Departing from Palma Airport
If you arrive at the airport by car, you will find that there are plenty of parking options. If you’re arriving by bus or taxi, you can be taken directly to departures. Car rental return is on the ground level of the main car park.
| ➯Check-in | ➯Passport control |
| ➯Tax refund | ➯Modules/departure gates |
| ➯Time to spare | ➯Airport Lounges |
| ➯Travelling with children | ➯Boarding |
| ➯Security checkpoint |
Public Departures Hall and Check-In
Terminal building opening times
The terminal building at Palma Airport is open 24 hours a day. During the night, some of the external doors may be closed, so you might need to make your way to the central door that remains open.
Palma Airport has one main terminal (this houses the public arrivals and departures hall as well as security control) and four adjoining buildings called “Modules” A, B, C, and D, where the boarding gates are located.
Online check-in
It’s now possible to check in online with almost all airlines. With some airlines, check-in is open for several weeks, while others have a check-in window of only a few days prior to departure. Online check-in can usually be completed up to 2 hours before your scheduled departure. Remember to print your boarding pass or save it on one of your mobile devices (phone or tablet) when you check in online.
If you are travelling only with hand luggage, checking in online will allow you to proceed through the airport more quickly. Once in the departures area of the main terminal building, just follow the signs to the security checkpoint on level 2. Scan your boarding pass to get through the automatic barriers and make your way through the security checkpoint. Then head towards your Module (A, B, C, or D) for boarding.
If you’ve checked in online and have hold luggage, you’ll need to locate your airline’s check-in desk on level 2 of departures, where you can drop off your luggage before heading to security.
Check-in at the airport
If you haven’t checked in online, you can of course still do this at the airport. However, please be aware that some airlines charge for this. The check-in desks are on level 2 of the main terminal building. To help you find your way around more easily, the check-in area is divided into different zones (A to F), and each check-in desk has an individual number. Take a look at the monitors to find out which check-in desk is assigned to your flight. A staff member at the desk will complete the check-in for you and issue your boarding pass.
Palma Airport offers a number of self-service check-in kiosks for selected airlines. It’s advisable to confirm availability with your airline in advance. The machines are located on the second floor, usually positioned next to the check-in desks. Here, you can complete your check-in and print your boarding pass quickly and conveniently.
After check-in, you can make your way to security control (also on level 2 of the main terminal building) and from there on to your boarding module and gate.
Arriving from a cruise ship
If you are arriving from a cruise ship, it’s possible to get your boarding pass and check in your luggage at the seaport. For more information on how the procedure works and using this facility, you may need to communicate with your cruise line and follow their guidance.
Oversized objects/bicycles
You will need to go to your regular check-in desk and check in larger objects. They will supply you with the appropriate luggage labels for your oversized luggage and direct you to the oversized luggage bay.
Eligible for a tax refund?
If you live outside the European Union and you are leaving the EU on your flight from Palma Airport, you may be eligible for a tax refund. Please see our page Tax Refund at Palma Airport for more information.
Time to spare?
There are a number of shops and restaurants on floor 2, where you can spend some last-minute time with friends and family who aren’t travelling. There are also many more facilities beyond security, but these are for passengers only.
If you want to browse the web, catch up with your e-mails, or social media, you can make use of the airport’s wifi. Read more about the different options and how to access the Palma Airport wifi. Please note that smoking is not permitted anywhere inside the terminal building. Find out about the smoking areas at Palma Airport.
Travelling with children
If you are travelling with children, you will find plenty of facilities, like play areas, feeding and changing rooms, etc., at Palma Airport. Please see here for more information.
If you are looking for “non-screen” entertainment to keep your little ones busy for a while, why not download and print our free “Mallorca Airport” Kids’ Travel Pack?
Security Check Point
The security checkpoint used to be located on level 4 of the main terminal, but since the beginning of November 2024, it can be found on level 2. You will need to scan your boarding pass in order to get through the automatic barriers. Both a printed version and a boarding pass displayed on a mobile device like a tablet or mobile phone can be used for this.
