Spain's new three-year tourist ban and what it means for visitors

Spain is set to bring in a string of restrictions this year with countries rolling out new rules as a result of anti-tourist protests that spread across Europe last summer.

Many locals in destinations popular with UK holidaymakers have been vocal about the impact of unregulated mass tourism and its effects on natural resources and the housing market. Last week, Malaga introduced measures to curb tourism and protect the integrity of its historic centres.

Malaga city, which is the capital of Costa del Sol, will ban the registration of holiday rentals across 43 districts. The ban is designed to target people who rent out properties.

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Malaga City Council and Costa del Sol are trying to stop the growing number of rental properties in the city’s most crowded districts, Mirror reports. In these areas, retal properties make up more than 8 per cent of residential blocks in a specific district.

The Malaga city rental registration suspension took effect on January 14 - just days before Velez-Malaga town hall granted the town’s first licence for the construction of a senior cohousing project. Malaga is leading the senior cohousing trend in Spain, a growing alternative to traditional housing, according to Sur In English.

Can UK tourists still book Airbnbs and hotels in Spain?

UK holidaymakers will still be able to book Airbnbs, hotels and other accommodations across Malaga and all 43 of its impacted districts. This includes the 13,000 holiday rentals officially registered by Malaga city.

But tourist flats registered since February 2022 which do not have independent access and resources separate from the residential section of buildings will have their licences cancelled.

Is the ban already in effect in other parts of Spain?

Alicante and Madrid have introduced similar bans over the past year. Seville and other Spanish cities are expected to follow suit.

The Malaga city ban is also expected to be extended beyond its initial three-year term.

What else should I be aware of as a UK tourist in Spain?

There will be additional paperwork for UK tourists. Unrelated to the suspension of rental property registrations, Spanish tourists should expect to be asked to provide more detailed personal information when registering a car for hire or hotel stay.

This could include bank card details, family relationships and home addresses. This measure came into effect late last year and received widespread criticism.

It was introduced by Spain's interior ministry as an attempt to help police track criminals operating in Spain.

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