What is the Parte de Viajeros? Spain's Guest Registration Guide 2026
The parte de viajeros (traveler report) is the official record of every guest who stays at a tourist accommodation in Spain: who they are, when they check in and out, and how they pay. It is required by Royal Decree 933/2021 and must be sent to the authorities within 24 hours of the guest’s arrival through SES Hospedajes (Spanish Ministry of the Interior), or through the systems of the Mossos d’Esquadra in Catalonia and the Ertzaintza in the Basque Country. Failing to send it can lead to fines of €601 to €30,000.
This guide covers everything you need to comply: who is obliged, what data you must collect, how to send it, how long to keep it, what the fines are, and a free PDF template of the traveler report.
The traveler report at a glance
| Question | Short answer |
|---|---|
| What is it? | The record of each guest's identity, stay and payment details. |
| Which law regulates it? | Royal Decree 933/2021 and Organic Law 4/2015 on Public Safety (penalties). |
| Who must send it? | Anyone providing accommodation: hotels, hostels, campsites, rural houses and holiday rentals, whether professional or private. |
| Where is it sent? | SES Hospedajes in most of Spain; Mossos d'Esquadra in Catalonia; Ertzaintza in the Basque Country. |
| Deadline? | Within 24 hours of the guest's arrival. |
| Do minors need to be registered? | Yes, all guests. The details of children under 14 are provided by the accompanying adult, stating their relationship. |
| How long must it be kept? | 3 years. |
| What are the fines? | €100 to €600 (minor) and €601 to €30,000 (serious). |
What the traveler report is and what it is for
The traveler report (also called parte de entrada de viajeros, registro de viajeros or guest registration form) is the mandatory notice that the accommodation sends to the police with the details of everyone who stays there. Its purpose is public safety: it allows the National Police and the Guardia Civil to know who is staying where and when, and it is a tool for preventing terrorism and other serious crimes.
The obligation is not new, but it changed significantly with Royal Decree 933/2021, which expanded the data to be reported (including the transaction and payment method) and moved submissions to the SES Hospedajes platform, mandatory since 2 December 2024. This platform replaced the former Guardia Civil system (“hospederías”) and the National Police system. We explain the difference in SES Hospederías vs SES Hospedajes.
In practice, the traveler report involves two separate obligations:
- Document register: collecting and keeping the guest and stay details (the “register book”).
- Reporting: sending that data to the competent authority within 24 hours.
Who must send the traveler report
Every individual or company that provides accommodation in exchange for payment must comply, regardless of the size of the business:
- Hotels, hostels, guesthouses and aparthotels.
- Tourist apartments and holiday rentals (VUT, VV, VFT, depending on the region).
- Rural houses and rural tourism accommodation.
- Campsites and hostels.
- Seasonal rentals and rooms rented to travelers.
- Digital platforms that act as intermediaries in these activities, for the obligations Royal Decree 933/2021 assigns to them.
It makes no difference whether you manage a single flat on Airbnb or a hotel chain: a private owner renting their home to tourists has the same reporting obligation as a hotel. What changes between professionals and non-professionals is how the register is kept (see the table below).
What data the traveler report includes
Royal Decree 933/2021 groups the data into three blocks. It is best to request them before the guest arrives, because information is often missing at check-in (especially the document support number or the payment method).
Details of each traveler
| Field | Notes |
|---|---|
| First name and surnames | Exactly as they appear on the document. |
| Sex | — |
| Document type and number | DNI, NIE, passport or another valid identity document. |
| Document support number | Required for Spanish DNI and NIE. It is a code printed on the document, different from the ID number. |
| Nationality and date of birth | — |
| Usual address | Full address, town and country. |
| Phone and email | Landline or mobile phone and contact email. |
| Relationship | Only when minors travel: relationship with the responsible adult. |
Stay details (contract)
- Contract or booking reference and date it was made.
- Check-in and check-out date and time.
- Number of travelers.
- Property details: full address, number of rooms and whether it has internet access.
Payment details
- Payment type: cash, card, bank transfer, payment platform, etc.
- Identification of the payment method (for example the card type and number, or the IBAN, as applicable) and its holder.
- Card expiry date, where applicable, and payment date.
If the booking comes through a platform (Airbnb, Booking, Vrbo…), the platform handles the payment, and this is stated in the report.
Signature: adult travelers must sign the report (on paper or digitally). Minors do not sign; the responsible adult does.
Deadline for sending the traveler report: 24 hours
The report must be sent within 24 hours of the start of the accommodation service, that is, from the guest’s arrival. You do not need to wait until check-in to collect the data: you can request it in advance and send it as soon as the guest arrives.
Some common situations:
- Late-night or contactless arrivals: the deadline still applies. The safest option is for the guest to complete online registration before arriving. See late-night check-in.
- Guests arriving on different days: each guest is reported from their own arrival. See how to register guests arriving on different days.
- Changes or mistakes: SES Hospedajes lets you modify or cancel a report already sent; correct it as soon as you spot the error.
- Large groups: the deadline is not extended. See how to manage groups of more than 10 people.
Where it is sent: SES Hospedajes, Mossos and Ertzaintza
| Accommodation location | Where the report is sent |
|---|---|
| All of Spain except Catalonia and the Basque Country | SES Hospedajes (Ministry of the Interior) |
| Catalonia | Mossos d'Esquadra system |
| Basque Country | Ertzaintza system |
To send reports to SES Hospedajes you first need to register your accommodation on the platform and obtain your landlord and establishment codes. We explain it step by step in our SES Hospedajes guide.