Once inside the security control area, your hand luggage, including your jacket, mobile phone, hat, etc, needs to be placed on one or several plastic trays to allow it to be x-rayed. All passengers will have to walk through a metal detector. Find more detailed information about the security screening at Palma Airport here.
Airside / Passenger-Only-Area
Once you have passed security control, you are on the “airside” of the airport, the area only security-screened passengers have access to. If you are taking an inter-island flight, you will go straight on to Module B.
For all other flights, you will need to make your way up the escalators to level 4, where you will enter a large duty-free shopping area. At the other end of the duty-free zone, you can either make your way to your boarding gate (turn right for Module A, left for Modules B and C – all of this is clearly signposted) or spend some time in the new commercial area where you will find a great variety of shops and stores, bars, and restaurants. Do keep in mind that it may still take you around 10 to 20 minutes to get from the commercial area to your boarding gate (possibly longer if you are flying to a non-Schengen country), so don’t leave it too late to make your way through to your departures module.
Passport Control
If you are flying to a country outside the Schengen area, your flight will depart from Module A. On the way there, you will need to go through passport control.
Europeans who have national ID cards may be able to use them for travel to other European countries. However, many travellers will be required to present their passports, as is the case for all non-Schengen nationals. Please familiarise yourself with the entry requirements to the country you are travelling to in good time before your journey.
If you are unsure, you may wish to enquire with your airline. Permission to board flights bound for countries with entry restrictions may be declined without the correct documentation. If you are a UK national travelling to the UK, please also see our related page “Brexit – Travel between the UK and Mallorca“. If you are a non-UK passport holder travelling to the UK, please see our page “Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) for travel from Mallorca to the UK“.
Modules
The boarding gates at Palma Airport are located in the four adjoining buildings, the so-called modules A, B, C, and D. There, you will find several Duty-Free Express shops, which are smaller than the main duty-free area just after security control. There is also a variety of shops, bars, and restaurants.
The module your flight will depart from depends on your destination:
| MODULE | DESTINATION |
| A | International, non-Schengen flights |
| B | Inter-island flights |
| C + D | Spanish mainland + Schengen area |
Check one of the many information screens to find out which gate your flight will depart from. It’s a good idea to do this as early as possible, as your gate may be some distance from the main terminal building. The gates are well signposted. Although the airport is divided into four modules, the gate numbering follows a straightforward system similar to other airports, with the addition of the corresponding module letter, for example, A1–28 or C50–59.
Numerous lifts, escalators and moving walkways are available to make the journey to your gate as smooth and efficient as possible. However, depending on your walking pace, the location of your gate and the level of passenger traffic, it can take between 10 and 20 minutes to reach your departure point. Passengers with reduced mobility can request assistance, but this must be arranged in advance. Further details are available on our Disability Assistance page.
Airport Lounges
If you are not too keen on all the hustle and bustle at the airport and would rather spend your waiting time in more relaxing surroundings, why not visit one of the four airport lounges? In order to gain access to these, you can pay an admission fee at the door, or you can book a Palma Airport lounge ticket in advance and at a reduced price.
Boarding
Once at your boarding module, if you haven’t had time to shop or refresh yourself beforehand, you can do so here. There are plenty of places to eat and drink, and shops to browse while waiting to board your flight.
It is important to be at your gate in good time. Your boarding time is printed on your boarding pass, and you should also check the information screens at regular intervals in case of any changes. Late arrival at the boarding gate could mean that the gate is already closed, in which case you will no longer be able to board the flight!
As normal, when boarding your flight, you will be asked to present your ID and boarding pass. On some boarding gates, you will find an “air-jetty” walkway, which allows you to walk straight onto the plane. Certain flights require a short walk, including stairs, to the aeroplane from the gate, while others involve a short bus transfer from the module to the aircraft.
Should the thought of flying make you a little nervous, do take a look at our infographic “How safe is flying?“!
➯See here for information about ARRIVING AT PALMA AIRPORT
➯See here for GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT PALMA AIRPORT