Spanish law on the registration of guests in holiday homes
In Spain, operators of holiday homes must comply with the Royal Decree (Real Decreto) 933/2021. The regulation has been fully mandatory since 2 December 2024, requiring the collection and transmission of guest data to the Spanish security authorities.
Who is affected?
The registration requirement applies to:
Holiday homes (Viviendas Turísticas / VUT)
Tourist apartments
Hotels
Guesthouses
Rural accommodations
Other providers of short-term accommodation
What data must be collected?
For each guest, the following information must be collected, among others:
First and last name
Date of birth
Nationality
Gender
Type of identification document
ID or passport number
Residential address
Contact details
Reservation and stay information
Who must be registered?
All guests must be registered.
Guests aged 14 and over must identify themselves with an identification document.
Children under 14 must also be recorded; the information is provided by a parent or legal guardian.
Where is the report made?
The data is transmitted electronically via the platform SES.HOSPEDAJES of the Spanish Ministry of the Interior. Every landlord or manager must register there and submit the required reports in a timely manner.
Deadlines
Guest data must be transmitted electronically within the legally prescribed deadlines. In practice, the report is usually made no later than 24 hours after check-in or after booking.
Retention obligation
The recorded data and evidence must be kept for at least three years and must be presented to the authorities upon request.
Sanctions for violations
In case of non-compliance with the regulations, fines may be imposed, for example, for:
late or incorrect reports,
lack of registration as an accommodation provider,
failure to transmit guest data.
Depending on the severity of the violation, penalties can range from several hundred euros to several tens of thousands of euros.
Practical requirements for operators of holiday apartments
To meet the legal requirements, operators should:
Register their accommodation with SES.HOSPEDAJES.
Collect the identification data of all guests before or at check-in.
Report the data electronically in a timely manner.
Keep the documents for at least three years.
Comply with the requirements of the GDPR and Spanish data protection law.
The reporting obligation applies regardless of whether the booking is made through platforms such as Airbnb or Booking.com or directly via one's own website.