Frequently asked questions about SES Hospedajes

Frequently asked questions about SES Hospedajes

Quick answers about how the SES system works.

SES HOSPEDAJES COMMUNICATION PROCESS

• Must I register every booking in SES HOSPEDAJES, or only confirmed stays?

  Report every booking/contract you formalise (and its cancellation, if any) and, when the stay begins, report the start of services (check-in/report). They are two separate communications.

• When should the booking be reported to SES HOSPEDAJES?

  As soon as it is formalised, and within 24 hours at the latest. Same if it is cancelled.

• What information must I include when reporting the booking?

  Holder/manager and property data, traveller identity and contact, and transaction data (number, date, amounts and payment method).

• Must I report a cancellation in SES HOSPEDAJES if the guest does not show up?

  Yes. The cancellation must also be reported within ≤24 h after it happens.

• What happens if there are changes to the booking (number of people, dates)?

  You must update what you already reported within 24 hours of the change.

• Is the booking report and the traveller report done separately or in a single process?

  Legally they are different milestones, even if your tool unifies them in one flow. First report the booking when you receive it, then generate the report when the guests arrive and send it.

• What is the legal difference between reporting the booking and sending the traveller report?

  The booking reports the contract; the traveller report attests to the guests' identification and the start of the stay.

• What documents or data do I need to prepare before registering the stay?

  A valid official document (national ID/EU ID or passport) and the data required by the regulation. Apply GDPR good practices and register only what is necessary.

• How does the communication affect the Police or local authorities?

  The data is included in files of the Spanish Secretary of State for Security and is only accessible to the security forces, judicial authority and Public Prosecutor.

• Do I have to register relatives or friends in SES Hospedajes if I do not charge them?

  Yes. If the property is registered as a tourist accommodation or used for lodging, you must register every guest, regardless of whether there is payment.

  Royal Decree 933/2021 requires reporting the data of lodged people through SES.Hospedajes within 24 hours of the start of the stay.

  Only properties strictly for private use (not used for tourist or occasional lodging) are exempt.

• If I host someone in my usual residence, do I also have to report traveller data?

  Yes. Registering traveller data is mandatory for every type of lodging establishment in Spain.

SES HOSPEDAJES DEADLINES AND DATES

• How far in advance must the booking report be sent to SES HOSPEDAJES?

  Within 24 hours from the moment it is formalised (or cancelled).

• When exactly must the traveller report be sent? Before, during or after check-in?

  At the start of services (check-in), within 24 hours at the latest. You can prepare the data earlier, but the report must reflect the actual entry.

• If the guest arrives outside the planned schedule, is there leeway to send the report?

  Yes. The deadline starts from the actual arrival (even at dawn). Send it as soon as possible.

• Are there penalties if the traveller report is sent late?

  Yes. In general, lateness is a minor infraction; omitting communications or not keeping a register can be a serious infraction.

• How is the deadline computed: from the first guest's arrival or from the whole group?

  From the entry of the first guest on the contract. If others join later, update within ≤24 h.

• What if a guest extends the stay? Do I need to send an update?

  Yes. It is a modification: update within ≤24 h of agreeing the change.

• What is the legal difference between reporting the booking and sending the traveller report?

  The booking reports the contract; the report attests to traveller identification and the start of the stay.

DATA AND TECHNICAL PROCEDURE IN SES HOSPEDAJES

• How do I register each guest's personal data? Is the person who books enough?

  You must register every guest. People ≥14 years old sign their report; those under 14 do not sign and their data is provided by the responsible adult adding the relationship.

• Which information is mandatory in the traveller report (ID, date of birth, nationality, etc.)?

  The exact list is in Annex I of RD 933/2021 and varies depending on whether you are a professional or non-professional.

  More information here.

• Can I register the traveller report via a mobile app, or only via the SES HOSPEDAJES site?

  You can use the official web portal or an integrated WS (Web Service) solution, such as Checkin Vacacional, which automates the submission.

• What do I do if a guest does not have a valid ID document?

  Do not complete the check-in or the report until they provide a valid document. If in doubt, consult the relevant police authority.

• How are minors handled?

  Under 14: no signature, data provided by an adult. From 14: they sign their report.

• What do I do in case of errors in the entered data?

  Correct it on the platform and, if needed, resend the communication within ≤24 h of detecting the error.

• How can I download or save a copy of the report sent?

  From the portal or your integrated tool you can download the timestamped receipt. Keep it.

• How do I know the communication has been correctly received by SES HOSPEDAJES?

  You will see status OK and can download the receipt. If there is an error, correct it and retry.

LEGAL COMPLIANCE AND OBLIGATIONS WITH SES HOSPEDAJES

• Basic regulatory framework

  • Organic Law 4/2015 of 30 March on the protection of public safety, article 25.1 (BOE 77, 31 March).

  • Royal Decree 933/2021 of 26 October, establishing documentation and information registration obligations for individuals or entities engaged in lodging and motor vehicle rental activities (BOE 257, 27 October).

  • Order INT/1922/2003 of 3 July on register books and traveller entry reports in hotel establishments and others alike (BOE 165, 11 July).

