WARNING Working in Magaluf in 2023: If you are a British passport holder and hoping to come to Magaluf this Summer to work for bars and restaurants, then you may well be in for a shock.
For years, young Brits have been able to enjoy the right to work freely in bars, restaurants, hotels and in attractions right across Majorca.
However, since Brexit, this is no longer the case.
Find out what could happen if you illegally accept a job this summer in Magaluf and how it could affect your future life choices, even when it comes down to where you go on holiday.
As hotels, bars and restaurants prepare for the Summer season, this article may be news for many but this is a warning for those hoping to work in Magaluf in 2023.
Table of Contents
Can British Passport holders work in Magaluf for the Summer?
The short answer is NO. Since Brexit (the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union) the right to live, work and holiday freely in Europe ended for British passport holders.
This means that Brits can no longer enjoy long summers working in bars and restaurants in Magaluf.
Only British passport holders who have the right to live and work in Spain, who are legally resident (and hold a resident’s permit) or have a valid working visa can work in Magaluf or any other Spanish holiday resort for the Summer.
Without either of these documents, it’s not possible to legally get Summer work in Magaluf.
Only Spanish nationals and EU passport holders from anywhere in the European Union still have the right to work in Spain without restrictions or requirements for a visa.
If you are thinking of visiting or working in Mallorca this Summer, then consider subscribing to my Youtube channel Mallorca Under the Sun here for holiday news, travel guides and more, and join the Facebook group here.
How has Brexit affected working in Magaluf
In short, because of Brexit, local businesses in Magaluf are struggling to get staff to work for the Summer season.
Magaluf is a holiday resort that has always relied on British workers to fulfil temporary jobs.
Since Brexit this has meant the removal of the right to work for British passport holders, leaving huge problems for businesses not just in Magaluf but right throughout Mallorca (and Spain) who are now struggling to find staff for the Summer.
What’s more, often the temporary staff do not return, as many are students at university who may come to Magaluf to work for one or two seasons, and then go on to find full-time work.
This often means local businesses have to start recruiting for the new season from zero.
So local businesses in Mallorca are depending on local residents and other EU passport holders to fill these positions.
However, it’s not all bad news, as there are some fantastic opportunities for Irish passport holders to come and work and live in Magaluf for the summer!
However, with Magaluf’s reputation for alcohol tourism, this job offer isn’t very attractive for many other nationalities looking for Summer jobs in Spain.
The mass media reports every Summer has put Magaluf on the map as an undesirable resort for holidaymakers not only to visit, but also to work.
But times are changing and measures are being put in place to improve the resort’s image with huge renovations being made to the area.
In fact, all-inclusive hotels in Magaluf (and el Arenal) have been forced to limit the amount of alcohol guests can have.
You can read more about alcohol limits in all-inclusive hotels in Magaluf here.
Are there only staff shortages in Magaluf?
No! Holiday resorts right through Mallorca are affected by severe staff shortages during the summer months.
From my own experience, after staying in a hotel in Alcudia last Summer, hotels and bars across the island are struggling to find holiday reps and animation staff to entertain guests.
As a result, the hotel where we stayed which is popular with British holidaymakers had a Scandinavian group providing the evening entertainment.
The guests I talked to who had stayed at the property in previous years were not happy with this change.
Fulfilling holiday rep roles has also been problematic right across the island in hotels popular with British visitors. You can read more about this here.
You can see that many holiday rep roles have been replaced by information folders and holiday telephone lines.
The staff shortages have not only been caused by Brexit but by the increase in the cost of living in Mallorca and workers struggling to find accommodation.
The cost of living in Mallorca has skyrocketed over recent years, and the price and availability of rental properties have prevented many workers from coming to the island in the Summer.
To find out about the cost of living in Mallorca, then check out this article here.
Also, find out more about renting an apartment in Mallorca here.
Are British passport holders still coming to work illegally in Magaluf?
From my experience last Summer, yes, many workers are still coming to Magaluf to work illegally.
It is also apparent that young people are unaware of what Brexit involved with regard to their rights to live and work in Spain, even if it is for the summer.
In the video I posted on my Youtube channel about working illegally in Magaluf, which you can see here, there is still a lack of knowledge about Brexit.
One viewer commented, “Come to the Greek Islands, you can work June, July and August, the main season your more than welcome your wanted and it’s better anyway.”
