The European Commission has questioned the legality of Spain’s traveller registration system, which requires hotels, holiday rentals, campsites and car hire companies to send detailed information about their customers to the Interior Ministry.
What the system does
Under Royal Decree 933/2021, businesses providing accommodation and vehicle hire must register their customers’ details on a national platform, including names, identity document numbers, travel dates, payment details and, for car hire, vehicle information. The system came into force at the end of 2024 after delays and strong opposition from the tourism sector.
Brussels steps in
The Commission believes the scheme may breach EU data protection rules and has sent Spain a formal notice, the first step in infringement proceedings. Spain has two months to respond. If the Commission is not satisfied, it could eventually take the case to the Court of Justice of the European Union.
The scale
According to transparency data:
- more than 165,000 businesses are registered on the platform;
- nearly 9 million overnight-stay records have been collected;
- more than 6.5 million car hire records have been submitted;
- the platform cost the state over €500,000 to build and run, using the Interior Ministry’s own IT staff.
The government’s case
The government argues that the database helps the police fight crime, including terrorism and organised crime, and that rapid access to traveller information speeds up investigations.
The critics
Tourism associations and privacy advocates have dubbed the scheme a “tourism Big Brother”. They argue that it:
- imposes a heavy administrative burden on businesses, particularly small ones;
- collects more personal data than is necessary;
- may be incompatible with EU rules on data protection.
Why it matters for the Balearics
With millions of visitors staying in hotels and holiday rentals and hiring cars every year, Balearic tourism businesses are among those most affected by the paperwork. Industry groups in the islands have been among the most vocal critics, and will be watching the outcome of the EU’s intervention closely.
