Working in Ibiza: season jobs, wages and accommodation

Ibiza Connects · Updated on October 16, 2026 · 11 min read

Every year thousands of people come to Ibiza to work the summer. Some return season after season and end up living here; others go home in July because they couldn't find anywhere to sleep or the conditions weren't what they were promised. The difference almost always comes down to three things: looking at the right time, arriving with your paperwork in order and having accommodation sorted before you get on the plane or ferry. That's what this guide is about.

Working in Ibiza: when hiring happens (the season calendar)

The tourist season runs roughly from April or May to October, peaking in July and August. But hiring starts much earlier. Here's how the year looks if you're job-hunting:

The rule from people who've been here for years: if you don't have a job and a home by April, summer gets very hard. Turning up in June "to see what comes up" works less and less, mainly because of housing.

The most in-demand sectors and jobs

Most seasonal jobs are in these sectors:

• Hotels and restaurants: waiting staff, kitchen porters and assistants, cooks, dishwashers, housekeeping, reception, porters, pool lifeguards, entertainment. This is the sector with the most vacancies and the most repeat hiring from year to year.
• Nightlife and beach clubs: bar, floor, security, cloakroom, box office, PR. There's a lot of turnover, but also more short contracts and conditions that vary a lot between employers.
• Villas and private services: cleaning, pool and garden maintenance, private chefs, drivers, guest check-ins. Very busy in summer, and they usually ask for a driving licence and a car.
• Boating: deckhands, skippers, boat cleaning, boat hire. To skipper you need the relevant qualification.
• Retail and transport: shops, supermarkets, car and scooter hire, transfers. Driving a taxi or a chauffeured vehicle requires specific licences.
• Construction, renovation and maintenance: the counterweight to tourism. Mostly from October to April, when hotels and homeowners use the quiet months for building work.

There's also demand outside tourism, in healthcare, education and social services, although access there is usually through job pools and competitive exams, and many public jobs require Catalan.

Wages: the Balearic hospitality agreement

In hospitality, the minimum wage for each job is set by the Balearic Islands hospitality collective agreement (convenio colectivo de hostelería), negotiated between employers and unions for several years at a time and published in the BOIB. It applies equally in Ibiza, Mallorca and Menorca. The current one was agreed in July 2025 between the employers' association and the UGT union (the CCOO union didn't sign), with a 13.5% rise over three years: 6% in 2025, 4% in 2026 and 3.5% in 2027, plus a review clause if inflation spikes.

How it works, without the jargon:

• Levels. Each job sits on a level (a head chef and a kitchen assistant aren't on the same one, for example), and each level has its own monthly base salary in the agreement's tables.
• Extra payments. The agreement sets extra annual payments; they may be spread across your monthly payslip or paid separately.
• Supplements and overtime. Night work, public holidays and overtime have their own rules. Overtime is either paid or given back as time off, but it has to appear on your payslip.
• Tips. They're not part of your salary. They help, but don't count on them to pay the rent.
• Outside hospitality (boating, retail, cleaning, construction and so on), each sector's own agreement applies.

We don't give figures per job because the tables change every year (in 2026, from 1 April), and an out-of-date figure could lead you to accept less than you're owed. Look up the current tables in the BOIB (search for "convenio colectivo de hostelería de las Illes Balears") or ask a union, and compare them with your offer: the gross monthly wage in your contract can't be below the one for your level.

Accommodation: the big problem and how to solve it

Finding somewhere to sleep is harder than finding work. In season, a room in a shared flat can cost what a whole flat costs in many mainland Spanish cities, and supply runs out in spring. Here's how people who come back every year handle it:

Jobs with accommodation included

Many large hotels, some restaurants and villa companies offer staff accommodation: shared rooms in staff residences, flats rented by the company or rooms in the hotel itself. Before you accept, ask in writing:

• Whether accommodation is free or deducted from your wages, and how much.
• How many people you'll share a room and bathroom with.
• Whether meals are included (many hotels feed staff on shift).
• What happens to your room if the contract ends early. If you're let go, you usually lose the bed too.

If you're looking on your own

• Start in January or February, at the same time as the job hunt.
• Widen your radius: Ibiza Town, Sant Jordi, Jesús, Santa Eulària or San Antonio, depending on where you'll work. With a bus or a shared car, a 20-minute commute opens up a lot more options; in the app you can look for or offer a shared car with other people in your area.
• Ask at work: colleagues often know about rooms coming free.
• Be wary of bargains: a cheap room in central Ibiza Town in August is almost always a scam.

