Two things happened in May 2026, one day apart. On 20 May, EU Regulation 2024/1028 became applicable, requiring short-term rental platforms to collect and display each property’s registration number. On 21 May, Spain’s Supreme Court annulled the NRUA, the state-level number that had been mandatory for listing since July 2025.
The result is the most confusing field in the industry: you still see a “registration number” box on Airbnb and Booking, but the number they had been asking you for no longer exists as an obligation. This guide answers the only thing that matters in practice: which number to enter there today and how to add it on each platform without getting your listing taken down.
What happened: two rules in two days
To get your bearings, the essentials in three lines:
- The NRUA fell. The Supreme Court annulled the articles of RD 1312/2024 that created the state registry, for encroaching on regional competences over tourism. You have the full analysis of the ruling in the Supreme Court annuls the NRUA.
- The regional license never moved. It has always been what certifies your property as a legal tourist accommodation, and it remains the reference number. To check yours or see what format it takes, see how to check your tourist registration code.
- Europe stepped in right before. Regulation (EU) 2024/1028 harmonizes how platforms collect and share listing data, and keeps the requirement for a visible registration number alive.
What EU Regulation 2024/1028 says about the registration number
This is the point almost nobody is explaining, and the one that resolves the apparent contradiction. The European regulation does not create a new registry: it builds on the registration procedures that already exist in each member state and requires that number to flow transparently between host, platform, and administration. In summary:
- The host must declare to the platform whether their accommodation is subject to a registration procedure in its territory.
- If it is, they must provide the registration number so the platform can attach it to the listing.
- Platforms must be able to verify and display that number, and periodically share activity data with the competent authorities.
- Different adaptation timelines apply depending on platform size, with more technical leeway for smaller ones.
For an owner in Spain, the “registration procedure” the regulation refers to is not the annulled NRUA: it is your autonomous region’s tourist license, the registry that is real and in force in your territory. That is why the field is still there, and why it still has to be filled in.
Which number do I enter on Airbnb and Booking today
The practical rule is simple:
- Use your regional tourist license number: VFT in Andalusia, HUT in Catalonia, ETV in the Balearics, VUT in Galicia, Asturias or Madrid, VT in the Valencian Community, VV in the Canary Islands.
- You don’t need the NRUA. If you never applied for it, you don’t have to. If you already had one, you can leave it in place, but it is no longer mandatory.
- If the platform only offers you the national number field, enter your regional number there while Airbnb and Booking finish adapting their forms.
If you don’t yet know which acronym applies to your region or how to apply for the license, start with the guide to the tourist license in Spain.
How to add the registration number on Airbnb
- Log in to your host account and go to your dashboard.
- Open View/Manage Listings and select the listing you want to update.
- Go to the Regulations tab.
- Follow the prompts in the pop-up and enter your regional license number exactly as it appears on your registration decision, with no extra spaces or prefixes.
- Save and check that the listing shows no pending verification notice.
Airbnb has been notifying Spanish hosts by email and through the listings dashboard. If you see a “registration number pending” notice, complete it as soon as possible: listings without a valid number can be unpublished.
How to add the registration number on Booking
- Log in to Booking’s Extranet with your owner account.
- Click Property, then General info.
- Select your license type from the drop-down menu and enter the number. The form may be customised to the Spanish context; if your case qualifies for an exemption, you select it in that same drop-down.
- Enter the number exactly as issued by your regional authority, with no added prefixes or suffixes: if the format doesn’t match what is expected, the Extranet rejects it with an invalid-number message.
- Click Update your info and check in the listing preview that the number appears on your page.
If your license is issued per unit (rooms or apartments with their own number), the field lives under Property, in Property layout or Room details: edit each unit and add its number under “Tell us your license number”.
If you also want to get more out of the channel (photos, rates, Genius, reviews), you have the detail in the complete Booking guide for owners.
Specific situations
| Your situation | What to do now |
|---|---|
| You have a regional license and an NRUA | Use the regional number; the NRUA is now optional and leaving it causes no penalty |
| Regional license, never applied for an NRUA | Nothing to do: use your regional number directly |
| Only an NRUA, no regional license | Urgent: without a license you cannot list legally, with or without an NRUA |
| Your region hasn’t issued the number yet | Check the status of your application; some platforms accept provisional proof |
| Your listing was deactivated | Add the regional number and ask the platform’s support team to review it |
The one that really hurts is the third: listings that obtained the state-level number assuming it was enough, and are now left without a valid one at all. The Supreme Court ruling relaxed nothing on that front; if anything, it reinforced the role of the regional registries.
Common mistakes when filling in the field
- Confusing the NRUA with the regional license and leaving the field blank, thinking “nothing is required any more”.
- Copying the number incorrectly, with spaces or characters that don’t match the official document: automatic verification rejects it.
- Not updating the listing after renewing the license, when the region assigns a different number.
- Ignoring platform notices until the listing is unpublished.
Frequently asked questions
Do I still need the NRUA to list on Airbnb or Booking? No. STS 620/2026 annulled the obligation to obtain and display it. What you do need is your regional tourist license number.
If the NRUA is annulled, why do they still ask me for a registration number? Because the requirement no longer comes only from Spanish law. EU Regulation 2024/1028, applicable since 20 May 2026, requires you to declare to the platform the number of the registry your property is subject to: in Spain, the regional one.
Which exact number do I write in the field? Your regional license number (VFT, HUT, ETV, VUT, VT, VV, depending on your region), exactly as it appears on your registration decision.
What if my listing was deactivated for not having a registration number? Add your regional number in the relevant field and contact the platform’s support team to request reactivation once verified.
Does any of this affect the SES.Hospedajes traveler registration? No, they are separate obligations. The registration number certifies your license to list the property; traveler registration (RD 933/2021) is the mandatory reporting of each guest’s data for every stay, and it remains in force without exception.