Tourist Tax in Barcelona: Rates per Night After the April 2026 Rise
The Catalan tax on tourist stays and the Barcelona surcharge, by type of accommodation, with the scheduled rises to 2028 and who does not pay.
Barcelona’s tourist tax is a Catalan tax charged per person per night, plus a city surcharge. From 1 April 2026 a guest in a 4-star hotel pays €3.40 tax plus a €5.00 surcharge, so €8.40 a night, and a guest in a 5-star hotel pays €12.00. It applies to a maximum of seven nights, and guests aged 16 or under are exempt, as of November 2026.
What is the tourist tax in Barcelona?
The official name is the impost sobre les estades en establiments turístics (IEET), the tax on stays in tourist establishments. The Generalitat de Catalunya created it in November 2012 and applies it across Catalonia. Barcelona adds its own recàrrec municipal (municipal surcharge) on top, and the city keeps 100% of what the surcharge raises.
Catalan law 2/2026, of 6 March, raised the rates from April 2026 and updated the rules for municipal surcharges. Barcelona’s surcharge is scheduled to rise each April until 2028.
How much is it per night?
Amounts per person per night for stays in Barcelona city, according to the Agència Tributària de Catalunya:
| Type of accommodation | Catalan tax (1 Apr 2026 – 31 Mar 2027) | City surcharge 2026–27 | Total per night |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5-star hotel, grand luxury, luxury campsite | €7.00 | €5.00 | €12.00 |
| 4-star and 4-star superior hotel | €3.40 | €5.00 | €8.40 |
| Tourist apartment (habitatge d’ús turístic) | €4.50 | €5.00 | €9.50 |
| Youth hostel (alberg de joventut) | €1.00 | €5.00 | €6.00 |
| Other hotels, hostels, campsites and establishments | €2.00 | €5.00 | €7.00 |
The city surcharge is set at €6.00 from 1 April 2027 and €7.00 from 1 April 2028 for every category. The Catalan rate for those years may also change; the ATC publishes each new table.
For bookings paid in advance, the rate in force when you book applies, as long as you pay the booking, the tax and the surcharge at that moment.
Is there a cap on nights?
Yes. The tax counts a maximum of seven nights per person for a continuous stay in the same establishment. A two-week stay in one hotel pays for seven nights. If you move to another hotel or apartment, the count starts again there.
For accommodation let by the season, the seven-night cap applies to each season or continuous period in the same place. Mid-term and long-term rentals of ordinary homes are not tourist establishments; our guide to tourist flat licences in Barcelona explains which flats are legally tourist lets.
Who is exempt?
The ATC lists these exemptions:
- People aged 16 or under. For children under 14, a signed statement by a parent, guardian or adult companion is enough.
- Stays for health reasons, for patients receiving care included in Catalonia’s public health service and their companions, with a certificate from the health center and a signed statement.
- Stays subsidized by social programs of any EU public administration, shown on the booking or invoice.
- Stays caused by force majeure, such as natural disasters, documented by the authorities.
Being a resident of Barcelona or Spain is not an exemption. If you stay in a hotel in your own city, you pay like any other guest.
How are cruise passengers taxed?
Cruise ships that dock or anchor in Barcelona’s port are also covered, and the rate depends on how long the ship stays. For 2026–27 the Catalan tax is €4.00 for calls over 12 hours and €6.00 for calls of 12 hours or less, and the city surcharge adds €5.00 in both cases. So a short call costs each passenger €11.00 as of November 2026. Shorter calls pay the higher rate. The tax is collected through the ship operator, not by a hotel.
How does the tax appear on your bill?
- The hotel, apartment operator or campsite charges the tax to you; it is legally the collector.
- The invoice must show the tax separately from the price of the room, with the number of nights and the rate applied.
- The establishment declares and pays the tax and surcharge to the ATC twice a year.
- If you booked through an agency or platform that contracts in your name, it can be held jointly liable for the tax.
Some booking sites show a price without the tax and leave it to be paid at the property. Check the final amount before you pay, especially for long family stays; our guide to the cost of living in Barcelona covers other everyday prices.
Bottom line
For stays longer than a week, staying in one place keeps the tax capped at seven nights, while moving hotels restarts the count. Ask for an invoice that shows the tax line, since it is the only way to check the category and number of nights charged.
FAQ
Do children pay the tourist tax?
No. Guests aged 16 or under are exempt in all of Catalonia, as of November 2026.
Do I pay the tax in a short-term rental from a platform?
Yes, if the flat is a registered tourist apartment. The rate for Barcelona is €4.50 plus the €5.00 surcharge, so €9.50 per person per night, as of November 2026.
Is the tax the same in the rest of Catalonia?
No. Barcelona has its own regional rates and the city surcharge. Other towns pay lower regional rates and only add a surcharge if their council has approved one.
Can I pay the tax online in advance?
Some hotels include it in prepaid bookings. If you pay the booking and the tax when you book, the rate in force on that date applies.
