Glossary

Terms

SES HospedajesSpanish Hospitality Information System (Sistema de Entrada de Viajeros — Hospedajes)

The Spanish Ministry of the Interior platform through which tourist accommodations report their guests’ data. It replaces the older Webpol and Hospederías systems and is the technical backbone of the obligations set out by Royal Decree 933/2021.

Parte de viajerosTraveller record / traveller report

The mandatory reporting to the Spanish authorities of every guest staying at a tourist establishment. It is filed through SES Hospedajes and must be submitted within 24 hours of the guest’s arrival.

RD 933/2021Royal Decree 933/2021 of 26 October

The Spanish regulation that defines the documentary and computerised registration obligations for accommodation providers and motor-vehicle rental companies. It is the legal basis for SES Hospedajes. Published in the official state gazette with reference BOE-A-2021-17398.

24-hour windowLegal filing window — plazo de 24 horas

The maximum interval between the guest’s arrival and the submission of their data to SES Hospedajes. Set by RD 933/2021; missing it is an administrative infringement (typically minor) subject to the penalty framework of Ley Orgánica 4/2015.

21 mandatory fields21 datos obligatorios — RD 933/2021

The set of fields RD 933/2021 requires per guest: name, surnames, document type and number, issue and expiry dates, nationality, sex, date of birth, country of residence, address, phone, email, plus reservation and payment data and the responsible-adult relationship for minors.

soporteDocumentoSES Hospedajes XML field

The XML element in the SES Hospedajes API payload that identifies the type of identity document carried by the guest (DNI, NIE, passport, etc.). Mandatory on every traveller record submitted to the system.

Lote (batch)Batch submission to SES Hospedajes

A batch of traveller records submitted to SES Hospedajes in a single transmission. Each lote is acknowledged with a unique code (código de lote) which serves as legal proof of timely filing.

DNIDocumento Nacional de Identidad — Spanish national ID card

The official identity document of Spanish citizens. For the traveller report, the DNI is accepted alongside the passport (for foreigners) and the NIE. It carries a machine-readable zone (MRZ) that lets check-in software extract the data automatically.

NIENúmero de Identificación de Extranjero — foreigner ID number

The personal number assigned to foreign residents in Spain, equivalent to the DNI for administrative purposes. Valid as an identification document for the traveller report.

Passport

The international travel document. In Spain it is the document required to identify foreign guests who do not hold a DNI or NIE. The MRZ band on the passport enables automatic OCR of the holder’s data.

HospederoLodging provider

The legal or natural person providing accommodation services in any form — hotels, tourist apartments, rural houses, campsites, platforms and managers. These are the parties obliged by RD 933/2021 to register and report guest data.

Mossos d’EsquadraCatalan police

The integral police force of Catalonia. In Catalonia, the traveller report is filed directly with the Mossos through their regional system rather than with the national SES Hospedajes.

ErtzaintzaBasque police

The integral police force of the Basque Country. In that autonomous community, the traveller report is filed with the Ertzaintza’s own system rather than the national SES Hospedajes.

Self check-inUnattended check-in

A check-in process where the guest registers without interacting in person with the property: they complete an online form, their identity is verified remotely, and they enter the property using a virtual key or PIN code.

Tourist taxTasa turística / impuesto sobre estancias

A regional tax applied in several Spanish autonomous communities (Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, the Basque Country, Valencia, Aragon and various Canary Islands municipalities) on the nights a guest spends at an accommodation. The rate depends on region, property type, star rating, season and the guest’s age.

PMSProperty Management System

Software that manages reservations, rates, availability and day-to-day operations at an accommodation. BookCheckin integrates with PMS platforms such as Amenitiz, Cloudbeds and Hostaway to automate the flow from reservation to traveller report.

MiDNISpanish electronic ID on mobile

Official app of the Spanish Ministry of the Interior that lets citizens prove their identity from a phone via a dynamic QR code verified against the National Police service. It does not replace the physical DNI for every use, but it is valid for hotel check-in and many administrative procedures.

DNIeSpanish electronic DNI (3.0 and 4.0)

Spanish national identity card with electronic chip — released in 2006 (1.0), 2015 (3.0 with NFC) and 2025-2026 (4.0 with the European eIDAS chip). It allows reading the holder’s data via the phone’s NFC, with cryptographic signing that hardens against document fraud.

VUTVivienda de Uso Turístico — Spanish vacation rental

Legal figure used in the Madrid region (Decree 79/2014) and other CCAA for a home rented for stays under 30 days. Regional equivalents: HUT in Catalonia, VFT in Andalusia, ETV in the Balearics. Subject to a double licence: regional tourism activity and municipal urban planning.

CTRTMMadrid Tourism Registry Code

Registration number that a VUT in the Madrid region receives at registration. It must appear visibly in all advertising (Airbnb, Booking, Vrbo, own website) and on the building exterior. Its absence is an infringement under Madrid Law 1/1999 on Tourism Regulation.

RTAAndalusia Tourism Registry

Regional registry where every tourist accommodation in Andalusia is enrolled. Each Vivienda con Fines Turísticos (VFT) receives a unique RTA number that must appear on every advertisement, under Decree 28/2016 and Law 13/2011 on Tourism in Andalusia.

IEETCatalan tax on stays in tourist establishments

Catalan regional tax on overnight stays at tourist accommodation, in force since 2012 under Law 5/2017. Collected from the guest and self-assessed on form 950 with the Catalan Tax Agency. Barcelona adds an independent municipal surcharge.

EcotasaBalearic Sustainable Tourism Tax (ITS)

Balearic levy on stays in Mallorca, Ibiza, Menorca and Formentera. Regulated by Law 2/2016, it varies by accommodation category and season (high/low). Self-assessed on form 700 with the Balearic Tax Agency (ATIB). Proceeds fund the Sustainable Tourism Fund.

Form 950Catalan IEET self-assessment form

Quarterly (in general) self-assessment form for the Catalan IEET, filed with the Catalan Tax Agency (ATC). Large filers remit monthly.

DAC7EU Directive 2021/514 on administrative tax cooperation

EU directive in force since 2023 that obliges Airbnb, Booking, Vrbo and other digital platforms to report host data and earned income to each Member State’s tax administration. In Spain, the data reaches the AEAT before the host files their tax return.

AEPDSpanish Data Protection Agency

Spanish supervisory authority for personal data protection. Its doctrine on accommodations is explicit: keeping photocopies or images of the guest’s DNI, NIE or passport is excessive data collection under the GDPR principle of minimisation and is therefore prohibited.