A quick correction first: there is no Real Decreto 933/2026. The rule people are searching for is Real Decreto 933/2021, of 26 October. It sets the documentary registration and reporting duties for anyone offering lodging or vehicle rental in Spain. If you rent out a tourist apartment, run a hostel or manage a hotel, it means you must send your guests’ data and your booking data to the Ministry of the Interior, electronically, within 24 hours.
This guide explains who is covered, what you must report, when, what happens if you get it wrong, and how to set up a process that does not depend on someone remembering to type data at midnight.
TL;DR
- The correct name is Real Decreto 933/2021. It replaced the old paper-era traveler register with a digital report sent through the Ministry of the Interior’s SES.Hospedajes platform.
- It applies to every lodging provider, professional or not: tourist rentals, hotels, hostels and platforms that intermediate.
- Reservation and guest data must be reported within 24 hours, and you must keep your own digital record for three years.
- Fines under Ley Orgánica 4/2015 run from 100 to 600 euros for minor infractions and from 601 to 30,000 euros for serious ones.
- Manual entry works but invites duplicates and missed cancellations. Web service integration automates the submission.
Table of Contents
- What Real Decreto 933/2021 is and why it exists
- Who must comply
- What you must report, and how fast
- How the reporting works in SES.Hospedajes
- What happens if you do not comply
- The most common mistakes
- A practical compliance checklist
- Our perspective: where hosts lose time and money
- How EuroCheckin helps you comply
- FAQ
- Sources
What Real Decreto 933/2021 is and why it exists
The decree regulates the documentary registration and information duties that Spain’s public safety legislation places on people who provide lodging or rent vehicles. Article 1 states exactly that purpose in the text published in the BOE.
The Ministry of the Interior explains the reasoning: the previous traveler register dated from 1959 and the car rental register from 1974, and both had become outdated. The new system covers business models that did not exist then, such as holiday homes and online bookings. The Ministry announced the activation of the new register on 2 December 2024, which is the date most people mean when they say the decree “came into force” for day-to-day operations.
The decree was approved in 2021, but the obligation became operational in practice only when the platform went live. That gap explains why you still see articles dated 2024 and 2025 describing it as “new”.
Who must comply
The Ministry’s own FAQ says the obligated parties are all individuals and companies carrying out lodging or vehicle rental activities, as set out on the Ministry of the Interior’s lodging page. In practice that includes:
- Owners of vacation rentals and tourist apartments, including those who rent only a few weeks a year.
- Property managers who run units on behalf of owners.
- Hotels, hostels, guesthouses and similar establishments.
- Digital platforms and other intermediaries involved in the booking, since the obligations extend to them from December 2024.
Professional or not: why the tax census matters
The decree distinguishes between professional and non-professional providers, and the distinction rests on registration in the Censo de Empresarios y Profesionales. PwC’s analysis points out that this changes the communication obligations and the registration method. Before you worry about software, confirm with your tax adviser that your tax status matches your activity.
When several intermediaries are involved
A common mistake is to assume that the booking platform reports for you. The Ministry’s guidance indicates that, where there are several intermediaries, responsibility falls on the one that holds the direct, final contractual relationship with the customer. Read your contracts and identify who must upload the data. If it is you, nobody else will do it.
What you must report, and how fast
The decree requires two kinds of information, defined in its annexes: data about the reservation or service, and data about the people staying. The BOE text lists the required fields in Annexes I and II, so check them there instead of relying on a summary.
The key timing rule: communication must happen within 24 hours of the booking, the cancellation or the start of the service, using electronic procedures. That means cancellations count too, and that is where many hosts slip.
| Event | What to communicate | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Booking made | Reservation data | 24 hours |
| Booking cancelled | Cancellation | 24 hours |
| Guests arrive | Data of each guest staying | 24 hours from the start of the service |
The data you collect must match the identity documents guests show you. According to the Ministry’s page on entry reports, the provider is responsible for the accuracy of the data against those documents.
How the reporting works in SES.Hospedajes
The Ministry’s electronic office hosts the Hospedajes application, created to submit the information required by the decree. It replaced the older systems used for tourist homes, the Guardia Civil’s lodging pages and the police’s web portal for hotels.
You have two ways to send data:
- Manual upload on the platform. You enter each reservation and each guest by hand. It is allowed, but every field is a chance for a typo.
- Web service integration. Software sends the data directly to the platform. This is the route the Ministry’s system supports for automation, and it removes most of the human errors.
To connect through a web service you need credentials issued by the platform for your establishment: the web service user, the landlord code (código de arrendador) and a password. Copy them exactly as they appear. A stray space or a swapped character is enough to make the connection fail.
Keep your own record too
Even when you upload to the platform, you must keep an internal digital record of guest data. The Ministry states a retention period of three years from the end of the service. Because this is personal data, storage and access must also respect GDPR.
