FAQs - Guest check-in feature

Automated Guest Data Transfer / Online Check-in

Managing legal obligations like guest registration can feel overwhelming—but Holidu makes it easy. This guide explains why registration is important, how Holidu helps you automate the process, and provides step-by-step setup instructions for your account and local authority connection.

1. Why do you need to do this?

In many countries (like Spain, Italy, Portugal, and Germany), hosts are legally required to collect and submit guest information to the local authorities shortly after check-in. This regulation helps ensure security, traceability, and compliance with local laws.

If you're hosting in Spain, Royal Decree 933/2021 mandates reporting each stay through a dedicated portal of your local government, for example SES.Hospedajes

Not complying with these rules can lead to penalties or fines. That’s why it’s crucial to have a reliable system in place.

2. How do you benefit from the automatic transfer?

The Online Check-in feature in your Holidu account automates this process by sending your guests a form where they can provide their necessary data. Once configured, Holidu handles the data collection and transfer—no more manual entry into government systems.

Your key benefits:

✅ Legal compliance with minimal effort
✅ Automatic guest data transfer to the correct authority
✅ Digital guestbook you can download anytime for inspections
✅ Built-in reminders and guest communication
✅ 100% free-of-charge for Holidu hosts
✅ Secure and privacy-compliant handling of sensitive guest data

3. How to set it up?

3.1 Registration with the responsible government portal

Before activating the feature in Holidu, you need to register your accommodation with the relevant local authority. In Spain there are three options:

Region	Authority	Guidelines
Spain (except Catalonia/Basque Country)	SES.Hospedajes	How to connect to SES.Hospedajes
Catalonia	Mossos d'Esquadra	Connect to Mossos
Basque Country	Ertzaintza	Connect to Ertzaintza

🛠️ Each authority requires a digital certificate, Cl@ve access, or equivalent credentials. Please note that this is mandatory to continue with the following steps. Once registered, you’ll receive a username, password, and in some cases a renter or accommodation code — which you’ll enter in your Holidu account to establish the connection.

With the Royal Decree 933/2021 it is mandatory for hosts to report their data to SES.Hospedajes (except for Basque Country and Catalonia). Previous connections with Guardía Civil or Policía Nacional are no longer valid. Please create an account with SES.Hospedajes and update the information in your Holidu account. Use the links above for a guidelines on how to register

3.2 How can I connect my Holidu account and the authority account?

If you are using the mobile app, please make sure that you have the latest version of the app.

1. Log into Holidu and go to the “Account” section. Click on the “Configure” button present in the “Online guest registration” section

2. You will see here your list of properties. Click on the “Configure” button next to the property that you want to connect to the police or authority.

3. Complete the form, click on “Activate automatic sending to police,” select the right authority (SES.Hospedajes, Mossos d’Esquadra or Ertzaintza), and enter your username and password. Do not use your Holidu credentials here, but the login credentials you received from your authority. If you are with SES.Hospedajes you will also need to provide the accommodation code and renter code - you can find them in your SES.Hospedajes account and will also receive them via email. Click on “Validate.”

4. Once it is successfully activated, click on “Save changes” at the end of the form.

5. If no error message appears, that means that your property is now connected to your responsible authority. To avoid errors please make sure:

that you are using the right Owner fiscal code. This is either your ID number, or the NIE if you’re not Spanish
that you put your full ID or NIE number, including all zeroes
that you used the login credentials your received from your local authority and not your Holidu login

6. You can now close the form and see that the connection is active.

*If your property is located in Catalonia or the Basque Country, select Mossos d'Esquadra or Ertzaintza, respectively.

4. How does it work?

Once setup is complete, the system works automatically. Here's what to expect:

4.1 Process for the guest

After booking, your guest receives an email (or in case of Airbnb, a message) with a link to a secure online check-in form

The guest fills out details for all travelers, including document scanning (passport or ID)

They can either fill the data manually or automatically import all fields by uploading an identification document. This process needs to be repeated for everyone travelling with them.

