Formentera has closed its 2026 season of regulating vehicle entry, circulation and parking on the island, with 48,038 applications processed under the Formentera.eco system.

Of those applications, 40,988 were authorised, 5,393 were rejected and 1,657 were either not completed or remained pending because documentation was still required.

More than 9,000 visitor authorisations

Among the authorisations issued specifically for visitors, the island approved 8,317 permits for cars and 1,287 for motorcycles.

The system also granted 2,222 authorisations for cars belonging to residents of Mallorca and Menorca, together with 572 for motorcycles.

In addition, 652 authorisations were issued for electric vehicles and 2,336 for hybrid vehicles.

Residents of Ibiza received 6,282 authorisations for cars and 1,223 for motorcycles during the 2026 season.

Long-term permits checked for the first time

One of the changes introduced this season was the first review of certain long-term vehicle authorisations to check whether they were actually being used.

Following these checks, the Consell de Formentera revoked 122 permits linked to vehicles belonging to Ibiza residents and seasonal workers after establishing that the vehicles had not circulated on the island for 15 consecutive days.

The measure was intended to ensure that long-duration permits correspond to vehicles genuinely being used in Formentera.

Vehicle cap has fallen since 2019

Formentera's vehicle regulation system was introduced in 2019. The island's authorised vehicle ceiling has since fallen from 12,450 to 10,287 vehicles.

The reduction of more than 2,000 vehicles has primarily been applied to rental and visitor vehicles. The 2026 ceiling of 10,287 was formally established for the regulated period in the official 2026 resolution.

A separate analysis published after the 2026 season reported that the 48,038 applications represented around 17% fewer applications than in 2025, when 57,863 were recorded. The number of authorisations granted also fell from 51,214 in 2025 to 40,988 in 2026. Because the 2026 reporting separately identifies 1,657 incomplete or pending applications, the comparison of rejected applications between the two years is less straightforward.

Changes being considered for future seasons

The Consell now wants to make changes to the way the Formentera.eco system operates.

One proposal is to prevent vehicles belonging to seasonal workers from being counted within the visitor vehicle quota. The institution argues that these vehicles are linked to people who are needed to maintain services and economic activity on the island.

The Consell is also considering new criteria for vehicles associated with second homes, including the possibility of allowing one vehicle authorisation per property.

Another proposal concerns residents travelling between the Balearic Islands, with the Consell considering whether such movements could be treated differently within the vehicle quota system while maintaining safeguards against an uncontrolled increase in vehicles on Formentera.

The Consell has also launched a survey for Formentera residents to gather views on the vehicle regulation system, including perceptions of traffic saturation, mobility, parking and compliance. The results are intended to contribute to decisions about the next stage of Formentera.eco.

Formentera introduced its vehicle-entry regulation as part of its wider environmental and mobility policy, and the island now plans to use the experience of the first eight seasons, together with technical data and residents' views, when considering how the system should evolve.