Host asking for passport copies

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Bruna-Ayako0
Level 2
São Paulo, Brazil

Host asking for passport copies

Hi! I've used Airbnb a couple of times, and it's the first time my host asked me for the Passport copies. I'm hosted in Portugal and she said it's for paying taxes. I distrusted this information of her request because I always talked to my host in Portuguese and just this message was sent in English.

 

Anybody know if is it common ask passport information in Portugal? And is safe to provide this information?


Thanks!

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Quincy
Community Manager
Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

Hi everyone,

 

Please note that this content has been archived.

 

"The Host may ask for ID upon check-in, if done in person and if the requirement is in the Host’s house rules at the time of booking or is required under applicable laws." 

 

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138 Replies 138

Short answer: it's not safe to provide the copies/photos, it's not normal practice either in Portugal or Spain and never should be considered normal.

 

Officially, the only piece of information is needed is your ID document data, but never its copies or photos.

Any decent host here who is aware of the actual data protection and privacy laws, such as GDPR, will never ask to take a copy of your ID. They instead would give you a pre-configured link to the https://www.badireto.pt service 24h before arrival, which is a platform where you yourself enter your ID data directly without uploading your ID copies, that will be automatically communicated to SEF.

 

Some hosts here prefer doing it themselves and unfortunately, some of them may ask to take a photo of your ID, but you have a right to refuse to do so and let them store your ID data manually in the text format.

 

I always refuse requests to take a photo of my ID or send a copy, because it's not safe and not required officially.

Hi

please note in Portugal guest info has to be at Sef latest 3 days after your arrival not before you even arrived. In Spain, it is within 24h after arrival (check in).

 

I do understand that hosts want a copy of ID or take a photo. Using old fashioned paper myself it can be agonizing to decipher guests scribbles it also speeds up check in and allows for contactless check in.

 

Last not least it is simply about trust - trust the host to take precaution and adhere to GDPR guidelines (EU) as hosts trust guests to not ransack the lodgings.

 

 

 

Sarah977
Level 10
Sayulita, Mexico

@Lilia962  As a guest, you probably aren't aware of this, but Airbnb does not give hosts the full names of guests unless the guest has entered that information into their Airbnb account. And hosts have no way of even knowing if that is a guest's real name. 

Hosts are expected to trust a complete stranger to stay in their home, full of appliances and furnishings the host has provided, yet you don't trust the host enough to give them a copy of some official ID?

Hosts have had so-called guests steal everything of value in the  accommodation and the host doesn't even have a name to give to the police. 

If you don't trust your host enough to provide them with a copy of your driver's license, maybe you should stick to impersonal hotels. 

@Sarah977  I have host experience as well. Here in Portugal the laws require that guests provide their ID to the local authorities 24h before the check-in. It's also a normal practice for hosts to ask guests to show their IDs during check-in to confirm the data provided to the authorities and I am okay about it as a guest. I was talking specifically about providing copies, which is a slightly different topic. Even hotels here don't digitalize the guest IDs, they only store the data instead.

 

However, in case we are talking about some country outside EU, I understand that there could be different laws and cases. In case the photo ID is inevitable, I would send a watermarked copy. The watermark data should contain the purpose and the validity date for that document copy.

@Lilia962 Thanks for explaining. I did look at your profile before I answered to see if you were also a host, but there was no listing and one review as a guest. But I realize that doesn't mean you couldn't have been a host in the past, or through some other platform.

I also don't like putting that sort of ID info online, as there is so much hacking of personal info these days. But if I were a guest, I wouldn't mind providing it privately to the host. It seems like it would be extemely rare, if not unheard of, for a host to use a copy of a guest's ID for some nefarious purpose. I should think any host that asked for that would just throw it away once the guest checked out as long as there was no damage or theft claim to pursue.

@Sarah977 trusting hosts is not the problem which is being focused here. While most of the reputable hosts are dealing the information as you say and I wouldn't put their approach in question, there are some completely different problems existing aside.

For example, please read that early answer from this conversation https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Help/Host-asking-for-passport-copies/m-p/917424/highlight/true#M... so you can have a full view of the concerns that are being highlighted here. There are many cases in the history when honest hosts were compromised.. Many previous pages of this conversation contain very good information on this subject.

