A tourist license in Spain is required for short-term rental of tourist accommodation. Before submitting documents, you need to check whether such rental is allowed at the level of the housing association and local authorities. An NRA number is additionally required to post ads on digital platforms. Tourist and holiday rentals are regulated differently in Spain and mixing them up could result in your license being revoked. From 2026, owners with the NRA are required to file an information declaration for their lease agreements.

Contents

• Tourist license in Spain
• Permission for tourist rentals by the community of owners (comunidades de propietarios)
• Differences between tourist and seasonal rentals
• Tourist license in Spain: general provisions
• Obtaining an NRA in Spain
• FAQ

A tourist license in Spain is a mandatory permit issued by municipal or regional authorities for the use of accommodation as a tourist property, i.e. for short-term rental. In violation of European requirements, Spain has a double registration of tourist accommodation: the tourist license issued by the local authorities must be supplemented with an NRU number (single registration number) if advertisements are posted on digital platforms. In addition, tourist rentals should not be prohibited in a particular housing association.

Permission for tourist rentals by the community of owners (comunidades de propietarios)

The first thing you need to find out before requesting a tourist license is the rules and restrictions enshrined in the charter of the housing association. Tourist rentals (as well as seasonal rentals) from April 2025 can only be carried out with the express consent of the majority of the owners. The decision to permit or prohibit tourist rentals is made at a general meeting of members of the housing association. As a rule, general meetings are held once a year, but if necessary, an extraordinary meeting can be convened.

Permission, restriction or prohibition of tourist and seasonal rentals requires the consent of 3/5 of the votes, which, in turn, represent at least 3/5 of the shares in the common property. The share of participation of each owner is registered in the notarized deed in the form of a percentage – this is the ratio of the housing area and the total area of ​​the residential complex, including shared use areas.

If the charter stipulates a ban on tourist rentals, a license cannot be issued. If the charter does not contain a clause on tourist rentals at all, it is considered that by default it is prohibited – exactly until the permit is approved by a due majority of votes at the general meeting.

Tourist licenses obtained before April 2025 continue to be valid because… new restrictive measures do not have retroactive effect. But in light of the general tightening of norms, rules and requirements governing the short-term rental market in Spain, it is necessary to keep in mind the following nuances:

• When changing ownership and re-issuing a current tourist license, a refusal may be obtained from the local authorities;
• In some regions (eg the Valencian Community) tourist licenses must be renewed every 5 years, subject to compliance with current requirements.
• In many cities entirely, or in certain areas of popular tourist cities, short-term rentals are already prohibited. In Barcelona, ​​Badalona, ​​Alicante, San Juan de Alicante, Finestrat, Polop, La Nucia, Mallorca, as well as some areas of Valencia, there is a temporary or permanent ban on the issuance of tourist licenses. Barcelona plans to completely eliminate the private tourist rental sector in the fall of 2028 by canceling almost 10,000 previously issued tourist licenses.

Thus, in order to obtain a tourist license, it is necessary to ensure that this type of activity is permitted at the level of the community of owners and at the local level.

Differences between tourist and seasonal rentals

Tourist rentals in Spain require a tourist license, but seasonal rentals do not. At the same time, mixing two types of activities is often not allowed by local legislation, and violation may result in the revocation of a tourist license. For example, in the Valencian Community, tourist rentals are rentals for up to 10 nights to one tenant continuously. Anything over this is considered a seasonal rental, which is not permitted for tourist accommodation.

Types of short-term rentals in Spain:

• Seasonal rental (Viviendas de uso temporal) assumes that the housing is used by the tenant not for permanent residence, but to solve certain tasks limited in time: treatment, business trip, seasonal work, study, etc. Deadlines and goals should be fixed in the contract. Typically, seasonal rentals last from 31 days to 9 months. But we noted above that in the Valencian Community, rentals lasting more than 10 days are already considered seasonal. Important detail: seasonal rentals do not require a tourist license. But in some municipalities (for example, Barcelona) it is necessary to comply with approved price limits, regardless of whether the housing is rented entirely or by room.
• Tourist rentals (Viviendas de uso turístico) assumes that housing is rented to tourists for a short period of time – up to 30 days (in the Valencian Community – up to 10 days). Tourist rentals are subject to local laws and require a tourist license. Municipal or regional authorities are responsible for issuing licenses and monitoring activities. Depending on the region, tourist rental of rooms or only the entire residential property may be allowed. Regulations, rules and requirements may vary significantly from city to city.

