak season. Major operators: Hertz, Avis, Sixt, Europcar, Centauro, OK Mobility (Mallorca-based, often the cheapest).

The Sala VIP Formentor (Module D, the flagship) is temporarily closed for the Module D refurbishment through 2026. Priority Pass cardholders flying through Module D should redirect to Sala VIP Mediterráneo (Module C Schengen) or Sala VIP Llevant (Module A non-Schengen). Don’t walk all the way to Module D expecting Formentor to be open; verify the Aena website or Priority Pass app on the day of travel for the current status.

If you eat once at PMI, eat an ensaïmada — Mallorca’s signature spiral pastry made with pork lard (saïm in Catalan), powdered sugar, and a hint of citrus. Original plain (~€3–8) and stuffed versions (sobrasada, cabello-de-ángel pumpkin jam, cream, chocolate) at the airport bakeries. For take-home: PMI sells boxed ensaïmadas (~€15–35 for a large family-size box) — they keep 5–7 days at room temperature and survive checked baggage well. The cheap supermarket version is fine; the artisan version (Forn de l’Estel, Forn Fondo brands) is dramatically better.

Sobrasada is Mallorca’s iconic spreadable cured pork sausage with paprika and salt — eat it with bread, ensaïmada, or as a tapas component. ~€6–18 per 250g log at PMI duty-free; the artisan Mallorca-DOP version (verify the “Sobrasada de Mallorca” protected designation label) is dramatically better than supermarket-grade. Travels well in checked baggage (vacuum-sealed). Pair with a Mallorcan red wine from Binissalem DO or Pla i Llevant DO — both are airport-available and dramatically undervalued vs Rioja or Ribera del Duero.

Take-home picks at PMI duty-free: Mallorca olive oil (Olis de Mallorca DOP — verify the protected designation label, dramatically better than mainland Spanish supermarket olive oil), Manacor pearls (Mallorca’s historic centre of Majorica artificial-pearl manufacturing — verify authenticity certificate), Mallorcan almonds (the local almond crop, sweet and dramatically tastier than California-grown), Mallorcan herbs liqueur (Hierbas de Mallorca, the local herbal digestif). Skip airport-priced wine — Palma supermarkets are 30–50% cheaper for the same Binissalem / Pla i Llevant DO bottles.

Mallorca’s anti-tourism protests of 2024–2025 continued into 2026, with the Balearic government’s February 2026 vote on raising the ECOTAX (Sustainable Tourism Tax / ITS) to €15/night peak season — defeated. Current ECOTAX rates remain €1–4/night charged on accommodation (halved in winter Nov–March), levied on hotels NOT flights. Visitor experience is largely unchanged; the protests are concentrated around housing and STR (short-term rental) crackdowns. Stricter STR enforcement bites Airbnb stock — book official hotels or licensed apartments to avoid mid-trip cancellations.

The Soller wooden train (Tren de Sóller, €23 single / €30 return) runs from Plaça d’Espanya in Palma to Sóller through the Tramuntana mountains — a 1912-vintage narrow-gauge railway, beautifully restored. ~1 hour each way, with the connecting Sóller tram down to Port de Sóller for lunch and beach. The Serra de Tramuntana (UNESCO World Heritage since 2011) is Mallorca’s spectacular northwest mountain range — Valldemossa, Deià, Sóller are the three iconic mountain villages. Allow a full day for the Soller-train + Tramuntana itinerary; many travellers combine it with a half-day Palma Cathedral / Old Town visit.

Mallorca is colloquially called “Germany’s 17th federal state” in German tourism marketing — German visitors dominate the summer flow, with Eurowings, Condor, Discover Airlines, Lufthansa, TUI fly Deutschland converging June–September. German is widely spoken at airport, hotels, restaurants, beaches; menus often appear in German before Spanish. Major German-targeted resorts: S’Arenal (the famous “Ballermann” party strip, Bierkönig + Megapark), Cala Mayor, Magaluf (split with UK). For a less German-coded experience: Cala Ratjada, Pollença, Alcúdia north coast.

The Balearic government’s rental-vehicle cap is due to take effect for summer 2026, which will limit the total number of rental cars available. Effect on tourists so far: prices were already climbing before the cap — average ~€42/day in summer 2025 vs €23/day in 2019; expect fewer cars and higher prices still once the limit is in force. Pre-book online 30+ days ahead for any guaranteed availability; walk-up rentals are increasingly impractical in peak season. Major operators at PMI: Hertz, Avis, Sixt, Europcar, Centauro, OK Mobility (Mallorca-based, often the cheapest if you book early). For 1-day-trips, organised bus tours or pre-booked private transfers may be cheaper than renting.

Palma Cathedral (La Seu) is the iconic Gothic landmark — open Mon–Fri 10:00–17:15, Sat 10:00–14:15, closed Sundays to tourists (services only). ~€10 entry. The Antoni Gaudí–restored interior plus the 2007 Miquel Barceló ceramic mural on the north chapel make this a top European cathedral. The Old Town (Casc Antic) wraps around the cathedral — Plaça Major, Borne, Es Baluard contemporary art museum, Banys Àrabs (Arab baths). Allow a full day for a proper Palma Old Town visit; many cruise-ship passengers do it as a half-day shore excursion.

EU travellers: roaming via your home plan covers Spain at the same price as your home country (Roam-Like-At-Home rules). UK travellers post-Brexit: most major UK carriers re-introduced surcharges (~£2/day) for EU roaming, so a Spanish SIM (Orange, Vodafone, Movistar, Yoigo, Lobster — UK-targeted Spanish reseller) at ~€20–40 for 30 days / 20 GB can save real money on stays over a week. Non-EU travellers: eSIM via Airalo / Holafly / Ubigi from ~$5–10 for 7-day Spain coverage. 5G covers central Palma and major resorts; spotty in Tramuntana mountain valleys.