Before you list your property, book an apartment as a traveler, or hire a manager, there’s one thing worth knowing: that tourist registration code shown (or that should be shown) in the listing can be checked. And checking it is the difference between operating with peace of mind and risking a penalty or a scam.
The catch is that Spain has no single registry and no single search tool. Tourism is managed by each autonomous region, so the code, its format, and how to look it up change depending on where the property is. On top of that, in 2024 a state-level number appeared (the NRUA), which the Supreme Court annulled in 2026. This guide gives you the complete, up-to-date map to verify any code, whether you’re an owner, a manager, or a guest.
What the tourist registration code is (and how many there are)
The tourist registration code is the identifying number an autonomous region assigns to a property when you register it as a legal tourist accommodation. It certifies that the property is entered in the corresponding regional registry and authorized to be rented to tourists. Without it, the property is not recognized as tourist accommodation by the administration.
Here it helps to clear up a common confusion, because in practice several different numbers coexist:
- Regional registration number: your region’s tourism code (VUT or VFT in Andalusia, HUT in Catalonia, ETV in the Balearics, VUT in Galicia or Madrid, etc.). This is the one that really matters and the one to check.
- NRUA (state-level number): the Single Rental Registration Number the State created in 2024. As you’ll see below, it stopped being mandatory in 2026.
- Traveler registration: not a property code, but the obligation to report each guest’s data to SES.Hospedajes. These are different things that often get mixed up.
Checking “the code” almost always means validating the regional number: confirming it exists, that it’s real, and that it corresponds to that specific property.
Why you need to check it
Verification matters for different reasons depending on who does it:
- If you’re an owner: a mistyped number on Airbnb or Booking can get your listing removed during one of their checks. Verifying that the one you show is exactly what’s in the registry saves you that scare.
- If you’re a manager: when you take on a client’s property, checking its code before publishing protects you from advertising an accommodation without a valid license (and from being liable for it).
- If you’re a guest: a listing with a code that doesn’t exist or doesn’t fit the location is one of the clearest signs of an illegal vacation rental or even a fraud. An accommodation without a valid registration can disappear from the platform in the middle of your booking.
How to check the tourist registration code step by step
The method is the same across Spain, even if the lookup tool changes by region:
- Find the code in the listing. Airbnb, Booking, and Vrbo show the registration number on the accommodation page (sometimes in the details section or at the end of the description). Write it down exactly, with letters and hyphens.
- Identify the autonomous region. The code’s prefix and the property’s address tell you which regional registry to check. Each region uses its own format.
- Go to that region’s tourism registry. Most regions have a public search tool or list of tourist accommodations on their tourism department’s portal. There you can search by registration number or by locality.
- Cross-check the data. Confirm the code exists and matches the locality and, when the registry shows it, the address or the owner. If the number doesn’t appear or belongs to another municipality, something is off.
- Confirm with the platform if in doubt. If the listing shows no number or the one it shows doesn’t validate, ask the host or the platform directly before booking or publishing.
How to verify the code by autonomous region
There is no unified national search tool: each region manages its registry and defines how to consult it. Here’s the acronym reference by region so you know what type of code you’re looking for and where:
| Region | Type of code | Where to check it |
|---|---|---|
| Andalusia | VUT, formerly VFT (see guide) | Andalusia Tourism Registry |
| Catalonia | HUT (Habitatge d’Ús Turístic) | Catalonia Tourism Registry / town council |
| Balearic Islands | ETV (Estada Turística en Habitatge) | Island council tourism registry |
| Galicia | VUT (Vivenda de Uso Turístico) | Registry of Tourism Companies and Activities |
| Madrid | VUT (Vivienda de Uso Turístico) | Madrid tourism companies registry |
| Valencian Community | VT (Vivienda Turística) | Valencian Community Tourism Registry |
| Canary Islands | VV (Vivienda Vacacional) | Canary Islands General Tourism Registry |
| Asturias | VUT (Vivienda de Uso Turístico) | Registry of tourism companies and activities |
The table is indicative: registry names and their search tools change, and some regions add municipal requirements on top of the regional registry. Always use your region’s official tourism portal as the source. If your question is how to obtain the code (not check it), the procedure also depends on each region and on whether your municipality limits new licenses.
What happened to the state-level number (NRUA) in 2026
During 2025 the idea spread that every tourist property would need a single state-level number on top of the regional one. That number was the NRUA (Single Rental Registration Number), created by Royal Decree 1312/2024 together with the Digital Single Window for Rentals, and platforms started requiring it to publish listings.
In May 2026 the Supreme Court annulled that state registry (ruling STS 620/2026), holding that tourism is the competence of the autonomous regions and that the State could not impose a national registry overlapping the regional ones. With the annulment, obtaining and showing the NRUA stopped being a state obligation. We explain it in detail in our article on the Supreme Court’s annulment of the NRUA.
What does this mean for checking a code in 2026? That the number you really need to verify is the regional one. If a listing shows an NRUA, it’s not wrong, but it’s not what validates the property’s legality: the region’s registry does that.
The registration code is NOT the same as traveler registration
This is the most common confusion and worth making clear, because they are two obligations that don’t replace each other:
- The tourist registration code is the license: it certifies the property is registered and authorized to be rented. It’s checked once and shown in listings.
- Traveler registration is the reporting of each guest’s data to SES.Hospedajes (Ministry of the Interior), mandatory for every stay under Royal Decree 933/2021. It’s not a property number: it’s a report per booking.
Having the tourist code in order doesn’t exempt you from traveler registration, or vice versa. If you want to understand the guest report side, we develop it in the guide to traveler registration and SES.Hospedajes, and how to automate it with a traveler registration app.
What to do if the code doesn’t appear or doesn’t validate
If your check turns up a problem, act according to your role:
- As a guest: be wary. An accommodation without a valid code may be illegal and be removed from the platform, leaving you without a booking. Ask the host for the number and, if they don’t provide it or it doesn’t validate, consider another option and report it to the platform.
- As an owner or manager: first check it isn’t a transcription error (a single letter or hyphen changes everything). If the number really isn’t in the registry, your priority is to regularize the situation before continuing to advertise, because advertising without a license exposes you to regional penalties.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a single search tool to check any tourist registration code in Spain? No. Each autonomous region manages its own registry and its own lookup method. You must go to the tourism registry of the region where the property is located. The attempt to create a unified state registry (NRUA) was annulled by the Supreme Court in 2026.
Which code should I show on Airbnb or Booking in 2026? Your property’s regional registration number (VFT, HUT, ETV, VUT, etc.). After the annulment of the NRUA, that state-level number is no longer mandatory, though each platform may take time to update its forms; check with them which number they expect.
How do I know which region a code belongs to? By the property’s address and by the code’s own format, which usually includes a prefix or acronym associated with the region (VFT, HUT, ETV, VV, VT…). That tells you which regional registry to consult.
Is the tourist registration code the same as the SES.Hospedajes traveler registration? No. The tourist registration code is the property’s license (once). Traveler registration is the reporting of each guest’s data to SES.Hospedajes for every stay, under RD 933/2021. They are independent obligations.
Can I advertise my property while I’m applying for the code? It depends on your region. Many require you to have the number before publishing the listing. Check your regional registry’s requirements to avoid penalties for advertising without a license.