Another viewer commented, “The EU seems to be punishing workers from the UK because of Brexit, but sadly, they’re making life difficult for themselves by not being able to recruit enough staff in the tourism sector.” Again this is another case highlighting the lack of knowledge about Brexit.
The UK isn’t being “punished“. They are just no longer part of the European Union.
Returning to Palma airport last summer, I met a group of young British passport holders who had arrived excitedly at the airport and asked me how long it took for me to get my TIE residence card.
They told me they had been promised a residence card by the bar that was employing them, only if they were able to work for the entire Summer season.
I did tell them if they stayed for the entire season (so longer than three months), the only thing they would get is BANNED from Europe for years and a fine if they were caught working illegally.
This didn’t stop them from collecting their luggage and grabbing the bus to work illegally in Magaluf.
How long can UK passport holders stay in Spain?
British passport holders can stay in Spain and the EU for no longer than 90 days in a 180-day period.
These 90 days are combined with any other trips made to European countries, so keep a count before arriving for your holiday.
British passport holders arriving in Spain are allowed to holiday for this 90-day period (so long as no other trips have been made in the past 180 days to either Spain or elsewhere in Europe).
And just to highlight further, this does not include the right to work for this period of time.
Last Summer, it was highlighted in the press that visitors also need at least £85 per day spending money to enter Spain on holiday.
This sparked panic throughout the travel industry.
According to EU law, third-country tourists (so UK passport holders arriving on holiday) are NOT allowed to work, so therefore should have the funds to support themselves for the duration of their stay.
But are these checks being made at border control at Palma airport? Find out more in this article here.
WARNING Working in Magaluf – staying longer than 90 days in Spain
WARNING working in Magaluf. Not only do you risk being caught and fined while working illegally, but you risk being caught for staying longer than 90 days when returning back to the UK.
The biometric passports are now scanned so the Border Police can now see when you entered Spain and when you are leaving.
So imagine if the bar or business that promised illegal work also promised a residence card at the end of the season and that card never arrives – because it won’t.
You will then have to return to the UK and face being fined and banned from re-entering Europe for years.
So please be careful if you accept a job with conditions that seem too good to be true. If it’s too good to be true, then the job offer is probably a scam.
Where to find Magaluf Summer jobs
If you do have the legal right to work in Spain, then you will be spoilt for choice with a wide selection of jobs.
One of the best places to search for jobs in Magaluf for the Summer is on the Facebook group Magaluf Workers 2023 – click here to see it.
You will see many bars, restaurants and attractions advertising for workers.
However, you will also see job adverts saying “You must have the legal right to work in Spain.”
This means you must have an EU passport or a visa or permit to work in Spain.
Any reputable employer will not want to take the risk of illegally employing British staff to fill positions as they would risk getting a massive fine and risk having their business closed down.
What happens if I work illegally in Spain
Some businesses in Mallorca and in other resorts in Spain are still advertising jobs for Brits.
So if you accept these jobs then understand that if you are a British passport holder without the right to live and work in Spain, you will be working illegally.
That means that if you get caught working illegally, this could ruin future opportunities for you.
Getting caught working illegally in Spain could even mean being banned from entering not just Spain but ALL European countries for many years.
You would also receive a huge fine which would essentially cancel out everything you managed to earn from working illegally in Spain
So you can see how this could affect future holidays too. Serious offenders could even face prison.
How to work legally in Spain for the Summer
You will need to organise a temporary working visa. It is possible to get a temporary work visa to work in Spain for the Summer but isn’t easy. You can read more about it here.
You can see that it’s not an easy process.
All other working visa options involve having a lot of money in your bank account and in many cases, the visa will need to be organised before arriving in Spain which can take months and endless paperwork.
The only work visa that allows you to be based in Spain when you apply is the Digital Nomad visa.
Bear in mind you will need 26,000€ already in your bank account, a contract with a company outside of Spain, pay slips and a work contract to be granted this visa.
You can read more about visa options for working in Spain in this article here.
This is not to say in the future Governments will not negotiate a deal that would allow seasonal workers to come from Spain from outside the EU. Let’s see if this happens.
To find out more about Magaluf, check out this article here and for favourite things to do, check out htis article here.
See how Magaluf compares to El Arenal in this article here.
And if you do decide to take up illegal employment, then please do so at your own risk. This article is just a Warning about working in Magaluf.
