Traveller Registration with the Spanish Police

October 2024

If you’ve ever enjoyed a holiday in Spain, you may know that you need to show legal ID during the check-in. Now, it’s time to look at that process from the landlord’s point of view. Why is it necessary to register travellers with the police, and how can you do it?

What is police registration for holiday rentals in Spain?

If you own any kind of tourist accommodation in Spain, the police want to know who will be staying there. This means you’re legally obliged to complete police traveller registration for each guest. This must be presented to the police within 24 hours of check-in.

There are a few reasons for this. Firstly, the Spanish authorities like to know who is in their country and where they are staying at any given time. Similarly, everyone in Spain —citizens, residents and visitors— is legally obliged to carry ID with them at all times and show to the police if requested. This may seem unfair to travellers from countries with more relaxed laws, but it’s a basic legal requirement of the Spanish system.

Secondly, these registrations can be used to monitor the number of tourists staying in an area at any given time. In recent years, several popular Spanish holiday destinations have had problems with overtourism. This system allows the local authorities to check how many visitors are in their municipality at one time.

Finally, in some parts of the country —currently Catalonia and the Balearic Islands, but more regions are likely to follow soon— there is a tourist tax levied. This must be paid on a per-head, per-night basis. Legal guest registration means that the authorities can quickly see how many visitors stay in each facility and how much tax is due to be paid.

Landlords who rent holiday flats but do not register guests face severe legal consequences. These start with fines but can be much stricter —in some cases, landlords have lost their tourism licences for failure to comply with this law.

How can I register travellers when I rent out my holiday home?

As a rule, you are expected to register travellers after check-in. You will need to fill out a traveller registration form and send it to the authorities within 24 hours. In addition, you must keep a traveller register book, which can be physical or digital. This book can have a minimum of 100 and a maximum of 500 pages.

As part of the registration process, you will need the following information from each guest:

• Full name
• Email address
• National ID or passport number

You will also need to provide the following information:

• Accommodation address
• Duration of stay

Luckily, this process has been simplified through online platforms. Landlords can now use these platforms to quickly register travellers without having to physically go to their local police station.

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How to use the Civil Guard Accommodation Registry online

Spain has several police forces, which can be quite confusing for people from other countries. The Guardia Civil, or Civil Guard, is the body in charge of most guest registration around Spain. Before you can use its online platform, you’ll need to register as a landlord.

To do this, download the registration form from the Guardia Civil Hospederías website. You’ll need to present it in person at your nearest Guardia Civil station. Make sure you attend the correct station —if you see a sign for a police station, it may be the policía nacional, which has no jurisdiction in your area.

Once your registration has been approved, you will be sent the relevant information to use the online platform. This includes a unique code for your establishment. Now, you can quickly and easily register guests online.

It’s important to note that the Guardia Civil will send you a form for guests to complete. In fact, the guests don’t actually have to complete it themselves; you can do it for them. Most landlords and hotels do this, both to save guests’ time and avoid any user error. Collect the relevant information from guests during check-in and complete the form once the process is finished.

Regional exceptions to police guest registration

Certain regions in Spain have their own local version of the Civil Guard, so they do not use the Guardia Civil guest traveller form. If you have a holiday home for rent in Catalonia or the Basque Country, you will need to go through the relevant regional authorities.

As in other areas, you’ll first need to register yourself as a landlord at your local police station in Catalonia or the Basque Country. Again, make sure you go to the correct police station, not the policía nacional. In Catalonia, look for a Mossos d’Esquadra station; in the Basque Country, you’ll need the Ertzaintza. Each region has its own online platform for registering guests. The good news is that in both Catalonia and the Basque Country, the information that you collect from guests is the same as it is in the rest of the country.

Registering guests in Catalonia

In Catalonia, you have to register guests with the Mosssos d’Esquadra, the Catalan police force. Here’s how you can find the Mossos accommodation registration form:

• Open the serveis i tràmits tab on the Mossos d’Esquadra website.
• Click on registre de viatgers d’establiments d’hostalatge.
• Click on registració d’establiment.
• You’ll find the form listed under formulari de registració d’establiment.

Registering guests in the Basque Country

The Ertzaintza is the police force of the Basque Country. To register guests with them, head to their website and follow these steps:

• Look under ‘Companies’ on the Ertzaintza website.
• Here, you will find a ‘Hotel registration’ section.
• Click the link to access the form.

What is the Webpol platform for hotels and holiday rentals?

Webpol is a Spanish platform where you’ll find the Mossos d’Esquadra, Ertzaintza and Guardia Civil guest traveller forms. This handy platform allows you to quickly register guests online.

To use it, you’ll first need to follow the above steps to register your accommodation for your region. Then, you’ll be given a Webpol username and password. This allows you to quickly and easily register guests when they stay in your accommodation. Webpol is a safe platform and fully compliant with European Union laws on data protection. This allows you to reassure your guests if they have any doubts about its usage.

As a holiday rental landlord in Spain, it’s essential that you follow these steps. If you don’t, your business could be in jeopardy. Registering guests doesn’t take long, and the consequences of non-compliance are extremely serious.

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