  • Order INT/502/2003 of 21 February creating a file to handle information sent by hotel facilities to the Civil Guard (Parteviaje) (BOE 57, 7 March).

  • Resolution of 14 July 2003 of the Secretary of State for Security, establishing the conditions and procedure for transmitting computerised files (BOE 180, 29 July).

• To whom does Royal Decree 933/2021 apply?

  RD 933/2021 applies to lodging activities, understood as those which, on a professional or non-professional basis, provide—in exchange for a price, consideration or compensation—a room or space for people to spend the night, with or without ancillary services.

  The following are always included:

  Commercial establishments open to the public operating in this sector under the regulations of the competent administration: hotels, hostels, guesthouses, rural tourism accommodations and others alike.

  Campsites and motorhome parking zones, regardless of ownership or use regime, as well as apartments, bungalows and other similar tourist accommodations.

  Activities of tour operators providing intermediation between lodging businesses and consumers.

  Digital intermediation platforms—whether for-profit or free of charge—that facilitate these activities online, whether or not they provide the underlying service, as long as they offer services in Spain.

• What are the legal consequences of not properly registering the stay?

  The current sanctioning regime applies: from minor (e.g. delays) to serious (omissions or absence of register).

  Sending false data, errors in guest data, partial omission of information or late communication are minor infractions, with fines between €100 and €600.

  Not appearing in the register as a lodging provider or not communicating guest data to the authorities are serious infractions, with fines between €601 and €30,000.

  See information about penalties.

• What regulation governs the entire SES HOSPEDAJES communication process?

  Royal Decree 933/2021 (information obligations) and other applicable security and data protection regulations. Also review compatible regional guidelines.

• Which inspectors can request proof of the traveller report?

  Security forces, judicial authority or Public Prosecutor.

• Must physical or digital records of the communication be kept?

  If you operate professionally (self-employed or company):

  You must keep an electronic register with the required data and preserve it for 3 years from when the stay ends. No "book" or paper file is required; digital records are mandatory (PDF receipts, SES acknowledgements, logs, etc.).

  If you do NOT operate professionally (occasional/non-habitual activity):

  You are exempted from the electronic register and its preservation; you must still communicate to SES within the deadlines (≤24 h booking/contract and ≤24 h start of services). For non-professionals the regulation even allows non-electronic communications under the determined procedure.

• Is a signed consent required from the guest to register their data?

  No. The legal basis is the legal obligation. Inform your guests with a clear privacy notice.

• Can I register a group of minors staying with an adult other than their parents?

  Yes, recording the title that legitimises the responsibility of the adult over the minors (guardian, teacher, sports coach, etc.).

• What data is mandatory in the Traveller Data section of SES HOSPEDAJES?

  SES Hospedajes (the official Ministry web version) only marks with an asterisk (*) some fields strictly required to validate and send the communication:

  • First name *
  • First surname *
  • Date of birth *
  • Document type *
  • Document *
  • Phone *
  • Email *

• Which fields are optional in the Traveller Data of SES HOSPEDAJES?

  SES Hospedajes marks the following fields without an asterisk as optional:

  • Second surname
  • Nationality
  • Sex
  • Document support
  • Additional phone
  • Relationship

• Which data is mandatory in the Traveller Address?

  SES Hospedajes marks with an asterisk the following fields as mandatory:

  • Address
  • Province
  • Country
  • Municipality

  (Note: postal code has no asterisk → optional)

• Why doesn't SES Hospedajes require some fields that are mandatory under the regulation?

  Royal Decree 933/2021 establishes the data that must legally be recorded for every traveller (e.g. sex and nationality).

  However, the official SES Hospedajes application and its technical system (WS – Web Service) still don't mark all those fields as technically mandatory.

  This means:

  Legally, the establishment must have that data.

  But technically, the system allows the communication to be sent without them, generating no error.

  At Checkin Vacacional we follow exactly the same technical standard as SES Hospedajes.

  Even so, we are incorporating all the fields mentioned in the regulation so the information sent fully complies with both the law and the official system format.

SPECIAL CASES AND ATYPICAL SITUATIONS

• What if the guest arrives at dawn or outside usual hours?

  Same rules: report the start within 24 h of the actual arrival.

• What procedure applies if there are several different groups in the same week?

  Each contract/entry is an independent start. If it is the same contract with staggered entries, report and then update additions.

• How is a long stay or one for temporary workers registered?

  Same rules. If actual dates change, update within ≤24 h.

• What to do in case of emergency or anomaly with a guest?

  Prioritise safety (112/091/062) and keep receipts. Cooperate with the authority.

• Is it necessary to report an early departure?

  Yes, it is a modification and must be updated within ≤24 h.

• How is registration handled if foreign guests have no valid passport?

  A valid document must be presented (national ID if EU; passport in force if non-EU). Without valid identification the check-in is not completed.

• Are guests not initially declared in the booking allowed to be registered?

  Yes, provided you update the communication with their data within ≤24 h of their joining.

• What to do if SES Hospedajes is not working?

  It is recommended to have an external system such as Checkin Vacacional.

Enquiries and support