Tourist license in Spain: general provisions

Current requirements for tourist accommodation, as well as the necessary package of documents for obtaining a tourist license, are published on the websites of city halls and regional governments. There are no uniform standards, but the following general conditions include:

• Housing must comply with sanitary and safety standards in terms of its general condition, equipment, allocated area per person, available heating/air conditioning systems, etc.
• Housing must be connected to utilities, it must have electricity and/or gas, water (cold and hot), and the Internet.
• In most regions, the owner is required to carry third party liability insurance. The insurance must cover damage caused to guests during their stay, as well as damage caused by the guests themselves to third parties or the home. If this coverage is not included in standard home insurance, a separate insurance policy is issued.
• An identification plate with the tourist license number must be placed in a visible place at the entrance.
• The owner or manager is required to keep records of guests, check-in and check-out dates and submit information declarations in a timely manner.
• Like any commercial outlet or office, tourist accommodation should have a complaint book.

Special conditions may include requirements for 24-hour emergency contact with the landlord, fire extinguishers and evacuation plans, blinds or blackout curtains, and adaptations for people with disabilities.

Typically, an application for a tourist license in Spain is submitted online along with all the necessary documents and declarations. The list of documents in different municipalities may differ significantly. The main documents include:

• An application-declaration of the established form (Declaración Responsable), filled out and signed by the owner, in which he guarantees full compliance of the residential property with current requirements.
• The applicant’s identification document (DNI or TIE).
• Documents of title: notarized bill of sale, Nota simple informativa, or lease agreement, which contains permission to sublease housing.
• Certificate of conformity of housing to sanitary standards and suitability for habitation (cédula de habitabilidad) or license for primary occupancy (licencia de primera ocupación).
• Valid energy certificate.
• The charter of the housing association or the act of the general meeting of owners, which states that tourist rentals are allowed on the territory of the residential complex.
• Civil liability insurance.
• Technical plan of the premises.
• Receipt of payment of the fee for obtaining a tourist license.

The received tourist license number must subsequently be indicated when posting advertisements on Internet sites and on the information sign at the entrance. You will also need a travel license to obtain an NRA number.

Obtaining an NRA in Spain

From 2025, all properties in Spain offered for short-term rental (both seasonal and tourist) through platforms that allow remote online booking must have a number NRA (NRUA) – Número de Registro Único de Alquiler. Such platforms include Airbnb, Booking, Tripadvisor, Expedia and others. In the case of tourist rentals, the existing tourist license number cannot replace the NRA, i.e. You must also go through this additional registration procedure.

The unified digital rental register in this case strengthens state control of the short-term rental market and provides a unified system for registering and identifying objects. The above-mentioned platforms are required to share information with the registry and strictly ensure that all advertisements contain a valid NRA number.

An application for assignment of an NRA number is submitted electronically through the official website of the College of Registrars. To do this, you will need an electronic certificate or registration on the website. A number is requested for each property if there are several apartments or houses, and in the case of renting by room – for an apartment or house, but with a mandatory explanation of the type of lease. The application form shall indicate:

• Real estate cadastral number
• Exact property address
• Number of beds.
• Renting out the entire property or room by room.
• In case of tourist rental – tourist license number.

Immediately after submitting the application, the system assigns a temporary NRA number. After verification of the application is completed, the number will receive permanent status. If errors or inaccuracies are identified in the information, they must be corrected within the prescribed period. Otherwise, the temporary NRA will be cancelled.

Also, from 2026, all owners who received NRA numbers are required to submit a declaration of informational nature, indicating all rental agreements concluded during the reporting year, the type and purpose of the rental, the number of guests and the dates of arrival and departure. Failure to submit a declaration on time will result in the cancellation of the NRA number and, as a result, the inability to place advertisements on online platforms. Monitoring of the fulfillment of this obligation will be carried out in accordance with the database of already issued numbers. Using the unified register, it will not be difficult for the registration authorities to check who received the NRA number but did not submit a declaration through the same website of the College of Registrars.

Online booking platforms are required to ensure compliance with legal requirements. However, publishing an advertisement without an NRA number or with an invalid number may result in a fine of €2,000 and up to €500,000 for repeat offenses and short-term rentals without a tourist license and/or NRA number.