Tourist registration in the Valencian Community 2026: how to process it (and the moratorium in Alicante)
If you have a property in the Valencian Community that you want to rent to tourists, the first thing you need is the registration number in the Tourist registry of the Valencian Community (RTCV). Without this number, you cannot legally list your accommodations on any platform: not on Airbnb, Booking, or any other. Operating without registration is an administrative offense from day one.
This guide explains how it works Tourist registration in the Valencian Community Following the changes in Decree-Law 9/2024, what documents do you need, how long does the process take, how much does it cost, what does the Alicante moratorium mean for owners who still don't have the number, and why is that number yours and not belonging to any platform?
What is the tourist registry of the Valencian Community?
The RTCV is the official registry of the Valencian Government where all tourist accommodation (VUT) properties in the region are registered. Each property that successfully registers receives a unique format code. VT/XXXXXXXX/A The owner is required to display this code in all advertising and on all portals where the property is listed. Without this code visible, the listing violates regulations.
El Decree-Law 9/2024, of August 2The Valencian government completely overhauled the regulations governing tourist accommodation. The three most significant changes for owners are: the processing of the tourist registration It becomes exclusively online, the City Council's urban planning compatibility report becomes a mandatory prerequisite, and registration now has a validity of five years instead of the previous indefinite duration.
According to Valencian regulations, a VUT (Vacation Rental Unit) is an entire property rented for a fee for a period of ten consecutive days or less to the same tenant. Renting rooms separately is expressly prohibited.
It's also important to understand the national context: in 2026, the Supreme Court, through ruling STS 620/2026, annulled the attempt to create a single national registry. This means that the relevant tourism registry is the regional one, the RTCV in the case of the Valencian Community. For a complete overview of how this ruling affects the other regions, see the National guide on tourist registration numbers in Spain He explains it in detail.
Requirements for processing tourist registration in the Valencian Community
Before accessing the GVA's online portal, check that you have everything ready. Missing any of these elements will halt the processing of your application. tourist registration:
Mandatory documentation
- Occupancy license or equivalent enabling title of the dwelling (certificate of occupancy, certificate of completion of work, etc.).
- Favorable urban planning compatibility report from the Town Hall where the property is located. This document certifies that tourist use is compatible with the municipal urban planning regulations. Without it, it is not possible to complete the tourist registration before the GVA.
- Cadastral reference of the property.
- Responsible declaration that the deed of constitution of the homeowners' association does not expressly prohibit tourist use. If the association's bylaws contain such a prohibition, the tourist registration It is not applicable even if the rest of the documentation is in order.
- Digital certificate or Cl@ve to identify yourself on the electronic headquarters of the Valencian Government.
The urban planning compatibility report: the step that takes the longest
The urban planning compatibility report is the document that most frequently delays or blocks the process of Tourist registration in the Valencian CommunityIt is issued by the local council where the property is located and can take between three weeks and three months, depending on the municipality and the workload of the local administration. In cities with the most applications—Valencia, Alicante, Benidorm—the processing times tend to be longer.
The report is also the document affected by municipal moratoriums: if the City Council has suspended the granting of new tourist licenses, it simply does not issue the report, and without it the process of tourist registration It cannot be completed in the GVA.
The practical recommendation is to request the urban planning report before completing any other procedures. It's the real bottleneck, and it's best to have it before wasting time with the rest of the paperwork.
How to process tourist registration in the Valencian Community step by step
Once you have all the documentation ready, the process of tourist registration It is completely online and is done through the self-register of life for tourist use on the electronic headquarters of the Valencian Government (procedure 19207):
- Access with a digital certificate or Cl@ve Go to the GVA electronic headquarters and locate the VUT self-registration procedure (code 19207).
- Submit the declaration of responsibility for starting activityAt that moment the declaration takes immediate effect: the property can begin operating as a tourist accommodation from the day of submission, while the Generalitat processes the formal registration in the tourist registration.
- Please attach all the documentationA favorable urban planning compatibility report, occupancy permit, and cadastral reference are required. Any missing document may result in a request that halts the process.
