Ibiza's plan to add 13 new fixed taxi licences has moved into a new phase of scrutiny, as municipal studies conclude that traffic congestion and air-quality conditions do not prevent the additional licences while the taxi sector argues that existing VTC services should also be taken into account.

The new licences are intended to strengthen Ibiza Town's taxi service throughout the year, but the process is also highlighting the different rules governing taxis and vehicles with drivers, including services such as Uber.

13 New Fixed Taxi Licences

The Ajuntament d'Eivissa approved the bases for 13 new fixed taxi licences in August.

The measure would increase the number of permanent taxi licences in the municipality from 158 to 171.

The city also has seasonal taxi licences that operate during periods of higher demand.

Six of the 13 new licences are reserved for Eurotaxis, meaning vehicles adapted for passengers with reduced mobility.

The Licences Have Not Yet Been Awarded

The August decision approved the rules governing the allocation of the licences, rather than completing the award to individual operators.

The bases were subsequently published and subjected to a period of public review.

The latest documentation includes allegations submitted by representatives of the taxi sector, meaning the procedure remains subject to the applicable administrative process.

The 13 licences therefore should not be described as 13 taxis already operating in Ibiza.

Why the City Wants More Taxis

The municipal government says the additional permanent licences are intended to respond to a sustained increase in demand for transport.

The city says tourism and mobility demand are becoming less concentrated in the traditional summer months, creating a need for a larger permanent taxi fleet.

The municipal study also points to the recovery of visitor numbers following the pandemic and the longer operating season now experienced by businesses across Ibiza.

Traffic Study Clears One Regulatory Hurdle

One of the main issues examined was traffic congestion.

Under the current Balearic framework, high congestion can become a reason for refusing additional taxi or VTC authorisations when the applicable threshold is reached.

The municipal study for Ibiza recorded a congestion ratio of 67.4% during high season and 69.7% during low season, with an annual average of 68.5%.

The study concluded that the applicable regulatory condition for refusing the new licences was not met.

Air Quality Also Remains Below the Relevant Thresholds

Air quality was examined separately.

In 2024, the annual average concentration of nitrogen dioxide was recorded at 12 micrograms per cubic metre at Can Misses and 10 at Dalt Vila.

The annual legal limit referenced in the municipal documentation is 40 micrograms per cubic metre.

Provisional 2025 figures were lower, at 11 micrograms at Can Misses and 7 at Dalt Vila. The Dalt Vila monitoring station, however, stopped operating on March 12, 2025, so that year's figure is incomplete.

Ozone levels also included individual exceedances of the reference value, but the relevant multi-year number of exceedance days remained below the threshold that would activate the restriction.

The Taxi Sector Wants VTCs Included

The Agrupación de Autotaxis de las Islas Baleares has submitted allegations against the municipal approach.

The sector argues that the calculation of how many taxis Ibiza needs should take account of the VTC vehicles already operating or seeking authorisation.

Its position is based partly on Ibiza's municipal taxi regulations, which require the administration to examine existing supply and demand and consider factors including the increase in the number of VTC vehicles.

The group argues that the municipality's updated traffic and environmental studies were not matched by an equally updated assessment of the overall transport supply.

Spain’s and the Balearics’ Rules Have Changed

The debate takes place under a new regulatory framework for taxi and VTC services in the Balearic Islands.

Decree 6/2026, approved in February, established an updated regional framework for both sectors and lifted the temporary suspension on new VTC authorisations.

The Balearic transport law was also amended in June.

Under the amended legislation, municipalities must base new ordinary taxi licences on objective criteria covering air quality, transport management, traffic and public space.

VTC services are subject to their own authorisation requirements and restrictions.

This Does Not Automatically Open the Door to New VTCs

The findings from Ibiza's traffic and air-quality studies do not mean that new VTC licences can now be granted automatically.

VTC applications remain subject to separate municipal and island-level requirements.

The Balearic Government's current transport framework allows different aspects of mobility, including traffic, sustainable transport management, public space and the protection of island territory and natural resources, to be considered when VTC activity is assessed.

The approval of 13 new taxi licences therefore does not itself establish a new entitlement for VTC operators.

The Uber Question

Uber has become part of the wider public discussion because the company operates through the VTC system rather than through municipal taxi licences.

The debate surrounding the 13 new taxi licences is therefore not simply about one company.

It concerns the broader question of how the island's taxi and VTC fleets should be assessed when authorities decide how much passenger transport supply is appropriate for Ibiza.

The taxi sector argues that VTCs should form part of that calculation, while the municipal process for the new taxi licences is proceeding under the legal criteria currently applicable to ordinary taxis.

Ibiza's Approach to New VTC Authorisations

Separately, the Consell de Ibiza has maintained a restrictive approach to new VTC activity.

The island administration has said that thousands of VTC applications submitted since 2023 are affected by the requirement for prior municipal urban authorisation.

According to the Consell's stated legal strategy, around 6,500 applications are intended to be rejected because applicants do not hold that municipal authorisation.

The Ayuntamiento de Ibiza has previously said it did not expect to open a short-term procedure for granting new urban VTC authorisations, arguing that the city's transport needs were already covered by existing ordinary and seasonal taxis together with public bus services.

These positions concern VTC applications and are separate from the 13 new taxi licences.

What the 13 Licences Mean for Ibiza

The expansion would increase the city's permanent taxi fleet from 158 to 171 licences.

Six of the new positions would provide adapted Eurotaxis, while the remaining licences would be allocated through the procedure established in the municipal bases.

The priority route is designed principally for existing professional taxi drivers and certain qualifying family members working in the sector.

If licences remain available after that stage, they can move into a broader open competition.

Who Can Apply?

Under the published conditions, the first access route gives priority to employees of existing taxi licence holders in Ibiza and to qualifying family members working full-time and exclusively in the sector.

Continuous professional seniority is an important factor in this priority procedure, with working days recorded through Social Security used to establish the relevant experience.

A second, open competition can be used for licences not awarded through the priority route.

That process can take account of professional experience, certified knowledge of English, German or French and certain periods of long-term unemployment.

Licence Costs

The new licences also carry a substantial financial requirement.

The established canon is €180,000 for a conventional licence.

For the Eurotaxi licences, the amount is €160,000.

The payment is required before the corresponding licence can be issued and must be accompanied by the required documentation.

What Happens Next

The current procedure must continue through the applicable administrative stages before the 13 licences can be definitively awarded.

The municipality's traffic and air-quality studies have removed two potential grounds for refusing the licences under the current regional framework.

The taxi sector's objections, however, have placed another issue at the centre of the debate: how the city should calculate its overall passenger-transport supply when taxis and VTCs operate under different authorisation systems.

For Ibiza, the outcome will determine not only how the permanent taxi fleet develops, but also how the island's evolving taxi and VTC framework is applied in practice.