How to Legally License a Holiday Let in 2026: Tourist-Rental Permits Country-by-Country and the New EU Registration-Number Rule

Published on: June 26, 2026

Buying a property to let on Airbnb or Booking.com used to run on something close to an honour system. You bought the place, listed it, and worried about the paperwork later, if at all. In 2026 that approach will get your listing deleted. A new EU-wide rule takes effect, national licensing regimes have tightened across the board, and booking platforms are now legally obliged to remove properties that cannot prove they are registered. If you plan to earn rental income from a holiday property, the licence is no longer an afterthought. It is the first thing to sort out, often before you even buy.

This guide explains the new EU registration rule, then walks through how to actually get a permit in the markets buyers ask about most.

Before you read. This is general information, not legal advice, and short-term-rental rules change quickly and vary by city and even by neighbourhood. Always confirm the current requirements with the relevant local authority, and check that your specific building or community even permits short-term letting, before committing.

The big change: the EU registration-number rule

From 20 May 2026, Regulation (EU) 2024/1028 applies across all 27 member states. It is widely misunderstood, so it is worth being precise about what it does and does not do.

It is not an EU-wide licence, and it does not set night caps or decide where short-term rentals are legal. Those decisions stay firmly with national, regional and city authorities. What the regulation does is build the enforcement plumbing. Where a registration scheme exists, hosts must obtain a registration number and display it on every listing across every platform. Platforms must verify those numbers, share rental activity data with authorities at least monthly through each country's "single digital entry point," and take down listings that lack a valid number. The hotel sector is excluded; this is aimed at hosts.

The practical effect is that informal non-compliance, long the norm in many cities, stops working. When a city sets a rule, it can now actually check whether you are following it, because the booking data flows to the regulator automatically. Several countries jumped ahead of the deadline: Spain has been enforcing since 2025 (and fined Airbnb tens of millions of euros over unlicensed listings), and Italy made its national code mandatory in January 2025. Penalties for operating without a number vary by country but commonly run from roughly 10,000 to 60,000 euros.

Spain: a regional licence plus a national number

Spain is the trickiest because there are two layers. The actual operating licence for a vivienda de uso turistico (VUT) is granted at the regional level by the autonomous community, so the rules in Andalusia, Catalonia, Valencia, the Canaries and the Balearics all differ, and each issues its own registration. On top of that, a 2024 national reform created a single digital registration number that ties into the EU system through a national entry point. You now need both the regional registration and the national number, and the number must appear on your listings. Several major cities are going further still: Barcelona has announced it will phase out its roughly 10,000 tourist-apartment licences by the end of 2028. Always check the specific regional and municipal rules for the property's exact location.

Portugal: the Alojamento Local (AL) regime

Any Portuguese property let to guests for stays of up to 30 days needs an Alojamento Local registration. You register through the national RNAL system (via the ePortugal portal), which issues an AL number in the format XXXXX/AL that must be displayed on every listing and on an identification plaque at the property entrance. A 2024 reform (Decree-Law 76/2024) was, on balance, good news for owners: AL licences are now permanent and transferable with a sale rather than expiring, ending years of uncertainty. The trade-off is that municipalities now control density through "containment zones." Lisbon has frozen most of its historic centre to new registrations, while the Algarve, Porto's outer districts and most secondary areas remain broadly open. Operating an AL also brings ongoing duties: reporting foreign guests to the immigration authority within three working days, collecting the municipal tourist tax, holding civil liability insurance, and keeping a complaints book. Operating without a licence can attract fines of up to 40,000 euros.

France: the 120-night rule and the registration number

France overhauled its regime with the Loi Le Meur in late 2024. The headline rule is that letting your main residence short-term is capped at 120 nights per year, and mayors in pressured housing markets can cut that to 90. Registration is done through the national system, producing a registration number, and from 20 May 2026 platforms must suspend French listings that do not display a valid one. Local rules in cities like Paris and Lyon, including change-of-use requirements for properties that are not your main home, sit on top of the national framework and are now far more enforceable.

Dubai: the DET Holiday Homes permit

Outside the EU, Dubai runs one of the most structured regimes. Short-term letting is legal as a "Holiday Home," but every unit needs its own permit from the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET, formerly the DTCM) before it is listed. You apply through the DET Holiday Homes portal, choosing whether you are an individual owner or a licensed operator, and upload the title deed (or tenancy contract plus a landlord no-objection certificate), ID, a utility bill and any building approvals. You then self-classify the unit as Standard or Deluxe. The base registration fee is around AED 1,520 per unit, and professional operators also need a trade licence. Ongoing obligations include collecting the Tourism Dirham (a nightly fee per bedroom) and remitting it monthly, registering every guest, displaying the permit number on all listings, and renewing annually. Permits cover whole-unit stays of one to ninety nights; renting individual rooms is not allowed. Crucially, not every building permits holiday homes, so confirm the community rules before you buy. Penalties for operating without a permit escalate steeply, up to around AED 100,000 for repeat offences, alongside automatic delisting.

A quick comparison

The UK is a separate world

Because the United Kingdom left the EU, Regulation 2024/1028 does not apply there. But the direction of travel is the same: Scotland has required short-term-let licences since 2023, Wales has its own rules, and England has been consulting on a national registration scheme. If you let in the UK, check the relevant council and devolved-government requirements rather than assuming EU rules apply.

The practical takeaway

Three habits keep a holiday-let business on the right side of these regimes. First, register before you list, and ideally before you buy, since approvals can take weeks and some areas are closed to new licences entirely. Second, confirm the property is eligible at every level, the country, the city, and the specific building or community. Third, display your number and keep your records, because in 2026 the platforms and the authorities are checking automatically, and the gap that informal operators used to hide in has closed.

Related guides: Short-term rental investment: where Airbnb still works, Airbnb-hostile cities: who is actually winning, and The second-home and empty-home tax crackdown.

Disclaimer. Last reviewed June 2026. Short-term-rental licensing rules change frequently and differ by region, city and building. This article is general information only and is not legal advice. Confirm the current requirements with the relevant authority before letting a property.