By Marc Menendez-Roche • Updated: 26 Sep 2024 • 11:52 • 3 minutes read
Spain’s Controversial New Tourist Rules: Safety Measure or Bureaucratic Nightmare? A busy Madrid cafe. Credit: Shutterstock, Boris-B
Spain’s Controversial New Tourist Rules: Safety Measure or Bureaucratic Nightmare?
With Storm Aitor set to sweep through parts of Spain bringing high winds and heavy rainfall, there’s another storm coming. However, this new storm is bringing something very different.
Tourism bosses are up in arms, but the Spanish government insists new laws coming in on October 1 are key to keeping holidaymakers safe and cracking down on crime.
Come October 1, anyone booking a hotel or holiday rental in Spain will face tighter scrutiny. Hotels, Airbnbs, and hostels across the country will be required to collect detailed personal information from tourists, right down to their bank details and card numbers.
But are these new rules a step too far?
Some argue it’s a necessary move to keep Spain safe. Others fear it’s a “data grab” that will cripple the country’s already overburdened tourism sector.
From October 1, Spain’s Royal Decree 933/2021 will mean that hotels, holiday rentals, and hostels around the country will need to gather more detailed personal information from tourists, including bank details and card numbers. While critics have slammed the rules as heavy-handed, Spain’s Interior Ministry (“Ministerio del Interior”) argue it’s all about security.
The new rules apply to anyone staying in hotels, Airbnb rentals, hostels, or any type of accommodation across Spain. All information collected will be passed straight to local police using a new digital system. The data will, in theory, be used to track criminals trying to fly under the radar in Spain.
But many tourism bosses aren’t buying into it and view the move as a paperwork nightmare that will add another bureaucratic hurdle for Spain’s tourism industry. Spain already has what is arguably one of the most bureaucratic systems in Western Europe, with paperwork galore for Spaniards and foreigners alike.
“The government want to know who’s staying in hotels and holiday apartments,” said Malaga hotel manager Alberto Madrid. In the eyes of the Spanish government, this isn’t just more paperwork; it’s a crucial tool for fighting terrorism, organised crime, and other serious threats that have been on the rise. Criminals from all over the world flock to the Spanish coasts to hide in plain sight among the 80 million plus tourists that Spain gets every year.
With the number of visitors flooding back post-pandemic, the authorities argue that it’s more important than ever to tighten up the system. While some industry leaders have expressed concerns over the workload, the government insists the rules have been postponed several times to give businesses plenty of time to prepare. Now, they say, it’s time to act.
Under the new law, up to 18 pieces of personal information will be taken from every tourist. This may include:
Critics are already dubbing it a ‘data grab’ that goes way beyond what’s necessary and infringes on Spanish civil liberties.
The Spanish Confederation of Hotels and Tourist Accommodation (CEHAT), which represents over 16,000 venues, is among those sounding the alarm, saying the new requirements are confusing and difficult to implement. Accusing the policy of being “legally weak, lacking clarity, and adding an extra administrative burden.”
Is gathering extra information from tourists is a small price to pay for a safer stay?
The government’s stance seems to be that they understand the tourism industry’s concerns but that safety must come first. These measures will, in theory, help them deter criminals from setting up shop in places like the Costa del Sol.
Spain’s golden beaches haven’t changed, but behind the sun and surf, some fear that the country’s tourism experience is becoming more guarded than ever, with personal details at the heart of it all.
Supporters believe, that this new system might help Police catch unscrupulous criminals like the “Brad Pitt gang” sooner. But will it really?
Or will it just be more paperwork for law-abiding visitors?
From potential night driving bans to Storm Aitor, things seem to be shaking up in Spain.
With the clock ticking down to October 1, Spain’s government is holding firm on its decision, determined to safeguard both locals and holidaymakers alike. While the tourism industry adjusts to the new rules, the message is clear: Spain remains open for business and safer than ever.
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Marc is a writer, teacher, and language enthusiast with a passion for making complex topics simple and accessible. With a background in business and legal communication and an interest in educational neuroscience, Marc has spent over a decade teaching and writing. Now, as part of the team at Euro Weekly News, Marc enjoys diving into entertaining topics and stories that matter to the community. When he's not writing, Marc loves practising martial arts, playing football, cooking up a storm in the kitchen, or spending quality time with friends and family, but above all, Marc enjoys spending time with his son, Macson.
I’m glad that Spain is bringing in these new tourist laws. It is no fun living next door to a person who has a tourist licence, and we have different people, from who knows where next to us every couple of weeks. This may deter a few of them.
These new laws are typical Spain, a country hooked on bad government, no where in the world are you required to give your bank details to a hotel, why is that required? it only exposes visitors to more scams, theft of data etc. The real crooks and there are plenty living in Spain as per the Spanish new never worry about these stupid laws. Spain is a police State, Franco has left the building but his style of power and horrible government are still in force. Dealing with any person in Spain who thinks they are special is a nightmare. My recent run in with the Sabadell bank shocked me at how badly I was treated and frankly ignored, no explanation forthcoming . I have lived here for many years but it gets harder, poor government, poor quality laws, laws only about unnecessary control and have you noticed they are always for our own good, what a laugh that is. And sorry to say a previous comment from Susan will NOT be resolved by these new laws, not in the slightest I too have a holiday let next door to me and below me. These laws will help no one. Its all about control.
Will this affect my children visiting me.
Hi Barry,
It shouldn’t as far as I can see. However, it might mean they are asked for a bit more information than before. Especially when they check into their accommodation etc.
It may be just an extra form they need to fill in.
The government have just announced they are delaying the change until December now, which gives the travel industry a bit of time to adapt to the new rules.
I hope this helps.
All the best,
Marc
But will all this data be secure or will the criminals be hacking in and stealing money from many?
