Planning a trip to Spain? There’s a Royal Decree that’s causing a lot of confusion about what information tourists need to provide at hotels, B&Bs, campsites, and more. In this article, I break down the facts behind the headlines and explain exactly what you’ll need to share when checking in.

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Are you travelling to sunny Spain? Well, before you pack your bags and grab your sunscreen, there’s something you NEED to know. 

A Royal Decree passed on December 2nd 2024 has caused quite a stir about what information tourists must provide to tourist accommodation like hotels, B&Bs, campsites, hostals, guesthouses, and even car rental companies. 

But don’t worry – I’m here to break it all down for you, separate fact from fiction, and make sure you’re fully prepared for your Spanish adventure. 

First, let’s rewind a bit. When this Royal Decree was announced, the media went wild. Headlines screamed that tourists would have to hand over up to 42 pieces of personal information – and in some cases, even more! Car rental companies were reportedly asking for 60 pieces of data. How many pieces of data do you know about yourself? People were worried about privacy breaches, especially with reports that businesses would have to keep this information on record for three years. Cue the panic!

Bank details? Passport numbers? Home addresses? What’s going on? Is this a breach of GDPR? Are we all just walking data leaks now? Is this Big Brother in action? Well, not quite. Let’s get to the facts.

Here’s the reality. This Royal Decree is specifically for those businesses or individuals that provide accommodation, plus tourism operators acting as intermediaries between hospitality businesses, and digital platforms that facilitate these activities online. 

In practice, what you need to know is this: tourists are only being asked to provide 17 pieces of information per guest when checking into their accommodation. And guess what? None of these 17 are your bank details. So, what’s actually changed? As you’ll see in a moment, not that much, really. The law is mostly about the online platform that hotels and other accommodations are now using to record and store your information with the Ministry of Interior. And in theory it’s all for your safety, and the safety of Spanish citizens.

So, what exactly are these 17 pieces of information that the Royal Decree specifies you must give? And what can you do in advance to make your check-in go quickly and smoothly? Well, it’s pretty standard stuff. The first 3 are all your name. Basically, it’s the kind of info you’d expect to give when travelling abroad, and it now falls in line with what a lot of other countries ask for. So here’s the list of the personal data that everyone aged 14 and above must give.

1. Your first name
2. Your first surname – if you’re not from a country like Spain where people have two surnames, this just means your surname
3. Your second surname (if applicable)
4. Your gender
5. Your ID document number – most places ask for your passport as ID, so this would be your passport number.
6. The document reference number – ask your accommodation about this, I think it depends on what ID you’re using
7. The type of document you’re using as ID (for example, DNI, passport, TIE)
8. Your nationality
9. Your date of birth
10. Your full address (by which they mean your place of usual residence, your home address)
11. The city where you reside.
12. The country in which you reside.
13. Your landline phone number if you have one – I assume you put your mobile number if you don’t.
14. Your mobile phone number
15. Your email address
16. The number of travellers in your party.
17. The relationship between travellers (including anyone under 14)

What I suggest you do to make your check-in go smoothly is, take all of this information with you in the correct order, typed (not handwritten) on a sheet of paper, so that it’s easy for your accommodation provider to input your information. Keep it in a safe place though. If you’re worried about it falling into unscrupulous hands, then make the list on your phone with a password to protect it.

Now, here’s the thing. The media frenzy made it sound like you’d need to fill out a novel-length form just to book a room, causing massive queues at check-in. But in reality, it’s more or less business as usual. Hotels and other accommodations are simply updating their requirements to comply with the new rules. 

And no, they’re not storing your life story, or your granny’s secret recipe for sticky toffee pudding. From what tourists are reporting since December 2024, it’s mostly been running smoothly, with occasional delays as staff are getting used to the online platform, or coping with the inevitable gremlins that accompany any new changes to the system. 

I’ve noticed there’s at least one organisation online that’s created automated systems to help accommodation providers input data correctly and quickly and they make sure it’s checked to fall in line with regulations. What’s notable is that it’s up to the hosts to make sure that the data is correct. They’re the ones facing fines if it’s incorrect, not you, the tourist.

I’m going to give a shoutout now to The Independent in the UK for sticking to the facts and not adding fuel to the fire. While other outlets were busy causing panic, they clarified the 17-piece data requirement for tourists. And as for car rental companies asking for 60 pieces of info? Well, they say that seems to have been blown out of all proportion too. What’s been your experience of renting a car recently? Tell everyone in the comments. 

Car rental companies do need a bit more info than hotels – like your driver’s license details for example – but have you been asked for more bank details than you’ve provided when hiring a car or booking accommodation in the past? 

Is it all about ensuring safety and compliance, or is there more to it? I’ve not yet heard of anyone being asking for their bank account details, or anything more personal or worrying than before. And as far as the Decree goes, it looks like it’s only those 17 pieces of information that need to be actually stored, not your financial details. If you know any better, don’t just tell me I’m wrong, that’s useless information, quote me the law and give me a link to it so that I can share it in the comments and in future videos. 

The understandable complaint from those worried about data protection does seem to be centred on bank card details being stored by accommodation providers and by Madrid for 3 years. And also there’s the question of the legality of companies like AirBnB and Booking dot com retaining those details. 

It’s likely though that hotels will delegate management of sensitive information to a specialised company rather than keeping it on site. So the question is: if, where and for how long will your bank card details be stored? And if they do store them, how much do you trust those companies and the Ministry of Interior to keep your data safe? And not just the bank details. Are you happy with someone knowing your home address and details of when you won’t be there? 

So, what does all of this mean for you in practise? Well, when you travel to Spain, just be prepared to share the 17 pieces of info. That’s not a particularly big deal, and it’s definitely not the data apocalypse some headlines made it out to be. When EES and ETIAS finally begin, EES hopefully this year, you’ll need to share a bit more personal data than before, but only the same amount of information as you would do when travelling to countries like the USA for example. In a world where we share so much of ourselves online already, it’s easy to see why some people are worried about sharing more. But is this any more than a small time hacker can already get access to? That’s something I can’t answer. 

Anyway, here are my top travel tips for you:

1. Always carry your passport or ID – you will need it to check in, and in my experience, they all prefer you to use your passport.
2. Double-check your booking confirmation to see if your accommodation has any specific requirements. Send them a message if you need reassurance.
3. Most importantly, don’t stress! Spain is still the amazing, welcoming destination you know and love.

At the end of the day, these new rules are about keeping everyone safe and making sure Spain can continue to welcome tourists with open arms. So, pack your bags, brush up on your Español, and get ready for an unforgettable trip. And hey, don’t forget to share this article with your fellow travellers, and subscribe to the newsletter for more travel tips and updates. 

Any questions, comments or tips about travelling to Spain? Drop them in the comments below! 

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Peas & Fluff!

Article by Skatz