 

In fact many hosts from my experience prefer not asking for photo ID just to avoid those problems and the responsibility caused in case something like that happens, including the Airbnb hosting agency I worked for in the past. We were given very strict instructions on this matter: "Manually rewrite the ID information without taking any copies.", because our head preferred avoiding any consequences caused by GDPR incompliance.

Kutya0
Level 2
Budapest, Hungary

In HUNGARY, it is MANDATORY for all legal hosts to collect this information FROM EVERY GUEST. 

Then they must supply this data to the goverment registry within 24hours of check-in. 

 

NO exceptions!

 

Huge fines for the host if they dont do it, and they can lose their license too, also the Airbnb listing can get removed.

It is in fact a very serious task for every licensed host.  Very serious requirement. 

 

As a guest, If you never had to provide your data to the host, then perhaps that Airbnb host was not legally licensed to operate accomodation services. All guests must provide their name, date of birth, place of birth, citizenship and the zipcode of the birthplace. 

!you can have the information, but the question if about the copy of the document, I believe it is not necessary and safe; the guests can always provide the information by text, you can always confirm them upon their arrival and check-in, but a copy of the id/passport? not necessary at all!

Janet1134
Level 1
London, United Kingdom

Do we know why we can't register our details directly with the government?  I understand from the host and user perspective.  But one thing with GDPR is being transparent with how your data is used, flexibility of data, I.e. modififyimg deleting, editing.  Of course some data has to be stored usually 7 years like say a purchase, etc.  But how can you control your data if you can't even see who is accessing it and how its being used? Also, I always love my hosts but its a risk giving anyone this type of information. Even airlines won't store passport numbers of family members.  3rd party sites add even more uncertainty.  Those saying they will capture and share to your gov.  Its like everyone but the user gets a registered acct. Why? Gdpr is about controlling our own data. Not giving others more control. I doubt anyone pn here is upset to provide information if we trust where its stored and can modify permissions.  Ie maybe the country govt sees the passport number. But the host just needs to know its there and they are compliant. It would eliminate 9 pages of questions.  Also, airbnb says everything has to be in the description. So thats the workaround, as I think ppl love using the word gdpr but don't care to understand why it exists.  I have very low confidence in change. Again, 9 pages of the same question.  

Elaine701
Level 10
Balearic Islands, Spain

@Janet1134 

 

Frankly, I'd be delighted if they'd just collect that data plus collect tourist tax themselves, and leave us out of it. 

 

But it's the law. We have to collect IDs and tourist tax and suffer the burdens of filing it all. So do the hotels. 

 

If anyone refuses (nobody has yet) then I'm legally obliged to refuse them accommodation. And who do you think would suffer the consequences of that? Hint: it wouldn't be the government. 

@Elaine701 trust I'm not anti the community! It sucks for the customer and host. And its not rocket science to figure out.  So, we are clearly united this is something no one wants but has to do. Posts go back years, already. Its ridiculous.  I mean the very least you would expect a notification when looking at a country. But then that's liability. So, I guess to support each other go big and bold on listing description in terms of required in data. I hope you avoid 3rd party sites. And follow the advice of other hosts.  Like the secure Internet, no email attachments, I mean, lots of great stuff, just sadly they are all workarounds.

you can ask the id, I can send the information, and you can always confirm upon the arrival and check-in, but a copy of the id? isn't too much? with my signatures and everything? I don't believe it is necessary, and related to the hotel ,that is fine, but airbnb host there is no check on their backgrounds.

you can have the information, but the question if about the copy of the document, I believe it is not necessary and safe; the guests can always provide the information by text, you can always confirm them upon their arrival and check-in, but a copy of the id/passport? not necessary at all

Kathleen787
Level 1
Ghent, Belgium

I don't know if asking for a number of an ID card or a photo of an ID card is conform the GDPR (European Privacy Law).

Helen3
Level 10
Bristol, United Kingdom

Yes in Portugal you have to provide photo ID @Bruna-Ayako0 when staying in short term rentals. It's a legal requirement for owners to collect this information.