One of those ” whoops ” situations.. As much as I just luuuuv Spain and would support ANY measures to alleviate the threat of criminal activity inside its borders, the formulation of such a decree HAS to be legal and in this instance, in line with current standing laws of the EU for the gathering and handling of PERSONAL INFORMATION. In short, the GDPR regulations dictate the terms and Spain in this scenario, accepted those terms when they were implemented. The reporter of this news item made indication that up to 18 items of proposed gathering, used the term ” will be taken “, but in actual fact GDPR laws for Europe are constrained to those items ONLY when they are given FREELY. So, in reality, Spain would already be in contravention of the laws relating to GDPR gathering of information rights. Surely, what is more concerning to the estimated annual 80 million tourists visiting this beautiful country, is how safe is the delivered up information when stored on the individual proprietors’ records? Does the Decree extend its content to assure conformity of the information gathered, in terms of the hardware and software used by the individual owners of the Hotels, Air BnB’s, Letting agencies etc etc . to avoid potential threats of security ? Are these same providers of accommodation conversant with the privacy standards that were first implemented on the 25th May 2018 ? In terms of cybersecurity issues ( of which we hear of breaches almost daily ), will those same gatherers of information be able to do so under the auspices and law of the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA). ? Finally, because the decree to be implemented includes that the information gathered will be monitored by its assigned government department, EACH of these gathering establishments will have to employ and assign a Data Protection Officer, to comply with articles 37 and 39 of the act. Research those items at your leisure. Fact is, of the 5 establishments I have had the pleasure of staying with over the last few years, not one of them had sufficient knowledge of the act OR, facilities to ensure the prescribed GDPR conditions could be met and most commonly, insufficient staff and equipment to ensure that those same conditions and security measures could be adopted.. If my credit card details were subsequently distributed under this new decree formulae and fell into the wrong hands,, I wonder if this Decree has a built in compensation factor for any eventual losses, outside of my control ?? As a tourist, am I prepared to take on further risks to my financial security, for the sake of a minority element, the likes of the Brad Pitt Gang??
This is ridicules over the top bureaucracy for the sake of it, I’ve lived in Spain two years, it’s a nightmare now, (7 months to get my residency permit renewed,) surely this must be against the EU data protection laws, so many scams!!!!!!!!! now, giving all your personal information to a stranger to save guard, what minimum security must they have to hold such data, so easy to set up a fake ID as they will have absolutely all they need, we are constantly being warned about protecting our privacy, yet this law means people will give all to strangers, what bird brain people think up this nonsense.
Anders is completely correct on data protection, all governments are the same, full of holes leak after leak. Secondly what security? there are thousands of illegal migrants being welcomed into the European Union with little or no paperwork, security has already been breached being invited in. As regard tourists, it is heavily relied on. Some nimby’s as your first comment are of the same ilk, others rely on this industry. Morocco looks like a good destination, as do many other places with out the same bureaucratic malaise that adds nothing but paperwork, governments the world over ‘we want to help’, shoot me now.
Voluntarily submitting card information is unnecessary, Passport information is normally given when checking in, so tracking people down to home addresses is not something which couldn’t be achieved through monitored and managed means. A passport can be linked to plane tickets, home addresses and bank information. This is opening avenues of risk theft and fraud. Although in the grand scheme of things this will be a droplet in a river, I have cancelled my £10,000 family holiday to Spain and will go somewhere else in Europe instead. On another issue, If spain doesn’t want to mitigate the amount of holiday homes people or companies own to manage tourism over crowding, or limit the amount of hotels in certain areas, then over tourism will always be an issue, tourists shouldn’t feel like they are the problem when the root of the problem is the government that manages all this is.
I run an Airbnb in the southern Costa Blanca, this is the first I have heard of these new rules, via a news article! I can’t be the only one, surely the authorities have to get there act together to inform all licenced establishments what is required but as usual it takes forever and a day to get anything done here 😂😂
What if you refuse to give you bank card and account number.i don.t even put all my personal details on any app.
These proposals must not be allowed to come into force, They serve no purpose accept to allow our DATA TO BE STOLEN and you can bet the Spanish government will take no responsibility for the theft of our data. Spain loves control of the people. Dealing with anyone in authority in Spain is a nightmare. In all the years I have lived in the beautiful country I dread having to contact official departments. I genuinely have never visited one where I could resolve the issue in hand in one go, you normally never see the same person twice and everyone asks for different documentation and I often wonder why they need these useless documents . My Spanish ID card and if required Passport should be enough but it never is. This new law proposed will be ignored by the majority of business because the Spanish people are not stupid. There is absolutely no way I would be giving my bank details etc to any business. For sure they will be stolen, some web sites are probably set up right now by scammers and quoting this new proposed law which I understand is not even EU compliant. The EWN should start a campaign against this proposal.
How I agree with you 100%, I live in beautiful Spain, everything is done to make as complicated as possible, I have to give 6 documents, but they must be in colour and black and white????!!!!! Crazy, if after seeing 4 people who all ask different things, and no one can sort your request, they simply ignore you, their web site will say, no appointments available, that’s it, no information as to how to get an appointment to give them the information they !!!!!!! ask for, and so on, around 18 million tourists a year, they simply don’t have the knowledge of how to deal with that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They are far behind in technology, try to pay bill with bar code form, then faced with many options with different departments, crazy. A complete disaster is waiting.
What those that come to Spain on a cruising holiday do they need to go through this palaver or are they exempt
Hi John,
Thanks for reading. From our research, yes. However, in theory, the whole thing will be managed by the businesses involved (i.e. accommodation providers etc.)
Security what a joke 450 million in shengen area can travel where they like,probably not a criminal amongst them
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