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PLANNING AND REGULATIONS

LICENCE PHASES

Fases de la Licencia de Obra Mayor – Licence Phases

Licencia Urbanística, Licencia de Obra and Licencia de Primera Ocupación

To build a new house in Mallorca or to carry out a comprehensive refurbishment of an existing property, three key authorisations must be obtained:

  • Licencia Urbanística
  • Licencia de Obra
  • Licencia de Primera Ocupación

These three permits form part of the overall framework of the Licencia de Obra Mayor (Major Building Licence) and regulate the different phases of a project. Legally, they are based on the LUIB – Ley de Urbanismo de las Illes Balears, which provides the common framework within which each municipality develops its own planning regulations.

This explanation refers to the typical case of a single-family house.

  1. Licencia Urbanística – Initial Planning Approval

The first authorisation granted by the town hall is based on the Proyecto Básico (Basic Design, usually at 1:100 scale). It confirms that the proposal complies with the relevant planning regulations:

  • Permitted use.
  • Development parameters.
  • Levels and building heights.
  • Maximum number of storeys.
  • Setbacks and alignments.

Required documentation:

  • Proyecto Básico with site plan, floor plans, elevations, sections, and surface calculations.
  • Planning report and regulatory justification.
  • Determination of the PEM – Presupuesto de Ejecución Material, the basis for municipal fees and the ICO tax, calculated according to the official module of the COAIB.

Important: The Licencia Urbanística is binding but does not yet authorise construction to begin.

  1. Licencia de Obra – Authorisation to Commence Construction

This licence is granted on the basis of the Proyecto de Ejecución (Execution Project, at 1:50 scale), which develops the architectural and technical design in full detail.

Required documentation:

  • Proyecto de Ejecución with drawings, sections, reports, and measurements.
  • Structural calculations.
  • Services and drainage design.
  • Cost estimation.
  • Construction description.

Additional mandatory documentation:

  • Geotechnical survey.
  • Energy performance certificate (the final label is issued after completion and registration).
  • Health and safety study.
  • Waste management plan and contract with MAC Insular, backed by a deposit lodged with the Consell de Mallorca.
  • Official appointment of the agents of the building process (as per the LOE):
    • Director de Obra – lead architect.
    • Director de la Ejecución de la Obra – technical architect (aparejador).
    • Constructor – building company.
    • Health and Safety Coordinator.

 

Particularities in Spain:

  • Structural calculations are carried out by the architect; there is no independent “structural engineer” as a legally defined figure.
  • The Dirección Facultativa consists of the Director de Obra and the Director de la Ejecución de la Obra.
  • The Execution Project must be reviewed and stamped (visado) by the COAIB, which checks only formal completeness, not technical content.
  1. Licencia de Primera Ocupación – Authorisation for Legal Use

Once construction has been completed, the Licencia de Primera Ocupación must be applied for, which formally allows the property to be used.

Required documentation:

  • Certificado Final de Obra (CFO – Final Works Certificate) issued by the Dirección Facultativa.
  • Certificates of installations and energy performance.
  • As built drawings.
  • Inspection report by the municipal architect following the site visit.

The administration verifies that the building corresponds exactly to the approved project. Only with this licence can the dwelling be legally occupied.

Increasingly, a comparison is required between the costs declared in the PEM and the actual construction costs, with any differences being subject to additional ICO tax.

  1. Timeframes

The Licencia Urbanística is the most uncertain in terms of timeframe, as the duration of the procedure depends largely on each municipality. Some grant approvals within a few months, while in others the process can take considerably longer.

The Licencia de Obra is generally faster: once the Execution Project is submitted, authorisation is normally issued within about one month.

The Licencia de Primera Ocupación is once again subject to variable timeframes, as it depends on the availability of the municipal architect to carry out the inspection of the completed building. Once the inspection has been performed, the administrative process usually takes no more than four weeks.

Conclusion

The three permits — Licencia Urbanística, Licencia de Obra, and Licencia de Primera Ocupación — form the guiding thread of every project in Mallorca. Understanding them and planning their sequence strategically makes it possible to save time, reduce costs, and avoid unnecessary complications.

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