SES Hospedajes explained in English: the complete guide for vacation rental owners
New to SES Hospedajes and want it in plain English? Every guest staying in your Spanish vacation rental must be registered with the authorities through SES Hospedajes within 24 hours. Non-compliance means fines up to 30,000 euros. We explain the whole system and automate the entire process for you.
Anouar Zhaoui · 2025-12-01
What is SES Hospedajes and why it matters in 2026
SES Hospedajes is Spain's mandatory guest registration system. Under RD 933/2021, all tourist accommodations must register guests with the National Police or Civil Guard.
In 2026, authorities are actively cross-referencing Airbnb and Booking data with SES registrations. Property owners who don't comply are receiving fines.
Purpose of the SES system
The system is part of Spain's security legislation, designed to combat illegal activity and undocumented stays. As a property owner, you are legally responsible for correctly registering every guest.What data must you submit?
Since December 2024, property owners must complete up to 21 data fields per guest: from name and passport number to home address, phone number and payment method. This applies to all guests over 14 years old, within 24 hours of arrival.
Manually filling out 21 fields per guest is error-prone and time-consuming, especially when managing your property remotely. KeyLessCosta automatically extracts passport data via OCR and completes the remaining fields with booking data. See the complete list of required data fields in our 2026 guide.
What changes in 2026?
SES Hospedajes enforcement has tightened dramatically in 2026. Authorities are actively cross-referencing Airbnb and Booking data with SES registrations, and the Spanish tax authority is now involved too. Property owners who fail to register guests are already receiving fines.
With KeyLessCosta, you don't need to worry: every guest is automatically registered within the legal deadline. Read the full overview of all 2026 enforcement changes, including the compliance timeline of key dates.
How KeyLessCosta automates SES Hospedajes
Our platform automates the entire SES process:
Steps in the automation process
- Pre-arrival registration - Guests automatically receive a personal registration link before arrival
- ID verification - Guests upload their passport or ID. Our software automatically reads the data
- Automatic SES submission - All data is automatically transmitted to the SES Hospedajes portal
- Confirmation - You receive confirmation once the registration is successfully submitted
Avoiding fines up to 30,000 euros
Non-compliance with SES Hospedajes carries fines from €100 to €30,000 per guest, depending on severity. Systematic violations can reach €600,000 and revocation of your VFT license.
With KeyLessCosta, this risk is fully covered: every guest is automatically and correctly registered, well within the 24-hour legal deadline. See the complete fine breakdown and penalty details in our 2026 guide. Having trouble with the SES portal? See our SES Hospedajes troubleshooting guide.
View RD 933/2021 on BOE.es →
SES Hospedajes and other obligations
SES Hospedajes is just one part of your obligations as a vacation rental owner.
Other legal obligations for owners
You also need: • VFT registration - License from the Junta de Andalucía for tourist accommodation. This is the prerequisite for obtaining the NRA number • NRA number - National registration number, mandatory since July 2025. Must appear in every Airbnb and Booking.com listing • HOA approval - 3/5 majority required for apartments (Ley Orgánica 1/2025) • Liability insurance - Minimum €150,000 coverage KeyLessCosta guides you through all these requirements. See our complete automation guide and our permits checklist for a full overview.SES Hospedajes: manual vs. automated
Many owners start by handling SES Hospedajes manually. The difference with automation becomes clear quickly:
For owners with a single property, manual registration is feasible but time-consuming. Once you manage two or more properties, or handle more than five bookings per month, automation becomes practically indispensable.
| Aspect | Manual | KeyLessCosta |
|---|---|---|
| Time per guest | 15-25 minutes | 0 minutes (automatic) |
| Error rate | High (typos, wrong fields) | Minimal (OCR + validation) |
| Deadline risk | High (forgotten, time zones) | None (auto-submission) |
| Works remotely | Yes, but impractical | Fully optimised |
| Cost per month (10 bookings) | 3-4 hours of your time | Fixed monthly fee |
| Compliance guarantee | No | Yes, 100% |
Frequently asked questions about SES Hospedajes
- Do I need to register all guests, including children?
- All guests over the age of 14 must be registered. Children under 14 do not need a separate registration, but their presence may be noted.
- What if my guest refuses to upload their passport?
- You are legally required to collect identification data. EU citizens can use a national ID card instead of a passport. If a guest refuses to provide identification, you may refuse the booking.
- Can I handle SES Hospedajes from abroad?
- Technically yes, via the SES portal. But with 21 fields per guest and a 24-hour deadline, doing this from a different time zone is highly impractical. Automation solves this problem entirely.
- What if the SES portal is down?
- The SES portal experiences regular technical outages. KeyLessCosta stores data locally and automatically submits once the portal is available again. See also our SES troubleshooting guide.
- Is automated registration GDPR-compliant?
- Yes. We process personal data exclusively for the legally required purpose (guest registration) and store data in encrypted form. After the statutory retention period, data is automatically deleted.
- How much does SES automation cost?
- Contact us for a tailored quote. The cost depends on the number of properties and bookings. We offer a free demo so you can see how it works.
Málaga, Andalucía 29001, Spain
+31 6 18 28 40 11 (WhatsApp)
keylesscosta@gmail.com