FAQ — Tourist Licences in Andalusia

A VUT (Vivienda de Uso Turístico) is a residential dwelling offered on tourist platforms for short-term stays. Any owner renting their property this way in Andalusia must file a Responsible Declaration (declaración responsable) before the Junta de Andalucía to obtain a tourist licence number. This number must be displayed in all advertising.

Yes. Any property advertised on Airbnb, Booking, Vrbo or similar tourist platforms in Andalusia must hold a valid VUT licence. Operating without one exposes you to fines from €16,000 and platform delisting. Airbnb and Booking are required to remove listings that cannot verify a valid licence number.

The typical documents required are:

• ID, NIE or Passport of the property owner
• Title deed (escritura) and Simple Note (Nota Simple) with CRU/IDUFIR
• First occupancy licence or equivalent enabling title
• Community by-laws and recent meeting minutes
• Community authorisation (if required — see the community FAQ section)
• Operating contract if you are not the direct operator of the property

We provide a personalised checklist for your specific situation after the free initial consultation.

The Responsible Declaration takes effect immediately upon filing, meaning you can start operating from day one. However, the full process involves several stages:

• Responsible Declaration filing: immediate effect
• SES guest-reporting registration: 1–7 days
• NRA inscription at the Land Registry: weeks to months
• Community authorisation (if required): 2–8 weeks depending on meetings

A complete end-to-end process typically takes 4–8 weeks from start to finish.

Our legal fees for the complete VUT application start from €950 (discounted pack including Responsible Declaration, SES registration and NRA). Individual services are available separately: SES registration from €150, NRA registration from €320, Responsible Declaration from €780. All fees are tax-deductible. See our full services and pricing page for details.

A cambio de titularidad (change of holder) is the formal transfer of an existing tourist licence to a new owner or operator. Because the tourist licence in Andalusia has a "real nature" — it is attached to the property, not the person — it does not disappear when the property is sold. However, the official holder data must be updated through a formal declaration before the Junta de Andalucía.

Yes. Even though the licence stays with the property, the official holder (titular) must be updated to the new owner's name. Operating under the previous owner's holder data is legally irregular and can cause problems with the administration, platforms and insurers. We handle the full change of holder process. For more information, read our guide: How to transfer a tourist licence when buying a property in Spain.

In most cases, once the change of holder declaration has been filed and you hold a filing receipt or online acknowledgement, you can continue to operate the property while the procedure is being resolved. We advise clients on this on a case-by-case basis, as it depends on the specific municipality and administrative situation.

No. The licence does not expire upon sale. The Andalusian tourist licence has a "real nature" — it is attached to the property and remains valid through changes of ownership, as long as the objective conditions of the property (habitability, safety, etc.) continue to be met and the holder data is updated through a change of holder procedure.

The documents typically required for a change of holder are:

• ID/NIE/Passport of the new holder
• Title deed (escritura) showing the transfer of ownership
• Updated Simple Note (Nota Simple) with CRU/IDUFIR
• Operating contract (if the new operator differs from the new owner)
• Power of attorney if we act on your behalf
• Community authorisation (required for changes filed after April 2025)

The NRA (Número de Registro de Alquiler) is an entry in the Land Registry (Registro de la Propiedad) that publicises the short-term tourist use of a residential property. It provides legal traceability between the property's physical location, its registry record and its tourist activity. Since 1 July 2025, this number must be displayed in all tourist property advertising.

Yes. Since 1 July 2025, the NRA is required for any tourist property being advertised or operated in Andalusia. Platforms such as Airbnb and Booking require the NRA number to be displayed in listings alongside the tourist licence number. Properties without an NRA may be delisted.

NRA inscription at the Land Registry typically takes between a few weeks and several months, depending on the specific registry office, workload and whether any corrections are required during the process. We follow up with the registry until the inscription is confirmed and deliver the NRA number to you.

Our fee for the NRA registration service starts at €320 (legal fees). This includes preparation of the application, filing at the competent Land Registry and follow-up until inscription. Land Registry administration fees are payable separately and vary by property value. When combined with the VUT application and SES in our full pack, the overall cost starts at €950.

For the NRA application you need the property's CRU (Código Registral Único) or IDUFIR number — these are unique identification numbers for your property in the Land Registry. You also need the title deed, the VUT tourist licence number and standard ownership documentation. We obtain or verify the CRU/IDUFIR from the Simple Note as part of our service.

The SES (Sistema de Entrada al Servicio) is Andalusia's mandatory digital system for reporting tourist accommodation guest check-ins. All tourist accommodation operators — including VUT owners — must register on the SES platform and submit a check-in report for every guest within 24 hours of arrival. The SES system collects guest identification data for security and statistical purposes.

The SES platform became mandatory for tourist accommodation operators in Andalusia on 2 December 2024. All VUT owners who were already operating before that date were required to register on SES by the deadline. New applicants must register on SES as part of the VUT application process.

Failure to register on SES or to submit guest reports correctly can result in significant administrative fines under Andalusian tourism law. Additionally, platforms such as Airbnb may delist your property if you cannot demonstrate SES compliance. The obligation to report guest data is also linked to security regulations that apply independently of the tourist licence regime.

We handle the full SES registration process on your behalf: applying for establishment registration, completing identity verification, setting up user accounts, and providing you with a practical training protocol for your cleaning or check-in team. Our SES registration service starts at €150. Contact us to start the process: WhatsApp or book a consultation.

Yes. Every guest check-in must be reported through SES within 24 hours of arrival. This applies to all guests regardless of nationality, age (for guests over 14) or length of stay. Each report must include the guest's ID or passport data. We provide training to your team on how to submit reports efficiently.

Since 3 April 2025, new VUT licences and changes of holder in Andalusia require the approval of the community of owners (homeowners' association / comunidad de propietarios) by a qualified majority vote. The community resolution approving tourist rental activity must be obtained before or during the application process. This requirement does not apply retroactively to licences validly granted before 3 April 2025.

Since April 2025, a community can vote by a 3/5 qualified majority to prohibit new tourist licences in the building. However, this prohibition only applies to new applications and changes of holder — it cannot be applied retroactively to invalidate licences that were validly granted before the vote took place.

The current legal framework requires a 3/5 qualified majority vote — calculated both by number of owners and by their participation quota in the community — to either grant approval for tourist rental activity or to prohibit it. A simple majority is not sufficient for either decision. The vote must be properly convened and minuted.

Yes, in certain circumstances. A community resolution prohibiting tourist rentals can be challenged if: the vote was not properly convened or conducted; the required majority was not achieved; the resolution purports to affect an existing valid licence retroactively; or the prohibition exceeds the community's legal powers. We analyse each case individually and advise on the best legal strategy.

There are several strategies depending on your specific situation. We review the community by-laws and the refusal to assess whether it is legally valid. In some cases it is possible to challenge the refusal, negotiate conditions with the community, or apply for the licence under a different legal basis. Book a consultation and we will advise on your options: Book consultation.