Spanish hotels are concerned about check-in delays as new check-in rules begin

Visitors to Spain will face more paperwork from Monday when a new law comes into force forcing hoteliers and car rental companies to send personal information about their customers to the government.

The rules, which also apply to rental properties and campsites, are being introduced for national security reasons, but tourism experts have raised privacy concerns and warned that it could lead to delays at check-in desks.

Required data will include passport details, home addresses and payment methods for persons over 14 years of age. They will be submitted to the Ministry of the Interior.

The Spanish Confederation of Hotels and Tourist Accommodation (CEHAT) said it was concerned about the impact on its members’ businesses and was considering going to court to challenge the rules.

Spain is the second most popular tourist destination in Europe, with more than 82 million visitors in 2023, led by 17 million from the UK.

The start date of the new rules, officially known as Royal Decree 933/2021, was moved from October 1 to December 2 to give the industry more time to prepare.

Both tourists and Spanish residents will be required to provide information, which will also include phone numbers, email addresses and the number of travelers.

Companies will have to register with the Home Office, report daily on the data they collect and keep the information in a digital record for three years, with fines of between €100 and €30,000 (£80-£25,000) for breaches.

Meanwhile, Airbnb has announced on its website that property owners who rent out accommodation will have to register with the Spanish government and collect data from their customers.

The Ministry of the Interior states in a statement that the regulations are “grounded in the general interest in the safety of citizens against the threat of terrorism and other serious offenses committed by criminal organizations.”

But hotel industry body CEHAT said the changes “pose a serious threat to the viability of the industry”.

It said both tourists and Spanish nationals would have to deal with “complicated and tedious administrative procedures that jeopardize their accommodation experience”.

It added that hoteliers are being forced to comply with “confusing and disproportionate rules” that conflict with other European directives related to data protection and payment systems.

Travel journalist Simon Calder told the BBC that the Spanish government is concerned about organized crime and terrorism and “simply wants to know… who’s coming and going, where they’re staying and what cars they’re renting”.

Many accommodation and car rental providers are expected to automate data collection through online registration.

Mr Calder predicted there would be “quite a lot of standing” at reception when the rules take effect, but said it was “very low season” and would give businesses time to get used to the system.

Gibraltar-based Penelope Bielckus, a travel content creator at The Flyaway Girl, said the new rules “add another round of paperwork that can seem like a chore when you just want to relax on holiday”.

And she agreed that they “might slow things down a bit, especially at check-in, because there’s more paperwork now.”

But she said that while Spain’s level of data collection “seems to be stricter” than elsewhere, hotels and car rental companies already collect much of the information requested by travelers.

“We’re still waiting to see how this will affect things like last-minute hotel bookings or car rentals,” she added. “Hopefully it won’t cause any major problems, but it’s definitely something to keep an eye on for any changes.”