The Royal Decree 933/2021 is a Spanish law that aims to increase security and prevent criminal activity in the vacation and car rental industry. This decree requires individuals and legal entities carrying out hosting activities to collect and report detailed information to the Spanish Ministry of the Interior. In particular, the decree obliges intermediary platforms, like Holidu, and Hosts to provide information about guests, bookings and properties booked for the purpose of short-term rentals.
In this FAQ we have provided answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about Royal Decree 933/2021 and how our Hosts can ensure compliance.
- When did Royal Decree 933/2021 come into force?
The law came into force on 02.01.23 with an adaptation period until 01.10.24. From 01.10.2024, sanctions may be imposed if the communications are not submitted or are submitted after the deadline or with incomplete information.
- How will Holidu comply with this new law?
Holidu, as an intermediary platform, is obliged to collect and store data on the properties published in our system located in Spain. This includes property, guest and booking data. To be fully compliant, Holidu will report this data to the Spanish Ministry of the Interior up to 24 hours after the booking becomes not refundable.
- What happens with the reporting of a booking that gets cancelled after it becomes not refundable?
Holidu will withdraw/cancel the reporting of this booking on the SES Hospedajes platform (the platform developed by the Spanish Ministry of the Interior to comply with Royal Decree 933/2021).
- Is it possible to get a list of reported bookings?
No. However, to check the reported bookings, you can simply check all the bookings marked as confirmed in your Holidu account and consider those that are already non-refundable as reported. Once a booking is cancelled, Holidu will withdraw/cancel the reporting of this booking on the SES Hospedajes platform.
- Why does Holidu need to send this data to the Spanish Ministry of the Interior?
For some time now, Hosts have been required to report information about their guests to the Spanish Authorities. With the Royal Decree 933/2021, Host will continue to report data but now the Spanish Authorities also require intermediary platforms to submit a report in order to strengthen security measures and further protect all citizens and tourists.
- How is this law affecting me as a Holidu Host?
If you are a Holidu Host with properties in Spain, you are directly affected by this regulation.
As a Host, you are also required to comply with this regulation by reporting data about your properties, guests and bookings up to 24 hours after the check-in date. You are also responsible for the collection of additional information from each of your guests.
Holidu makes it easy for you to do this with its online check-in functionality. Please read the section
"What do I have to do for the information submission? to see all the details.
- Does this obligation also apply to me if I'm not a resident of Spain?
Yes, the legislation applies to all properties located on Spanish territory, regardless of the Host's place of residence.
- To which authority should I report the data required by Royal Decree 933/2021?
The Spanish Ministry of the Interior is the main receiving authority at national level. In order to send communications, the Ministry of the Interior has developed the platform "SES Hospedajes". All information should now be sent to this platform instead of the Guardia Civil and the National Police.
Catalonia and the Basque Country are exceptions. Hosts with properties in these Autonomous Communities will continue to report information to the Mossos d'Esquadra and Ertzaintza respectively.
- What information needs to be reported?
For a full list of the required information, please visit the Anex I of the Royal Decree 933/2021 here
The Anex I is separated by professional and non-professional Hosts, since professional Hosts are required to store the data for at least 3 years after the check-out date.
Overall, the information to be reported is categorised in four:
- Reporting party details (in your report, your data as the Host)
- Property data
- Guests data (in your report this includes all guests from a booking)
- Booking/transaction data (please always select “Payment Platform” as Payment Type)
Good to know: Holidu will collect all mandatory data required for the bookings/transactions. However, there is still important mandatory information from the guests that you will have to collect to ensure accurate reporting.
- Which additional mandatory information do I have to collect?
As a Host, you are responsible for collecting the following additional data for each of the guests in a booking:
- Full name
- Date of birth
- Address of residency
- Phone or email
- For adults, ID type and number
- For adults with a Spanish ID (NIF or NIE), “Soporte” ID number
- For minors, relationship with the other guests
To collect the data, guests will need to complete a form which will be emailed to them by us. Before each check-in, please make sure that all mandatory details are collected. You can find the link to the form in the booking details screen (under “Guest Check-in Form”).
The rest of the data listed in the BOE (e.g. nationality, credit card expiry date, etc.) is only optional, but should be reported if available.
- What do I have to do for the information submission?
In order to submit any information, you must be registered in the official system of your corresponding authority (SES Hospedajes, Mossos d'Esquadra or Ertzaintza).
If you are not yet registered to the SES Hospedajes, you can do so by clicking on this link.
Once registered, you can choose to manually upload the required data per booking directly in the corresponding platform. Or you can let Holidu send the communications automatically.
If you decide to report through Holidu, please follow the next steps:
1) During your registration in the SES Hospedajes, please make sure to check the box that says "Send communications via webservice".
2) Activate our Guests' Online Check-in feature by clicking on this link
You can check our step by step guide in our FAQ page
3) During the activation process, make sure that you select the correct authority (SES Hospedajes, Mossos d'Esquadra or Ertzaintza) and add your respective login details.
Once activated, all communications will be automatically sent to the Spanish Authorities by 23:00 on the day of check-in. To collect the data, guests will need to complete a form which will be emailed to them by us.
IMPORTANT: Before each check-in, please verify that the form is complete and that no guest information is missing. If incomplete, please collect any missing information during the check-in process.
You can ask the guest to complete the form, or you can access and edit the form yourself. You can find the link in the booking details screen (under “Guest Check-in Form”).
- If Holidu is sending the report, do I still need to ensure that the mandatory data of all guests in a booking is added in the form?
Yes. Details of all guests, including minors, for each booking must be reported to the Spanish Authorities.
While we will assist you by enabling reporting and requesting data from guests via email, it is your responsibility as the host to ensure compliance by collecting any missing data during the check in process. Failure to do so may result in you being fined by the Spanish Authorities for non-compliance.
- I have already activated the Online Check-in feature, do I have to do anything else to send the data to the Minister of the Interior?
Yes, please make sure you have selected "SES Hospedajes" as the authority to receive communications. To do this, it is necessary to have an account on the SES Hospedajes platform, as you will be asked for your login details for the automatic connection.
It is also important that you have checked the "Send communications via webservice" box in your SES Hospedajes account.
If your property is in Catalonia or the Basque Country, you don't need to register with SES Hospedajes. Just select Mossos d'Esquadra or Ertsaintza and add your credentials.
- Where can I find more information about the Guest Online Check-in feature?
You can find more information in our FAQ page with questions and answers about this feature.
- Where can I find more information from official sources regarding the Royal Decree 933/2021?
More information regarding the Royal Decree 933/2021 is available on the website of the Spanish Ministry of the Interior and in the official BOE publication
If you have any other questions or concerns, feel free to contact our customer support.