How to complete the traveler report step by step
Option 1: manually
- Register with SES Hospedajes using your electronic ID and add each establishment. Guide: how to register with SES Hospedajes.
- Collect each guest’s data and signature, on paper (you can use our free template below) or digitally.
- Enter the data in SES Hospedajes using the web form or by uploading a file, within 24 hours of arrival.
- Keep the submission receipt and keep the register for 3 years.
The manual process works, but it takes 5 to 10 minutes per guest, requires copying data by hand (with the risk of mistakes) and depends on someone being available to send it on time, including weekends and holidays.
Option 2: automatically
With software connected to SES Hospedajes via web service, the guest completes online check-in from their phone, scans their document and signs, and the report is sent automatically. This is how Registro Parte Viajeros works:
- Online check-in: you send the guest a link before arrival and they complete their details from any device, in their own language.
- In-person check-in: at reception, reading the MRZ code of the ID card or passport fills in the fields in seconds.
- Automatic submission to SES Hospedajes, Mossos d’Esquadra or Ertzaintza, with a receipt for every report.
- Unlimited reports and guests from €2.50/month per property, with a 7-day free trial.
| Manual | Automatic | |
|---|---|---|
| Time per guest | 5–10 minutes | Done by the guest during online check-in |
| Transcription errors | Frequent | Automatic document reading |
| Submission within 24 hours | Depends on someone doing it | Automatic once check-in is completed |
| Guest signature | On paper or scanned | Digital, from the phone |
| 3-year retention | Your own archive | Digital register included |
Free traveler report template (PDF)
If you prefer to collect data on paper, you can download our traveler report template in PDF for free. It includes every field required by Royal Decree 933/2021: traveler, stay and payment details, plus space for the signature.
Remember that the paper form does not replace the report: the data must still be sent to SES Hospedajes (or Mossos/Ertzaintza) within 24 hours. More details on how to fill it in are in the PDF template guide.
Obligations of the owner or accommodation manager
| Obligation | Applies to | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Register with SES Hospedajes (or Mossos/Ertzaintza) | Everyone | Before receiving guests |
| Collect guest data and signature | Everyone | At the start of the stay |
| Send the report | Everyone | Within 24 hours |
| Keep the register in electronic format | Professionals | Ongoing |
| Keep the records | Everyone | 3 years |
What is the difference between the obligations of professional and non-professional hosts?
| Category | Create report | Electronic register | Data to report |
|---|---|---|---|
| Professionals | ✅ Mandatory | ✅ Mandatory | Full (including transactions) |
| Non-professionals | ✅ Mandatory | ❌ Not mandatory | Basic (guests only) |
How long you must keep the traveler report
Records must be kept for 3 years from the end of the stay and be available to the authorities if they request them during an inspection. After that period, they must be deleted securely, because they are personal data subject to the GDPR. We cover this in how long to keep traveler reports and in how to handle your guests’ sensitive data.
Fines for not sending the traveler report
Penalties are set by Organic Law 4/2015 on the Protection of Public Safety:
| Type of offence | Examples | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Minor | Occasional delays, incomplete data or errors when filling in the register | €100 – €600 |
| Serious | Not sending reports, not keeping the register or not retaining it | €601 – €30,000 |
Within each band, the amount depends on severity, repeat offences and the number of guests affected. See the details in SES Hospedajes fines and penalties.
Most common mistakes with the traveler report
- Confusing the ID number with the support number: they are two different fields and both are required.
- Sending late because the guest arrives at night or at the weekend.
- Not registering minors or not stating their relationship with the adult. More in registering children under 14.
- Asking for and storing a photo of the ID, which the law does not require and which raises data protection issues. See is it legal to ask guests for a photo of their ID?
- Leaving the payment details blank when the booking does not come from a platform.
The full list is in the most common mistakes hosts make.
Frequently asked questions about the traveler report
Is the traveler report mandatory if I rent out my flat privately?
Yes. The obligation applies to anyone providing accommodation in exchange for payment, including private owners renting a holiday home through platforms such as Airbnb or Booking.
Is the parte de viajeros the same as the registro de viajeros?
Yes, they are different names for the same obligation. It is also called the guest entry report, guest registration form or guest register.
What happens if a guest refuses to give their details?
You can refuse accommodation: without their data you cannot meet your reporting obligation. See what to do if a guest refuses to give their details.
Do I have to send the report if the booking is cancelled?
There is no traveler report if the guest never stays, because the report is made from the moment of arrival. If you already sent it, cancel it in SES Hospedajes.
Do I have to send the report in Catalonia and the Basque Country?
Yes, but not to SES Hospedajes: in Catalonia it goes to the Mossos d’Esquadra and in the Basque Country to the Ertzaintza, each with its own system.
Can I send the traveler report from my phone?
Yes. SES Hospedajes works in the browser, and with a solution such as Registro Parte Viajeros the guest checks in from their phone and the report is sent automatically.
Do I need a digital certificate to send the traveler report?
To register with SES Hospedajes you must identify yourself on the Ministry of the Interior’s e-government site. Once registered, reports are sent with your platform credentials.
Can I correct a traveler report that has already been sent?
Yes. SES Hospedajes lets you view, modify and cancel the reports you have sent. Correct the error as soon as possible to avoid an offence.
Do babies and children have to be registered too?
Yes, all guests, with no age limit. The details of children under 14 are provided by the accompanying adult, stating their relationship.
How much does it cost to automate the traveler report?
With Registro Parte Viajeros, €3/month or €30/year per property (equivalent to €2.50/month), with unlimited reports and guests and a 7-day free trial. See pricing.
