Spanish law requiring more data from tourists to come into effect

From Monday, a new law will come into effect in Spain that will require the registration of tourist data. This will force hotel, campsite and car rental operators to register more information about customers. According to Spain, the law is necessary to guarantee safety.

The Spanish law states that tourists must provide their identity details, gender, home address, telephone number and payment methods. They must also provide their nationality, email address and the number of travellers. If minors are travelling with them, the relationship between the adult and the minor tourist must be provided. The Spanish government also receives information on the dates on which tourists use the accommodation or car rental service and the payment method used. The date of payment and the date on which the payment card expires must also be provided to the government. Hotel operators also register how many rooms are rented and whether an internet connection is requested. The operators of hotels, campsites and car rental companies use a digital platform for this purpose.

The Marlaska Decree has been in force since January 2023, but has not yet been enforced. This is because there was an adjustment period that ran until October 1, 2024. This adjustment period was extended until December 2 and has now ended. The Spanish government writes in the text of the law that the measures are necessary to guarantee security in Spain. The authorities state that they want to use the law to put a stop to terrorist and organized crime. These forms of crime are said to have a ‘transnational’ character. In both cases, renting accommodation and motor vehicles is said to play an important role in the modus operandi of perpetrators.

The Spanish Federation of Hoteliers and Tourist Accommodations (Cehat) has expressed concerns about the new law. The organisation says it has reservations about the fines that hotel and campsite operators risk if they fail to comply with the registration requirement and is also concerned about the privacy of tourists. The Federation wants the new law to be revised.