Catalonia tourist licence 2026: HUT number and the 2028 deadline
To let a home to tourists in Catalonia you need the enabling title and a number on the Registre de Turisme de Catalunya, plus an urban-planning licence in 262 municipalities (Ley 13/2002, arts. 50 bis and 73, and Decreto-ley 3/2023, checked on 5 November 2026). Catalan law requires the Registre de Turisme number of tourist accommodation in all advertising, promotion and marketing (Ley 13/2002, art. 73.5). 104,502 homes are on the register today (Generalitat de Catalunya open data, updated on 5 October 2026, downloaded on 5 November 2026).
Official sources: Ley 13/2002 de turismo de Cataluña, consolidated text (arts. 50 bis and 73) · Generalitat de Catalunya open data: tourist accommodation on the Registre de Turisme de Catalunya · checked on 5 November 2026
On the Registre de Turisme de Catalunya: 104,502 homes
Tourist homes listed online (INE, May 2026): 51,305
Register: Registre de Turisme de Catalunya. Number: HUTB-…, HUTG-…, HUTT-…, HUTL-… (Barcelona, Girona, Tarragona, Lleida).
Official sources: INE table 39363: tourist homes and bed places by municipality, May 2026 · INE table 39366: tourist homes as a percentage of all dwellings, by municipality, May 2026 · checked on 5 November 2026
Not legal advice. This page summarises official texts and open data; it does not tell you whether a particular home can be let or keep its registration. Town halls set their own planning rules and communities of owners can restrict tourist use: before you buy, let or advertise, check with the regional tourism department and the Ayuntamiento, or ask a professional.
What the regional rules say
- Tourist homes (habitatges d'ús turístic, HUT) are let whole, never by the room, and need the enabling title required by law before they are offered, marketed or advertised (Ley 13/2002, art. 50 bis). (Boletín Oficial del Estado)
- In the 262 municipalities listed in Decreto-ley 3/2023 (among them Barcelona, Salou, Sitges, Lloret de Mar, Cambrils, Girona and Tarragona), tourist use of a home needs a prior urban-planning licence, valid for five years (art. 1 and annex). (Boletín Oficial del Estado)
- Tourist homes already authorised in those municipalities on 9 November 2023 must obtain that licence within five years, that is by 9 November 2028, or stop the activity; the holder can ask the town hall once, between November 2027 and the end of the period, for an extension of up to five more years (transitional provision 2). (Boletín Oficial del Estado)
Check a registration number
Generalitat de Catalunya open data: the Registre de Turisme de Catalunya list, with each HUT number.
Towns
The national register
The national single registration procedure (Registro Único de Arrendamientos) was annulled by the Supreme Court in 2026. See Spain holiday let licence: what was annulled and what remains.
Questions
How many tourist homes are there in Catalonia?
104,502 homes are on the Registre de Turisme de Catalunya (Generalitat de Catalunya open data, updated on 5 October 2026, downloaded on 5 November 2026). INE counted 51,305 tourist homes listed on the main platforms in May 2026.
Does the registration number have to appear in adverts in Catalonia?
Catalan law requires the Registre de Turisme number of tourist accommodation in all advertising, promotion and marketing (Ley 13/2002, art. 73.5).
How do I check a tourist licence in Catalonia?
Search by town or registration number in the official source: Generalitat de Catalunya open data: the Registre de Turisme de Catalunya list, with each HUT number.
Do I still need the national Registro Único de Arrendamientos number?
No. The Supreme Court annulled the national single registration procedure in judgments of May and June 2026 (BOE). The rules that apply are the regional ones described on this page.
Official sources
- Ley 13/2002 de turismo de Cataluña, consolidated text (arts. 50 bis and 73) – Boletín Oficial del Estado, BOE consolidated text, last update 17 March 2023, checked 5 November 2026
- Decreto-ley 3/2023 de medidas urgentes sobre el régimen urbanístico de las viviendas de uso turístico (Catalonia), consolidated text with the list of 262 municipalities – Boletín Oficial del Estado, BOE consolidated text, checked 5 November 2026
- Generalitat de Catalunya open data: tourist accommodation on the Registre de Turisme de Catalunya – Generalitat de Catalunya, open data, checked 5 November 2026
The register also lists holders' names: we use only counts by municipality. - INE table 39363: tourist homes and bed places by municipality, May 2026 – Instituto Nacional de Estadística, open data (JSON API), checked 5 November 2026
- INE table 39366: tourist homes as a percentage of all dwellings, by municipality, May 2026 – Instituto Nacional de Estadística, open data (JSON API), checked 5 November 2026
- INE, experimental statistics: number of tourist homes in Spain and their capacity (method) – Instituto Nacional de Estadística, web page, checked 5 November 2026
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