If you manage a tourist accommodation in Spain, you already know that Royal Decree 933/2021 requires you to submit guest data to SES.HOSPEDAJES. But there is a second number you also need: your accommodation’s tourist registration number.
They are not the same thing. RD 933/2021 covers guest data. The tourist registration number identifies the property itself. Airbnb and Booking already ask for it. From May 2026, without it you cannot list on any major European platform.
What the tourist accommodation registration number is
It is the code that proves your accommodation is legally registered as a short-term tourist rental (vivienda de uso turístico — VUT) with your autonomous community. The name varies by region:
- Número de inscripción en el Registro de Viviendas Turísticas (Madrid, Castile and León)
- Número de inscripción RTEA (Andalusia — Registro de Turismo de Andalucía)
- Número de inscripción en el Registro de Turismo (Valencian Community, Canary Islands)
- NRUA — Número de Registro Único de Arrendamiento (the unified national designation being established under Spain’s Housing Act, Ley 12/2023)
If you already hold a tourist licence from your autonomous community, that number is the one you need. The national NRUA will eventually consolidate all regional registries into a single database, but registration still happens at the regional level for now.
Why Airbnb, Booking, and VRBO require it
EU Regulation 2024/1028 on short-term accommodation rentals entered into force in 2024. Its goal is to require major online platforms to collect, verify, and share host registration data with public authorities. The registration number is the backbone of that system.
From 20 May 2026, platforms are required to:
- Request the registration number from every host listing a tourist accommodation in the EU.
- Verify it against the official registry of the relevant autonomous community.
- Suspend or remove listings where the number is absent or invalid.
- Share reservation data with the competent housing authorities.
Airbnb and Booking have been collecting registration numbers in listing forms since around 2022 in many regions. From May 2026, verification is mandatory and non-compliance means listing removal.
What happens without one
- Your listing can be removed from platforms from May 2026 onwards.
- Your autonomous community can fine you for operating an unregistered tourist rental. Penalties vary but reach thousands of euros in regions like Catalonia and the Valencian Community.
- Your SES.HOSPEDAJES setup may be incomplete: the establishment code (código de establecimiento) required for SES.HOSPEDAJES submissions is separate from the tourist registration number, but most regions require active tourist registration before you can legally operate.
How to register: by autonomous community
Registration is managed by each autonomous community. There is no single national process yet. Key regions:
| Region | Registry name | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| Andalusia | RTEA | Junta de Andalucía — Ventanilla Virtual |
| Valencian Community | Registro de Empresas, Establecimientos y Profesiones Turísticas | GVA Turisme |
| Catalonia | Registre de Turisme de Catalunya | Agència Catalana de Turisme |
| Canary Islands | Registro General Turístico de Canarias | Gobierno de Canarias |
| Balearic Islands | Registro Insular de Empresas, Actividades y Establecimientos Turísticos | Relevant Consell Insular |
| Community of Madrid | Registro de Empresas Turísticas | Comunidad de Madrid |
| Basque Country | Registro de Empresas y Actividades Turísticas | Basque Government |
Note: Catalonia and the Basque Country also have their own guest reporting systems (Mossos d’Esquadra and Ertzaintza) separate from SES.HOSPEDAJES. If you operate there, read this article.
Documents typically required
Requirements vary by region, but the core is consistent:
- Responsible declaration (declaración responsable) or registration application form.
- Cadastral reference (referencia catastral) of the property.
- Proof of ownership or entitlement (title deed, land registry note, or rental agreement if subletting — permitted in some regions, not in others).
- Floor plan or habitability certificate (cédula de habitabilidad — varies by region).
- Public liability insurance (required in Andalusia, Canary Islands, and others).
- Energy performance certificate (required in some regions).
In most communities registration works via responsible declaration: you submit the documents and receive your registration number immediately or within a few working days. You can operate straight away. If there are irregularities, the authority can revoke the registration retroactively.
NRUA and RD 933/2021: two separate obligations
Easy to confuse since both relate to tourist rentals and data. The key difference:
| NRUA / Tourist registration number | RD 933/2021 / SES.HOSPEDAJES | |
|---|---|---|
| What it registers | The property (the accommodation) | The guests (person by person) |
| Who manages it | Autonomous community | Ministry of the Interior |
| How often | Once (registration) + renewals where applicable | Every guest check-in |
| Where it is used | OTA listings, advertising | SES.HOSPEDAJES |
Both are mandatory. One does not replace the other.
What changes with Spain’s Housing Act (Ley 12/2023)
The Housing Act created the legal framework for a national Rental Registration System (RUA) that will connect all regional registries in a single database. Full rollout is tied to regional regulatory development, which autonomous communities are implementing gradually.
For accommodation managers, the practical impact is that your existing regional registration number will be connected to the national system. If you are already registered with your autonomous community, you will not need a separate national procedure.
Before the season: close these five points
- Hold the registration number from your autonomous community’s tourist registry.
- Publish it correctly on your Airbnb, Booking, and VRBO listings.
- Have your lessor code (código de arrendador) and SES.HOSPEDAJES credentials (how to get them).
- Collect the RD 933/2021 guest data before arrival through digital check-in.
- Submit guest reports to SES.HOSPEDAJES within the legal deadline.
Tourist registration is handled by your autonomous community and is usually done once per accommodation. After that, RegistroViajero helps with the recurring work: digital check-in, RD 933/2021 required data, SES.HOSPEDAJES credentials, and guest-report submission to the Ministry without copying information by hand.