- Receive your registration number at the Tourist registry of the Valencian CommunityThe Generalitat will assign you the code VT/XXXXXXXX/A on the working days following the correct submission of the documentation.
- Write down the expiration dateSince Decree-Law 9/2024, registration in the tourist registration It is valid for five years. When that period expires, you must renew it by submitting a new declaration of responsibility and proving that you meet the requirements in force at that time.
You have an RTCV number and want to list your accommodations without paying a commission on each booking. The Home Cake Owners pay only a monthly visibility fee and booking is always direct, without intermediaries taking a percentage.
List your accommodations without commissions
How much does tourist registration cost in the Valencian Community?
The process of tourist registration The declaration of responsibility for starting a business activity with the Valencian Regional Government is free. There are no regional fees associated with it. However, the preliminary procedures required to complete the process may incur a cost. tourist registration:
- Municipal fee for the urban planning compatibility report: Each municipality sets its own fee. Some municipalities charge nothing; others, especially in large cities, apply a fee that can range from 50 to 300 euros depending on the surface area and the type of procedure.
- Energy efficiency certificate: If the property does not have a valid one, you will need to obtain one before applying. tourist registrationThe cost depends on the technician and the size of the property, but it is usually between 100 and 250 euros for a typical apartment.
- Management fees: If you hire a manager or advisor to handle the tourist registration For you, the cost varies depending on the professional and the complexity of the case. In the Valencian Community, there are agencies specializing in VUT (Vacation Rental) permits with fees ranging from 150 to 400 euros.
The renewal of tourist registration The five-year renewal process with the GVA is also free. The only recurring expense is keeping the documentation up to date after the registration period expires. The real cost of not having the tourist registration The cost of practicing without registration is much higher than any fee: penalties can far exceed the cost of any platform.
The Alicante moratorium: what it means for property owners
Alicante city has been receiving new concessions for more than two years tourist records Suspended. In 2024, the City Council extended the moratorium to include apartment blocks and guesthouses, and the full council has extended it until at least January 2027. During this period, the City Council will not issue favorable urban planning compatibility reports for new tourist accommodation.
What the moratorium does not affect is the status of the homes that already have tourist registration Active: If your accommodations already have an RTCV number, they can continue operating normally. The freeze only affects those who want to access the market for the first time during the suspension period.
For owners who already have the numbers, the situation has a significant dimension. The supply of tourist accommodation in the Valencian Community fell by 20% in the last year: that's 11.922 fewer properties and more than 63.300 fewer beds, according to INE data from May 2026. In Alicante city, the drop is 1,2%, with 4.080 active properties, while in other towns in the province, such as Dénia, Calpe, and Guardamar del Segura, the declines are more pronounced. Less supply with tourist registration Being in compliance means less direct competition for those who do comply with the regulations.
If you already have your registration in order and are considering where and how to list your accommodations in the province, you can see the current listings on the portal of holiday accommodations in Alicante.
The RTCV number is yours, not the platform's.
One of the most frequent mistakes among owners who are approaching the tourist registration It's a misconception that the registration number belongs to the portal where they advertise. That's not the case. The RTCV number is a right linked to your property and to you as the owner: if tomorrow you decide to change platforms or diversify your channels, that number goes with you.
Digital platforms are legally required to request and verify the number of tourist registration before publishing any tourist accommodation advertisement in the Valencian Community. But the tourist registration It doesn't tie you to any specific platform or force you to pay the commissions that some charge on each booking.
More and more property owners with the proper registration are choosing to combine a presence on major portals with direct bookings on commission-free platforms. The logic is simple: the cost of the process tourist registration It's the same whether you rent through an intermediary who takes a percentage or not. The difference lies in the margin you recover on each booking. If you want to understand how much that margin represents in concrete terms, the piece about how much commission Airbnb charges owners He breaks it down with real-life examples.