Scams that come round every year

• Ads with copied photos and a "landlord" who's abroad and asks for a deposit by bank transfer or Bizum to "hold it".
• Paying several months upfront with no contract or receipt.
• Rooms let to several people at once.
• "Beds" on balconies, in living rooms or in caravans without minimum standards.

The rule: don't pay anything until you've seen the property (in person or on a live video call) and have a document identifying the owner. Everything about contracts, deposits and spotting fraud is in our guide to renting a room or flat in Ibiza; for holiday lets, also see how to check one is legal in villas and holiday rentals.

Paperwork: EU citizens, UK citizens after Brexit and everyone else

EU, European Economic Area and Swiss citizens. You can work without a permit. You'll need an NIE (foreigner identity number), a social security number and a bank account; if you're staying more than three months, also the EU citizen registration certificate. How to get each one is in moving to Ibiza: paperwork.

UK citizens. Since 1 January 2021 the UK has been outside the EU:

• If you were living legally in Spain before that date, the Withdrawal Agreement protects your right to work. The document that proves it is the TIE (the UK government recommends swapping the old green certificate for a TIE).
• If you arrive after that date, you need a visa or work authorisation, which is normally arranged by the company hiring you. On a tourist stay (90 days in any 180-day period) you can't work.

That's why fewer and fewer Brits do the season "freelance" and more arrive with a contract and paperwork handled by large employers.

Other nationalities. You need a residence and work permit. There are specific routes for seasonal work. Under the immigration regulations in force since May 2025, students in higher education on a study stay can work up to 30 hours a week, as long as it's compatible with their course. Conditions change: confirm them with the Spanish consulate in your country or on the Ministry of Inclusion website before committing.

Where to look for work (SOIB, job sites, in person)

• SOIB. The Balearic public employment service lists public and private vacancies, and on its website you can register as a jobseeker and book an appointment (also on 900 101 951). It's free and some employers only advertise there.
• EURES. If you're in another European country, the EURES portal lists Balearic seasonal vacancies and advises on working in Spain.
• Careers pages of hotel chains and restaurant groups. The big ones open recruitment in winter.
• General job sites, filtering by Ibiza or Eivissa.
• In person. In March and April, handing your CV in at restaurants, beach clubs and shops still works, especially if you can start the next day.
• Social media groups. Useful for hearing about vacancies, but also home to cash-in-hand jobs and fake room ads.
• Temping agencies (ETT). They cover extra staff for hotels, events and logistics.

The same applies to Formentera: many of its vacancies are advertised from Ibiza, and accommodation is even scarcer.

Fijo discontinuo contracts: what they are and how they work

If you work the season, you're very likely to be offered a fijo discontinuo contract. It's a permanent contract for work that recurs every year on certain dates, such as the tourist season. It's governed by article 16 of the Workers' Statute and, since the 2021 labour reform, it's the standard way of hiring in seasonal hospitality.

The essentials:

• Call-back. Each season the employer has to call you back, in writing and with notice, following the order and criteria set in the collective agreement.
• Seniority. It counts from the first day of your employment, not just the months you've worked.
• Between seasons you don't work or get paid by the company, but you can claim unemployment benefit if you meet the contribution requirements.
• If you're not called back when it's your turn, it may count as dismissal: speak to a union or an employment lawyer.

Tips for a successful season

• A signed contract before you start, stating your job category, hours, salary and dates. If you're not given a copy, ask for one.
• Do the maths for the whole year. What you earn from May to October also has to cover winter if you have no other work.
• Keep your payslips and check your employment record every few months.
• Plan your transport: many shifts finish in the small hours and some areas have no buses then. Sharing a car with colleagues saves a lot.
• Look after your rest. Seven days a week in August catches up with you in September.
• Build a network. In Ibiza many vacancies are filled by word of mouth; the people you meet in your first season are your best employment agency. If you find it hard to get started, we have ideas in how to make friends in Ibiza.

And if you're thinking about staying once summer is over, read living in Ibiza year round before you decide.

Sources and official information

• SOIB · Balearic Employment Service (vacancies, registration and appointments)
• BOE · Workers' Statute (article 16, fijo-discontinuo contract)
• BOIB · Official Gazette of the Balearic Islands (hospitality collective agreement)
• Noudiari · UGT and employers agree a 13.5% rise in the hospitality agreement (July 2025)
• BOE · Royal Decree 1155/2024, Immigration Regulations (in force since 20-5-2025)
• Seguridad Social · Registration, social security number and employment record
• GOV.UK · Living in Spain (residency, work and the Withdrawal Agreement)
• EURES · European job mobility portal
• Govern de les Illes Balears · Housing emergency plan