Host asking for passport/national id number and country issuer document.

[JiSoo3]

Hi! I've used Airbnb a couple of times, and it's the first time my host asked me personal information like : complete name, birth date, birth place, nationality, country and city of residence, passport/national id number and country issuer document.

I'm hosted in Portugal and he said : 

Since 2015 Portugal has more strictly enforced a long-standing law requiring anyone providing paid holiday accommodation to record the entry, exit, and identification details of all non-Portuguese nationals who use that accommodation. This law has been brought into force in Portugal and most other EU countries at some point since the gradual implementation of the 1990 Schengen Agreement that aims to stop human trafficking and other illegal practices.

In this case, it is specifically Article 45 of the Schengen Agreement and the recent Local Accomodation law in Portugal that has brought this rule into sharper focus.

Anybody know if is it common ask passport/national id number and country issuer document in Portugal? And is safe to provide this information?

Thank you

[Miloud0]

Salute @JiSoo3, 

If it is possible for you, i am not from Portugal and i see it is normal. 

Also, at first, as ahost, i did not take any document from my guests, but after, our gouvernment obliged us, me, to take a document copie from our, my guest. It is a country rule, and guest just is obliged to do that.

Thanks, 

Miloud

[Ute42]

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Hi @JiSoo3 

We have a similar law here in Germany. We have to fill out a form for every guest that we host and report it to the local community. We also have to take down the passportnumber:

[Kerri48]

For the first time a host requested the same from me.  I sent her a copy of my passport but now I am feeling quite ill at ease doing this.  Does anyone know the actual rules around this because its the first time it happened to me.  I am a resident of Spain and I was staying in an Airbnb in Spain.  The host put alot of pressure on me from the first day saying that i should have brought it with me but its the first i heard of it.  

Wish someome from Airbnb would jump in on this conversation?

[Helen3]

I believe @Kerri48  Spain is one of the countries that asks for passport ID when you stay at accommodation. Have you never come across this before when staying at a hotel or self catering accommodation?

Personally I wouldn't send details in advance but would be happy for it to be checked on arrival.

[Kerri48]

Never come across this Helen.  The problem was i didnt take my documentation so had to email her a copy of my passport when i got home (to Spain).  It was a nuisance as she was really stressed but hadnt made mention of it to me before (I guess assuming that everyone knew).  

Well I know now.  Thanks for your comment.  All the best, Kerri

[Helen3]

Hey @Kerri48 

it's always a good idea to check on these sort of regulations before you travel somewhere. They have similar laws in Spain by the way 🙂

I always check foreign office advice for the place I am travelling to. Do you have something similar in Spain?

[Marit-Anne0]

@Kerri48 

It is required by law in Spain to give the details of all guests to the tourist authorities.  It means that your host is legal and doing everything by the book.  Sending copy of your passport/ID in advance should not be necessary though, but you need to carry your ID for the host to copy.  When I last rented an airbnb in Spain, we sent photos of our passports on the day of arrival.  The documentation is sent on-line to the tourist authorities and has to be done within a certain time frame.  Our host were quite stressed about it all as failing to follow the rules could result in a loss of licence.

[Kerri48]

@Marit0thanks for confirming that.  The strange thing about this is that last summer i did rent a room through Airbnb (I have a license to do so) and yet I was never aware of this requirement.  I dont plan to rent the room again in the short term but if I do again I am glad to know of this.

It would be handy if the host put this on their sign up though as I dont think alot of people on either side are aware of this requirement.  Thanks again for the confirmation.  Much appreciated.  Kerri

[Olivier291]

@Kerri48 , as @Marit-Anne0 said this is a legal requirement for any (legal) host in Spain, Portugal, Italy, Germany, Greece, France (for non French citizens even from other country of the EU) and many more countries. Normally any hosts from theses countries are obliged to do so or could be sued and loose their touristic license. The fact is the site does want to make it easier to book without taking into account many legal requirements. Since Airbnb doesn't inform guests about many doesn't want to comply. Due to this I have a sentence in my house rules saying "according to the French law ID could be asked upon check-in". I yet had to enforce it twice this year: guests never checked-in as I had their reservation cancelled penalty free by admin for not respecting my house rules.

[Helen3]

To be honest it is so common in the majority of Europe (accept the UK and Ireland) that you need to provide ID on check in to accommodation,  that I can understand why hosts don't state this.

As a host it's always a good idea to check on local laws and the laws of the country before we start  to let a holiday home/STR.

[Marit-Anne0]

@Kerri48 

It might possible that your particular commune does not require registration, but from other posts by Andalucian hosts it is necessary. Better inquire with the town hall.

[Kerri48]

What a curious situation.  When i registered for my license as a tourist host i was not informed by the Spanish authorities that this was required.  None of the individuals i know who have rooms for let are doing this.  Not one host asked me for this on a recent trip through Spain/Portugal.  I have never seen this requirement on a host's page. 

I totally believe this is some sort of legal requirement as many have stated in this conversation but why are so few people aware of it.  My last host was so nervous she would be fined if she didnt get my documentation and other's havent requested this from guests ever since they have been hosting. 

Hosts that are aware of this should really post a notice on their sign up page so guests are aware and prepared.  Thanks all for your input. Definitely will be prepared next trip.