NRA for tourist apartments in Catalonia: what it is and how to obtain it (without confusing it with the HUT/NIRTC)

If you rent out a flat or room for tourist or seasonal use and advertise it on a platform with 100% online booking and contracting, the NRA (Rental Registration Number) has become the “code” you will be required to provide in order to keep your listing active. And here is the important point in Catalonia: the NRA does not replace the regional tourist registration (the NIRTC / HUT in the Register of Tourism of Catalonia).
Under Royal Decree 1312/2024 of 23 December, the procedure regulating the Single Rental Register has been created, together with the Single Digital Window for Rentals for the collection of data. The formalities are carried out online through the Land Registry of each municipality. The lack of foresight in adapting IT systems and scaling resources to handle the volume of applications in some registries has caused serious difficulties, both for HUT owners (tourist-use dwellings) and registry staff. In many cases, bottlenecks remain unresolved, to the detriment of advertisers.

What is the NRA and when is it required?

The NRA is an identifier linked to the State Register and is required for certain short-term rentals when marketed on platforms with integrated booking engines and digital contracting. This number applies both to entire tourist-use dwellings and to room rentals, including in shared properties. The single window created at the request of the European Union is intended, in principle, to facilitate the identification of properties advertised online that comply with current regulations. The aim is to establish an online “machine-to-machine” mechanism connecting the Land Registry with temporary rental listing platforms, so that if procedures are not complied with, listings are automatically and immediately removed. In addition, this single window will electronically communicate, where appropriate, with the competent regional and municipal authorities.

If you fail to provide the NRA, the listing must be blocked and removed by the platform. In recent months, the withdrawal of listings for non-compliance (particularly due to lack of registration) has intensified. Government statements indicate that licences have decreased, although it remains unclear whether approvals are being delayed due to administrative overload.

Common cases

• Mandatory: tourist or seasonal rental of entire units or rooms marketed on platforms where the process is completed online.
• Not applicable: long-term residential rentals or temporary/tourist rentals advertised on portals without digital contracting/checkout functionality (depending on the channel).

In Catalonia, in addition to the NRA, you need the tourist registration: NIRTC (HUT)

For a tourist-use apartments (HUT) in Catalonia, the key regional reference is the NIRTC (Number of Registration in the Register of Tourism of Catalonia). This number identifies the registered tourist accommodation and must be verifiable. The Generalitat explains how the registration codes of the Register operate, and Barcelona City Council reminds that lawful VUTs have this number and must communicate it to users. Hosts must also comply with the regional regulations governing tourist apartments in Catalonia. In fact, the Land Registry verifies that tourist dwellings hold a VUT (HUT in Catalan) and that the community statutes do not oppose its grant.

Furthermore, the regional framework (Catalonia Tourism Decree) regulates obligations linked to identification and registration in the tourist register. As can be seen, rather than streamlining procedures, we now have triple registration windows: regional, municipal and Land Registry. The IT system should interconnect the different administrations and, in turn, communicate with the various property portals.

Barcelona warning: HUT licence and municipal restrictions

In Barcelona, the question is not only about “having an NRA”: the critical issue is usually whether there is a valid HUT licence and whether the property is genuinely eligible under municipal regulations (PEUAT and local criteria). Before investing time in registrations, it is advisable to verify the exact status by address and licence.

For official and practical guidance, the municipal website on tourist-use dwellings is a useful starting point.

Quick checklist: what we review with owners before “activating” a tourist property

• 1) Owners’ association: review statutes and resolutions (many refulas / withdrawals stem from this)
• 2) Planning and municipal compliance: particularly in Barcelona and designated high-pressure areas.
• 3) Catalonia tourist register: ensure you hold a NIRTC/HUT and consistent documentation.
• 4) NRA (State Register): Apply for it if the sales channerl requires it (platform with online contracting).
• 5) Advertising: display the required numbers (NIRTC and, where applicable, NRA) in listings and communications.
• 6) Operations: house rules, guest assistance, deposits/contracts and documentary traceability.

Once you have obtained your NRA, you must annually submit a record of the rentals carried out during the previous year. Rentals carried out in 2025 had to be notified between 1 February and 2 March 2026 to avoid revocation of the registration number.

In practice, we observe that owners of tourist-use dwellings are required to submit information to the Generalitat regarding the various stays in order to settle the relevant fees. This record is, in effect, duplicated when the data must subsequently also be registered with the Land Registry.

Practical table: NRA vs NIRTC (HUT) in Catalonia

Experience-based advice (what helps avoid problems and fines)

At present, it is essential to seek professional advice and obtain the NRA in order to avoid loss of advertising visibility for your property and future bookings. Make sure to request the required information within the applicable deadlines. Although a sanctioning regime has been published, we believe it may be difficult to enforce in practice, given that in most cases delays in obtaining the NRA have been caused by the administration itself.

If you are planning to sell: a property with poorly structured “tourist use” status may limit potential buyers and reduce the sale price. Particularly in the case of inactive tourist licences, it is essential to apply for the NRA before attempting to sell the property.

Conclusion

The obtaining of the NRA has become an essential requirement for the sale of tourist-use properties and an additional administrative procedure for owners of such properties. Furthermore, the NRUA or NRA must be renewed annually. To do so, the deposit for short-term rentals must be processed in February and no later than 2 March. Failure to do so may result in the number being revoked. During this first year, we are observing that registries are failing to comply with the deadlines set by the authorities. As of January 2026, approximately 400,000 NRUA or NRA numbers had been issued across Spain. We are unaware of how many applications are still pending.

Cristina Toyos Jiménez CEO ARQUITECTURA RESIDENCIAL

Más de 25 años de experiencia en el sector inmobiliario. Como CEO he tenido que lidiar la reestructuración de varias empresas de promoción inmobiliaria y la creación de una agencia totalmente digitalizada. Como experto inmobiliario, acompaño a los clientes en las transacciones más importantes de sus vidas, Asesoramos también a inversores en la compra de activos de inversión: suelos, locales comerciales, oficinas y viviendas. Nada mejor que comprar, invertir o vender acompañado de un equipo técnico experto en inmobiliaria.

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