Spain's new rules for tourists, explained -

As weather grows colder in the Northern Hemisphere, many people are considering their travel plans for December. Warmer weather is preferred, and Spain most likely appears on many a bucket list as the ideal destination in which to spend Christmas. But there is a new issue rearing its head that could spell the decline of tourism in this Iberian nation.

Spain has introduced a new set of regulations requiring tourists to share more detailed personal information during their travels, and many tourists are outraged. What red tape do they have to face in order to visit the country? And why were these regulations put forward in the first place? Click through this gallery to find out.

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Tourist data -

From December 2, Spain requires tourists to provide detailed personal information when they’re checking into hotels or short-term rentals, and even when they’re renting a car.

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Security concerns -

The Spanish government has said that terrorism and organized crime are the reasons for the stricter regulations. By monitoring visitors and cross-referencing data with international databases, authorities aim to protect citizens from transnational criminal activities.

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Airbnb rentals -

For the first time, Spain’s new rules (which have been dubbed the “Traveler Registry”) include short-term rental platforms like Airbnb. Similar to hotels, these properties must now collect personal information from guests.

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Extensive personal data -

Tourists aged 14 or above must provide detailed information, including passport numbers, gender, phone numbers, and email addresses. In total, there are 31 new pieces of information that tourists must disclose, all to enhance accountability and security across Spain.

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Under-14 travelers -

Although minors under 14 are exempt from directly providing their details, accompanying adults must disclose their relationship with these children. This ensures comprehensive tracking of all family members traveling together.

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Paper forms -

In many accommodations, tourists will need to fill out physical forms with their personal data. This manual process could slow down check-ins as staff manually input information from passports into computer systems.

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Online booking platforms -

Bookings made through intermediaries like Airbnb or Booking.com may not automatically comply with Spain’s new rules. Privacy regulations prevent these platforms from sharing all required personal details directly with accommodations.

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Car rentals -

The stricter regulations also extend to car rentals. Tourists renting vehicles will need to provide the same detailed personal information as they do for accommodations, including passport details and contact information.

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Bank balance concerns -

Despite rumors, the Spanish government has not mandated tourists to reveal their bank balances. Payment methods like credit card details may be recorded, but no evidence suggests that travelers must disclose their financial information.

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Payment method details -

Accommodation providers must report tourists’ payment methods, whether through credit cards, debit cards, or bank transfers. This requirement does not involve sharing sensitive banking details like account balances or transaction histories.

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Non-compliance -

The new regulations hold accommodations responsible for data collection, not tourists. While guests may need to comply with requests, fines will only be issued to providers that fail to collect the required information.

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Privacy concerns -

Many travelers have worried about how accommodations will store and protect sensitive information. The law mandates that providers retain guest data for three years, which raises concerns about potential misuse or data breaches during this extended period.

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Data management -

Most accommodations are expected to outsource data management to specialized companies. This approach minimizes the risks of sensitive data being stored improperly.

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EU entry systems -

Spain’s data-collection laws are nothing new. Indeed, they are actually aligned with upcoming systems like ETIAS to be implemented across the European Union, which will require tourists to submit comprehensive personal data before they would even be allowed to enter Europe.

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Post-Brexit rules -

British citizens visiting Spain face stricter regulations as “third-country nationals.” These rules include financial proof requirements and additional scrutiny.

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Financial proof -

Although UK travelers technically need to show access to US$1,080 (£850) for nine days, no documented cases suggest that this rule has been enforced. For families traveling to Spain, They are theoretically required to prove that they have more than US$6,340 (£5,000) for a two-week stay.

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Big Brother -

Foreign tourists have even likened the new legislation to the fictional character Big Brother from George Orwell’s dystopian novel ‘Nineteen Eighty-Four’ (1949). In the novel, Big Brother is a dictator who ceaselessly watches every activity in the empire in order to maintain strict control.

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The death of small business -

The new legislation that will come into effect at the beginning of December may spell doom for many small businesses based around tourism. Many such companies, often run by only one employee, would struggle to accommodate the new rules.

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A delicate system -

Even the central online system used to upload data information of tourists is riddled with glitches, according to skeptics. The platform has been considered “laughable,” even though the government claims that it has been fully operational since January 2023.

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Stretched thin -

Industry experts believe that the new legislation could also hit customers in their wallets. As businesses become more strained, they could increase costs in order to accommodate stretched working hours or extra hires. This doesn’t only impact tourists, but also local residents.

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Pushing back -

Spain’s leading hotel association, Cehat, has pushed back against the new law by launching a legal challenge against it. The association says that these new obligations could, in fact, be a breach of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation.

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Potential liability -

If Spain is found liable for breaching the European Union’s regulation on data protection, then the country could be fined more than the proposed US$31,700 (€30,000).

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A singular country -

The Iberian nation is already the only one in the European Union where hotels are required to send the ID information of guests to the police.

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Backlash -

Ever since the announcement of these changes was made, commenters online have called for a boycott of Spanish tourism, with many of them listing alternate countries to visit.

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Over-tourism -

But a loss of tourism in Spain may actually be something that residents want. Recently, a wave of protests swept through the country in a fight against tourism. Affordable housing in Spain’s major cities has become difficult to find as accommodations cater more and more to travelers.

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Protests -

Barcelona alone saw a protest that reached 22,000 people, many of whom were armed with water pistols and demanded that “tourists go home.”

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Future tourist taxes -

To counter the over-tourism that has run rampant, some cities in Spain (such as Malaga) have considered imposing tourist taxes amounting to about US$3 for every day of a traveler’s stay. These prices would fluctuate depending on the high or low seasons.

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Travel transparency -

Spain’s regulations reflect a growing global trend toward stricter travel transparency. While the measures aim to enhance security, they also raise important questions about privacy and the future of international tourism.

Sources: (The Independent) (GB News) (Metro UK) (Encyclopedia Britannica)

See also: Top tips for surviving holiday air travel

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