Catalonia and the Basque Country
The decree applies nationwide, but regional police forces (Mossos d’Esquadra and Ertzaintza) have transferred powers. If your property is in either region, confirm the exact communication channel with the competent authority before you set up your process. The Ministry’s announcement is a good starting point.
What happens if you do not comply
The decree itself does not set the fines. Penalties come from Ley Orgánica 4/2015 on public safety. Its penalty scale is:
| Type | Fine |
|---|---|
| Minor infraction | 100 to 600 euros |
| Serious infraction | 601 to 30,000 euros |
| Very serious infraction | 30,001 to 600,000 euros |
The classification of each breach depends on the specific case and the authority’s assessment. In general terms, omitting communications or lacking the required records is treated as serious, while errors in records or late communications are treated as minor. Errors also count: a wrong or incomplete entry can be sanctioned even when you did report.
That is why accuracy matters as much as speed. Checking the data against the scanned identity document before sending is the most reliable way to avoid an involuntary mistake. If you receive a notice or an inspection, talk to a lawyer who handles administrative or public safety matters, because the amount and classification are decided case by case.
The most common mistakes
- Forgetting cancellations. The 24-hour clock applies to them as well.
- Duplicate records. Entering the same guest manually and through another channel creates two reports.
- Assuming the platform reports for you. Check who holds the final contractual relationship with the guest.
- Typos in credentials or document numbers. Copy exactly as shown.
- Not keeping the internal record. Uploading to the platform does not replace your three-year archive.
- Ignoring your tax status. The professional or non-professional classification changes your obligations.
A practical compliance checklist
- Confirm your tax status and that your activity is registered correctly.
- Request your credentials on the Ministry’s platform for each accommodation.
- Decide who reports: you, your manager or an intermediary. Put it in writing.
- Collect guest data before arrival, ideally through an online form, so that you are not chasing documents on the day.
- Check the data against the identity documents.
- Send reservation, cancellation and guest data within 24 hours.
- Keep a digital record for three years, stored securely.
- If you are in Catalonia or the Basque Country, confirm the channel with the authority.
Our perspective: where hosts lose time and money
We see the same pattern with owners and managers. The law itself is not hard to understand. The difficulty is repetition: every booking, every guest, every cancellation, every day, with a 24-hour limit and no tolerance for typos. A process that relies on memory breaks on the busiest weekend of the year.
That is why we built EuroCheckin around automation. Guests complete a multilingual online check-in form, the data goes to SES.Hospedajes without manual work and without duplicate records, and your digital traveler register is kept in infrastructure inside the European Union. You get instant notices so that you can follow each arrival in real time. Our approach follows Real Decreto 933/2021 and GDPR, but it does not replace your own responsibility: you still need to confirm your tax status, your contracts with intermediaries and, in Catalonia and the Basque Country, the right channel.
Our advice for anyone starting out: do not wait for the first fine to automate. Set up the connection before your next arrival, test it with a real booking, and check that the credentials are copied exactly.
— Sofía Herrera
How EuroCheckin helps you comply
If you manage tourist accommodation, EuroCheckin para alojamientos costs 5 € per month per accommodation and includes a free trial. It combines online check-in, automatic reporting to SES.Hospedajes, calendar sync with Airbnb, Booking, Vrbo and more than 12 platforms, digital contracts with e-signature and integration with Nuki, TTLock and Yale smart locks.
Hotels can use EuroCheckin para hoteles at 3 € per month per room. If you would rather have someone set up the registration for you, our Registro en SES Hospedajes service starts from 79 € one-off per accommodation.
FAQ
Is there a Real Decreto 933/2026?
No. The decree is Real Decreto 933/2021, of 26 October. The “2026” in some searches is a typo. The text is published in the BOE and has not been replaced by a 2026 version in the sources we reviewed, so check the BOE for any later amendments.
Do I have to report if I only rent my apartment occasionally?
Yes. The Ministry says the obligation covers all individuals and companies that carry out lodging activities, professional or not. What changes is the method and the communication details, which depend on whether you are registered in the tax census as a professional.
Does Airbnb or Booking report my guests for me?
Not automatically. When several intermediaries are involved, responsibility lies with the one holding the direct and final contract with the guest. Review your contract to see who must send the data, and do not assume it is the platform.
How long do I have to keep guest data?
Three years from the end of the service, according to the Ministry of the Interior. You must keep it in your own digital record, protected under GDPR, even if you have already uploaded it to SES.Hospedajes.
Sources
- Real Decreto 933/2021, BOE-A-2021-17461
- Ley Orgánica 4/2015 on public safety, BOE-A-2015-3442
- Ministry of the Interior: Hospedajes y alquiler de vehículos
- Ministry of the Interior: Partes de entrada y obligaciones de registro documental
- Ministry of the Interior: activation of the new lodging register
- Ministry of the Interior electronic office: Hospedajes procedures
- PwC: Nuevas obligaciones en el sector del turismo
