The Balearic diesel ban: what actually happened
Law 10/2019 on climate change and energy transition in the Balearic Islands set out, in its third additional provision, a timetable: from 1 January 2025, diesel motorcycles and cars banned from circulating; from 1 January 2035, the same for anything that was not zero-emission.
That diesel ban no longer exists. And it is not suspended or in limbo: it was repealed by an act of parliament. Article 26.14 of Law 7/2024 of 11 December rewrote that paragraph, which today reads:
"Restrictions on the circulation in the Balearic Islands of motorcycles and cars using fossil fuels shall be defined in accordance with state legislation on the matter, or through the land mobility emission reduction plans set out in the Balearic Energy Transition Plan."
In other words: where there was a date and a ban, there is now a cross-reference to whatever the Spanish state decides and to regional emission plans. You can check it yourself in the consolidated text on the official gazette, linked below.
1. The Constitutional Court did not strike it down: there was no judgment. What there was, in 2019, was an agreement of the joint State-regional commission under which the region undertook to suspend the timetable, because it touched an exclusive competence of the state. But that was the first step; the definitive one is the 2024 act.
2. The 2035 ban is still in force. Law 7/2024 only changed the diesel paragraph. The one on "vehicles that are not zero-emission" from 1 January 2035 is still in the text.
3. That 2035 ban does not automatically exempt cars already here either, as people tend to assume. The law refers to exceptions "to be established by regulation" for public service reasons or prior residence in the islands. Until that regulation exists, there is no acquired right to rely on.
The practical summary as things stand: you can bring in and register a diesel in the Balearics. What you do need to look at is something else.
What does apply: the Palma low emission zone
It has been in force since 22 December 2024 and covers the area inside the avenues and the seafront. And here is the key point: it filters by DGT environmental sticker, not by fuel. A diesel with a C sticker gets in without any problem today.
| Period | Cannot enter |
|---|---|
| Until 31-12-2026 | Cars with no sticker |
| From 01-01-2027 | No sticker and B sticker |
| From 01-01-2030 | Also the C sticker: only ECO and ZERO |
Enforcement is by number-plate reading cameras querying the DGT, so you do not need a physical sticker on the windscreen if the DGT has the classification. The penalty is a serious offence: €200. There are exemptions and permits for residents, property owners and tenants, businesses, people with reduced mobility, loading and unloading, hotels, workshops, health centres, public car parks, taxis, private hire vehicles, buses and historic vehicles.
And if the car still has German plates
This matters a lot while the registration is being processed. A car on foreign plates has no DGT sticker, so to enter the low emission zone it has to be entered in the permit register. The requirements, set for driving until 31 December 2026: petrol Euro 3 or above, diesel Euro 4 or above. For residents and property owners the permit lasts a maximum of 6 months, and renewing it requires registering the car in Spain. For temporary visitors, 30 calendar days, applied for at least 5 calendar days in advance.
And one detail that catches everyone out: the resident or owner permit is only for driving, not for parking inside the zone. Temporary visitors can park.
What does not change with the fuel
Roadworthiness testing. The frequency is set by Royal Decree 920/2017, article 6.1, and it is the same for all privately used cars: exempt up to 4 years, every two years after that, annually past 10. It draws no distinction by fuel, so an electric car does not go less often. (We did not find the island council's fee table by fuel type in Mallorca, so we give no figures.)
What does change, and a lot: the taxes
This is the real economic difference between one engine and another, and it has nothing to do with bans:
- Registration tax: based on homologated CO₂. In the Balearics, up to 120 g/km it is 0 %, and above 200 g/km it is 16 %. An electric car pays nothing; a V8 pays the top rate. Work it out with the registration tax calculator.
- Annual road tax in Palma: a 75 % reduction for the ZERO sticker and 50 % for ECO.
Our reading, one line per case
- You will drive into Palma daily and want peace of mind for ten years: ECO or ZERO. They are the only ones with no expiry date in the low emission zone.
- You cover a lot of miles around the island and the car is for mixed use: a modern diesel with a C sticker is perfectly valid today and will be until 2030 inside the zone, and outside it with no limit. But reckon with its sticker being the first one in the queue.
- You want to pay the least tax: electric or a plug-in hybrid under 120 g/km. Zero registration tax and a reduction on the annual one.
That last part is our opinion based on the tables above, not a fact. The facts are the tables.
Frequently asked questions
Is it banned to bring a diesel to Mallorca since 2025?
No. Law 10/2019 provided for it, but that ban was repealed: article 26.14 of Law 7/2024 rewrote the paragraph, which now refers to state legislation and to regional emission plans.
Did the Constitutional Court strike it down?
No. There was no judgment. It was first suspended by a joint State-regional commission agreement in 2019 and then repealed by statute, in Law 7/2024.
And the 2035 ban?
That one is still in force: from 1 January 2035 motorcycles, cars, vans and light commercials that are not zero-emission will not be allowed to circulate in the Balearics, save for exceptions to be established by regulation. There is no automatic exemption for cars already here.
Can I drive into central Palma with a diesel?
It depends on the sticker, not on the fuel. Today only cars with no sticker are shut out. From 1 January 2027 the B sticker will be excluded too, and from 1 January 2030 the C as well.
And if the car still has German plates?
It has no DGT sticker, so it has to be entered in the low emission zone permit register: minimum Euro 3 on petrol or Euro 4 on diesel. For residents, six months maximum, and renewing requires registering it in Spain. Note that the permit allows driving but not parking inside the zone.
Does an electric car need testing less often?
No. The frequency is the same for all privately used cars: exempt up to 4 years, every two years after that and annually past 10.
Sources
- Balearic Law 10/2019 on climate change (consolidated text)
- Law 7/2024, article 26.14 — the act that rewrote the diesel ban
- Palma City Council — low emission zone information
- Palma City Council — low emission zone for foreign-plated vehicles
- Royal Decree 920/2017, article 6 — roadworthiness test frequency
Every source was checked on 25 September 2026. Tax rules change: if you are reading this much later, confirm it or ask us.
