ETV tourist licence requirements in Ibiza: a practical guide for villa owners

If you own a villa in Ibiza and want to let it to tourists legally, you need an ETV (Estància Turística de Vacances). The headline is simple. The execution is less so, and the gap between what owners think they're getting and what the licence actually covers is wider than most realise.

This is a working overview, written from the operator side. It's not legal advice; for that, find a Spanish lawyer who specialises in turismo. But it covers what most owners want to know before they spend €15,000 on a process they don't fully understand.

What the ETV is

The ETV is the regional licence issued by the Consell d'Eivissa that allows a property to be marketed as a holiday rental. It is not the same thing as the national rental registration (which came in with Real Decreto 1312/2024 — covered in Spain's tourist rental crackdown), and it is not a planning permission. It is specifically the authorisation to operate as a tourist rental, with the rights and obligations that come with it.

The licence is attached to the property, not to the owner. If you sell the villa, the licence transfers with it (subject to verification). If you buy a villa with an ETV in place, you inherit the licence — and any irregularities in how it was issued.

What the ETV is not

Two persistent misunderstandings:

It is not a guarantee that you can let the property. The ETV is a regional permission. Your community of owners (comunidad de propietarios) may have horizontal property rules that prohibit tourist rentals, regardless of what the Consell allows. Your urbanisation may have additional restrictions. The municipality may have its own overlay. The ETV unlocks the door at the regional level; it doesn't override anything below it.

It is not transferable between properties. This is the one that catches owners who own multiple villas. The ETV is tied to the specific cadastral reference of the property it was issued against. If you demolish and rebuild, divide the plot, or merge two properties, the original ETV does not automatically attach to the new configuration. In some cases it survives; in others it doesn't, and the only way to know in advance is to ask the Consell, in writing, before you start building.

The current moratorium

Since 2022, no new ETV licences have been issued in Ibiza or Formentera. The moratorium is now indefinite. What this means in practice:

• Existing ETVs continue to be valid, subject to renewal.
• Transfers between properties are not possible.
• New licences are not being issued, period.
• The secondary market for properties with existing ETVs has hardened — buyers will pay a significant premium for villas with a verifiable ETV in place.

Owners who are sitting on properties without an ETV should not expect this to change. The political pressure runs in the opposite direction.

The renewal process

ETVs are renewed every five years. The renewal is not automatic. Owners are required to:

1. Submit a declaration of continued compliance with the original licensing criteria
2. Provide evidence of current insurance (third-party liability, minimum €300,000)
3. Demonstrate that the property still meets the physical standards (pool fencing, smoke alarms, occupancy limits)
4. Confirm the tax registration for tourist activity is current
5. Pay the renewal fee

The most common reason renewals are delayed or rejected is the insurance certificate. Owners renew their general home policy without confirming that the tourist-letting endorsement is still attached. The Consell's standard request will sit with the renewal application for months if this isn't addressed up front.

The realistic timeline

For a renewal where everything is in order: three to five months.

For a renewal where something needs clarifying: six to twelve months.

For a renewal where the property has been physically modified since the original licence was issued: it depends entirely on whether the modifications were declared. This is the path that goes wrong most often. Owners who extended a kitchen, converted a garage into a bedroom, or added a guest annexe without updating the cadastre are now sitting on a licence that doesn't match the property the inspector will measure. Resolving this is years, not months.

What inspectors actually check

Three things, in order:

Cadastral match. Does the property as it currently exists match the property described in the cadastral record and the original ETV application? Square metres, room count, pool dimensions.

Occupancy compliance. Is the maximum occupancy posted in the property correct, and does it match the licence? Inspectors will count beds.

Safety equipment. Smoke alarms, fire extinguishers, pool fencing where required, first-aid kit, posted emergency contact numbers.

The cadastral check is the one that surprises owners. A villa that's been operated quietly with an extra bedroom for ten years gets inspected, the inspector measures, and the gap surfaces. Resolution usually requires withdrawing the listing while a planning amendment is processed — which, if it's possible at all, takes another twelve to eighteen months.

What this means for owners

Three practical implications:

If you're buying a villa, the ETV is a major part of the due diligence. Confirm it exists, confirm it's current, confirm it matches the property's actual physical state. The number alone isn't enough; ask for the original application and compare the floor plan. If you're buying with a view to letting through an agency, the operational side of setting up is the other half of the picture.

If you own a villa with an ETV, document everything. Every renewal, every inspection, every modification to the property. The hardest cases we see are owners who can't prove what was permitted when, because the previous gestoría retired and the file is incomplete.

If you're considering modifications, ask first. The Consell will tell you, in writing, whether a planned change affects your ETV. This is free, takes weeks, and prevents the years of remediation that follow unannounced modifications.

The ETV is not a piece of paper you get once and forget about. It's an ongoing relationship with the regional administration, and the owners who treat it that way have far fewer surprises than those who don't.