Spain's tourist tax, region by region.

This is the useful part to know before you book. As of 2026, a general tourist tax applies only in Catalonia and the Balearic Islands. Everywhere else the answer is mostly no: Madrid has none, and Andalucia, which covers Seville, Malaga and the whole Costa del Sol, has none. Valencia and the Basque Country have none. A handful of individual towns have added small local charges (Santiago de Compostela is the notable one), but they are the exception.

So if you are choosing between, say, a few nights in Barcelona and the same in Madrid or Seville, the tourist tax is a real, if small, point in the mainland cities' favour. Where it does apply, it is per person, per night and collected at your accommodation, not baked into the price you paid online. For the wider money picture see the Spain money guide.

In Catalonia the tax has two parts: a regional rate set by the Catalan government that applies across the region, and, in Barcelona only, an extra city surcharge on top. Both are per person, per night, and the total is capped at 7 nights. Guests under 16 are exempt. Catalonia raised its rates on 1 April 2026, with further increases planned into 2027.

The combined effect in Barcelona in 2026 is roughly 7 to 15 euros per person, per night depending on the hotel category, which puts it among the higher city taxes in Europe. Outside Barcelona, only the regional part applies, so the rest of Catalonia is cheaper, though the 2026 law now lets other Catalan towns add a surcharge of up to 4 euros too.

The Balearic Islands (Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera) have charged a Sustainable Tourism Tax, widely called the ecotasa, since 2016. It is per person, per night and seasonal: higher in the summer peak, roughly 1 to 4.50 euros a night by accommodation category, and much less in the low season. Under-16s are exempt.

There is a built-in break for longer stays: from around the ninth night, the ecotasa is halved. As elsewhere, it is collected at your accommodation, so keep a little cash or expect it on the final bill.

Where the tax applies, it is almost never in the online total. Expect it at check-in or checkout, sometimes in cash. The figures here are a 2026 read, and both Catalonia and Barcelona are on a rising schedule, so confirm the per-night amount with your accommodation when you book.

There is no legitimate way to avoid the tax where it is charged, and you should not try. The honest levers are the built-in ones: the 7-night cap in Catalonia, the halving from the ninth night in the Balearics, a lower accommodation category, and simply knowing that much of mainland Spain does not charge it at all.

Common questions

Quick answers.

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