If you have booked a holiday home in Spain or Morocco and been asked for everyone's passport, this page explains why. In both countries the law requires hosts to record every guest and pass their details to the police. So after you book, we ask for a passport or national ID card for every guest, and we send the address only once they are all in. It takes a few minutes, and it works the same way for every home we host.
The short answer
- Why: Spanish and Moroccan law require hosts to register each guest with the authorities.
- What: an ID for every guest, plus a few details, during online check-in.
- When: after your booking is confirmed and before you arrive.
- The order: payment, then every guest's ID, then the address and arrival details, then the access details.
Spain: the guest register
In Spain, the rules are set by Real Decreto 933/2021, which covers hotels and holiday apartments alike. Since December 2024, hosts send the details through the Ministry of the Interior's SES.HOSPEDAJES system; Catalonia and the Basque Country keep their own systems, run by their regional police forces, the Mossos d'Esquadra and the Ertzaintza.
For each guest, the register records:
- first name and surnames, and sex
- the type and number of the ID document: national ID card, passport or residence card
- nationality and date of birth
- home address, phone number and email
- the number of guests and, when one of them is a minor, the relationship between the travellers
For the booking itself, it records the dates and times of arrival and departure and how the stay was paid: the payment method, its holder and the date.
A few more points from the decree:
- Who signs: every guest over 14. The details of children under 14 are given by the adult they travel with.
- Deadline: the details must reach the authorities immediately, and in any case within 24 hours.
- How long they are kept: the register is kept for three years from the end of the stay.
You can read the decree on the official state gazette.
Morocco: the police declaration
In Morocco, every guest, Moroccan or foreign, is declared to the police on a form known as the fiche de police. It records each guest's name, date and place of birth, nationality, passport or national ID number, date of entry into Morocco and length of stay. Tourist accommodation must also keep a register of its guests.
In practice, foreign guests send their passport, and Moroccan guests their national ID card or passport.
Our order, step by step
- Book and pay. Your booking is confirmed as soon as the payment clears.
- Online check-in. We contact you on WhatsApp or by email for a few details and an ID for every guest.
- The address and arrival details. Once online check-in is complete, we send you the address and how to get there.
- The access details. Last of all, before you arrive. Most of our homes have self check-in.
We never send an address, a door code or Wi-Fi details before every guest's ID is in. It protects you, the neighbours and the home, and it means there is nothing to sort out at the door.
How your data is kept
We ask for copies of ID documents where the law requires them, and we use them to register you with the police. Copies are deleted securely once that legal requirement has been met. How we handle personal data, how long we keep it and your rights are set out in our privacy policy.
A tip: we ask for documents only from our own WhatsApp number and email. If a message asking for your documents in our name looks odd, check with us first on the WhatsApp number shown on this site.
Arriving at each destination
- Casablanca: the airport train reaches Casa Voyageurs station in about 30 minutes. Only grand taxis serve the airport, at the posted fare; in town, red petit taxis run on the meter. Read our guide to where to stay in Casablanca.
- Marrakech: the airport is about 6 km from Jemaa el-Fna, 15 to 30 minutes by taxi; agree the fare before you get in. For a home in the Medina, the taxi stops at the nearest gate. Read our guide to where to stay in Marrakech.
- The Costa del Sol: the C-1 train runs from Málaga airport to Fuengirola in about 35 minutes. For Marbella and Puerto Banús, allow 40 minutes to an hour by car or taxi. Read our guide to where to stay in Marbella.
- Near Barcelona: the R5 train from Plaça d'Espanya reaches Monistrol de Montserrat in about an hour; for the villa near Tarragona, come by car. Read our guide to where to stay near Barcelona.
Most of our stays have check-in from 15:00 and check-out by 11:00; ask us if you need other times. Choose your destination to see what is free for your dates: Casablanca, Marrakech, the Costa del Sol or near Barcelona. More answers are on our FAQ page.
Frequently asked questions
Do children need ID?
In Spain, children under 14 are registered through the adult they travel with, and the relationship is recorded. In Morocco, every guest is declared. Children travelling abroad need their own passport or ID card in any case, so have it ready.
Can I just show my passport when I arrive?
We need every ID before arrival, because the address and the access details come after registration, and most of our homes have self check-in.
Why does the Spanish register include how I paid?
The decree asks hosts to record the payment method, its holder and the date of payment. That information comes from your booking.
What if a guest joins later?
Send their ID before they arrive. Every guest who stays must be registered, even for one night.
Do you ask for IDs for every stay?
Yes, for every stay we host, in Spain, in Morocco and further afield. It is the law in Spain and Morocco, and our rule everywhere else.