Tourist registration in the city of Valencia: particularities
The city of Valencia applies the regional regulations of Decree-Law 9/2024, but the Valencia City Council has developed its own regulations for tourist zones and uses. In some neighborhoods declared saturated zones, the urban planning report is only issued if there is available capacity according to the municipal zoning map, which in practice can lengthen the process. tourist registration or temporarily block it.
If your home is in Valencia, the first practical step is to check with the City Hall about the status of your area before starting the process. tourist registration at the GVA headquarters. The regional procedure once the report has been approved is identical to that of the rest of the community: online declaration of responsibility, attached documentation, five years of validity.
To get an idea of the current vacation rental market in the city, you can check the available options at holiday accommodations in Valencia.
Looking for holiday accommodation in the Valencian Community with legal guarantees? All owners of The Home Cake They have their homes with tourist registration in order and the reservation is direct, without intermediaries.
What happens to the tourist registration if you sell the property?
El tourist registration In the Valencian Community, the lease is linked to the owner, not the property indefinitely. If you sell the property or there is a change of ownership, the new owner will have to process their own lease. tourist registration from scratch: it is not automatically transferred with the purchase and sale.
The regulations require the former owner to request the cancellation of the tourist registration when you cease to be the owner or the activity ends. The deregistration procedure is also carried out electronically at the GVA headquarters, using the same self-registration form (procedure 19207), indicating that it is a voluntary deregistration.
In practice, many home purchase and sale transactions with tourist registration active include the processing of the new tourist registration as part of the terms of sale. If you are thinking of buying a property with tourist activity in the Valencian Community, check beforehand that the tourist registration The seller's permit must be valid and without issues, and the local council must not have approved a moratorium that would prevent the new owner from registering in the future. Municipalities with active moratoriums, such as Alicante, do not issue new urban planning reports during the suspension, which blocks any attempt to process a new permit. tourist registration even if the buyer meets all the requirements.
FAQ
How long does the tourist registration process take in the Valencian Community?
The bottleneck is the urban planning compatibility report from the City Council: it can take between three weeks and three months depending on the municipality. Once you have the report, the responsible declaration of the tourist registration At the GVA headquarters, the registration takes effect on the same day as submission. The final registration number arrives in the following business days.
What happens if I rent out my properties without tourist registration in the Valencian Community?
Operating a real estate agency without a valid RTCV registration number is an administrative offense. The Valencian regional government can impose fines ranging from hundreds to tens of thousands of euros depending on the severity of the offense, whether it is a repeat offense, and the impact on the housing market. Furthermore, digital platforms are required to remove listings that do not display the RTCV registration number. tourist registration.
Do I need to renew my tourist registration in the Valencian Community?
Yes. Since Decree-Law 9/2024, registration in the tourist registration It is valid for five years. When that period expires, you must renew it by submitting a new declaration of responsibility and proving that you continue to meet the requirements in force at that time. Properties registered before Decree-Law 9/2024 have a transitional regime to adapt to this renewal obligation.
Where can I register my tourist registration in the Valencian Community?
El Tourist registration in the Valencian Community It is processed exclusively through the Valencian Government's electronic office (sede.gva.es), using the VUT self-registration procedure (code 19207). There is no in-person procedure. You need a digital certificate or Cl@ve to identify yourself.
Can I register a new property in Alicante if there is a moratorium?
No, not while the moratorium is in effect. Alicante City Council is not issuing the urban planning compatibility report required by regional regulations to complete the tourist registrationWithout that report, the process with the Valencian Government (GVA) cannot be completed. The moratorium is in effect until at least January 2027. The situation varies in other municipalities in the province: consult with the corresponding Town Hall before starting the process.
Does the Valencian Community's tourist registration number require me to publish on any specific platform?
No. The number of tourist registration It's linked to your property as the owner, not to any platform. You can use it to list your accommodations on any portal you like, including commission-free direct booking platforms. The only requirement is that this number appears in every listing you create, whether it's on a general portal, an agency, or a direct booking site like [insert site name here]. The Home Cake. The tourist registration It is a tool for legality, not exclusivity.
