Certain town halls in Mallorca are suggesting that prices and availability of times for civil marriages in Palma are the cause of increased demand that they have been experiencing. These are municipalities mainly in the so-called Inca railway corridor. One of them is Alaro, where demand for marriages has shot up. Mayor Llorenç Perelló says that "town halls are here to serve the citizens and they will be served whenever possible", but his town hall should not be having to relieve "bottlenecks" elsewhere. He is considering an increase in rates for non-residents of Alaro if the demand doesn't come down.
In Alaro, marriages are free to people who are registered with the town hall so long as these are ceremonies in municipal facilities, e.g. the town hall building. In other places the price is 120 euros. For non-residents, the prices are 120 and 350 euros respectively. Alaro has some 3,700 inhabitants and thirteen councillors.
In Palma, with a population of around 410,000, the town hall marries an average of 230 couples each year; this is less than twice as many as in Alaro. The ceremonies are available every Friday and Saturday in the council chamber. They cost 74.26 euros for people who are registered and 159.14 euros for those who are not. At Bellver Castle, marriages are on Saturdays; they are 159.14 euros for those who are registered in Palma and 424.36 euros for those who are not. In August there are no weddings because of councillors' holidays and in December and January there aren't any either; this is because of all the various fiestas.
In municipalities not on this 'corridor', town halls haven't experienced the type of demand that Alaro has been. In Alcudia, for instance, there were 44 marriages in 2022, five fewer than in 2021. Mayor Domingo Bonnín explains: "All the weddings are held in the council chamber. They are free for people who have been registered in Alcudia for more than two years (one of the couple is enough). If they are not registered or have been registered for less than two years, the price is 100 euros."
Among other municipalities where marriages for residents are free is Escorca. The town hall charges 150 euros to those who are not registered. In Escorca, it might be noted, the registered population isn't that much over 200.
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