The data is then submitted securely and stored in the system

If a guest does not fill out the form, additional reminders will be sent to remind them of their duties. In case your guests do not comply, you can always fill out the data for them.

⏰ At 11:00 PM on the day of check-in, the guest data is automatically submitted to the relevant authority.

4.2 Status in your tool

In the booking details, we show the status for each booking as follows:

4.3 Troubleshooting

Issue	What to do
⚠️ Data incomplete or missing	Remind guests or manually fill in the form via the booking details view. 5 days before check-in your guests will receive an automatic reminder with a link to the check-in form again
❌ Error in data transfer	Please check that the credentials you added in your Holidu account are correct. Don’t use the login credentials for your Holidu account, but the ones you use for SES.Hospedajes. If you checked already and the errors still persists, reach out to our support and we will help you resolve the issue.

🧾 Frequently asked Questions

Question	Answer
Why does Holidu offer this feature?	Spanish law requires hosts to register all guests with local authorities. This tool automates the process, ensures legal compliance, and saves time for hosts.
Which authorities can I connect to in Spain?	- Mossos d’Esquadra - Ertzaintza - SES.HOSPEDAJES
Is registration with SES.HOSPEDAJES mandatory?	Yes, unless your property is in Catalonia or the Basque Country, where Mossos d’Esquadra or Ertzaintza remain applicable.
Can I use this feature for all types of bookings?	Only bookings created through channels supported by Holidu are eligible. Manual bookings and iCal-based imports are not supported.
Can I send guest data from previous reservations?	No. The online form is only triggered for future bookings. Reservations made before enabling the police connection are not covered. You must register those manually in the portal of your responsible authority.
What guest data is collected and sent?	Personal details (name, date of birth, nationality, ID type/number, etc.). Only minimal required data is visible to the host (name, age). Full data is sent securely to authorities.
Will I have access to the guest data?	We only show the names and age of the guests to our hosts, which is the required information for the guestbook. We do not show additional information, like ID numbers.
What happens if guests provide their information and then cancel the reservation?	If the guest cancels their reservation, the data will not be sent to the authorities.
Will I receive a notification when guests provide their data?	We do not send notifications in these cases. However, you will be able to see if the guests have provided their data for each of the reservations.
Do children need to be registered?	Yes, all guests must be registered regardless of age. For Spanish minors under 14, ID and signature are not required, but the responsible adult’s relationship must be recorded.
What happens if guests don’t complete the form?	They will receive an automatic reminder 5 days before arrival day. If still incomplete, the host can either: - Manually fill out the form in presence of the guest - Resend the link Data must be submitted before 23:00 on the check-in day to profit from our automated connection.
Can I fill out the form for my guests?	Yes, directly from the booking details screen. You can also scan their ID or enter data manually during check-in.
Can I modify data after submission?	No. Once sent to the authority, data cannot be edited. If there's an error, contact Holidu support or re-enter data manually on SES.HOSPEDAJES.
When is the data sent to the authority?	Automatically at 23:00 on the check-in day. Hosts are responsible for ensuring data is complete before this time.
Do collaborators have access to this feature?	No. Only primary accounts (with editor rights) can configure connections. Collaborators can see the form in booking details but cannot activate or manage it.
What happens if my authority credentials change or expire?	You’ll need to manually update them in Holidu. Expired passwords may cause a failed data transfer. Always verify connection status in the “Account” section.
Is the guestbook legally required?	Yes. The guestbook acts as your digital log for police checks and must be retained for 3 years, as per Real Decreto 933/2021.

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We’re here to help. You can contact us directly if you need assistance or have questions.

Started, but missing data	Here you see if your guests already started the process. As long as it is not finished for every person travelling with them, the status will be shown as incomplete.
Guest data complete but not yet transferred (because the check-in date is in the future)
Guest data successfully transferred to the authority
Error in reporting the data	If there was an error with the data transfer you will see this message. Below we give some advice on how to resolve this yourself.