Barcelona: tourist tax (IEET) and city surcharge
€6 to €12 per person per night since 1 April 2026, first 7 nights; under-17s free.
- Status
- In force
- Current rates since
- 1 April 2026
- Nights charged
- Up to 7 per stay
- Children
- under-17s pay nothing
- Currency
- EUR
How the Barcelona tax works
Catalonia's tourist tax (the IEET) doubled in Barcelona on 1 April 2026 under Catalan Law 2/2026. Every guest aged 17 or over pays a flat amount per night, for up to 7 nights: the Catalan rate for the type of accommodation plus Barcelona's own surcharge of €5. A 5-star hotel now costs €12 per person per night (€7 + €5), up from €7.50.
Cruise passengers pay too: €9 per passenger if the ship stays more than 12 hours and €11 for 12 hours or less. A quarter of the tax's revenue now goes to housing.
Rates
| Where you stay | Tax |
|---|---|
| 5-star or grand luxury hotel, luxury campsite | €12 per person per night |
| 4-star or 4-star superior hotel | €8.40 per person per night |
| Tourist flat (HUT, most holiday lets) | €9.50 per person per night |
| Youth hostel | €6 per person per night |
| 1 to 3-star hotel, guesthouse, other campsite or other accommodation | €7 per person per night |
Worked example
Example: Two adults and a 15-year-old stay 8 nights in a 4-star hotel in May 2026.
4-star or 4-star superior hotel: €8.40 per person per night. €117.60 in tax.
Only the first 7 nights are charged. Some children pay less or nothing because of their age.
Who is exempt
- Under-17s.
- Stays for health reasons, stays paid for by EU public social programmes, and force majeure.
Who collects it
Your hotel or host adds it to the invoice and pays the Catalan Tax Agency, which passes the surcharge to Barcelona City Council. For bookings paid in advance, the rate in force on the day you paid applies.
What's changing
- Barcelona's surcharge rises by €1 each April: €6 from 1 April 2027, €7 from 1 April 2028 and €8 from 1 April 2029 (a 5-star hotel will then cost €15 per person per night).
Not yet confirmed
We couldn't confirm these from an official source, so treat them with care:
- Whether VAT is added to the tax: we found no official statement.
Work out your Barcelona tax
Sources
Checked on 28 September 2026. Rates change, often at the start of a year or a season: check the official source before you pay or file a return.
- Catalan Tax Agency: IEET rates and surcharges (Catalan) (official)
- Catalan Tax Agency: IEET exemptions (Catalan) (official)
- Catalan Tax Agency: new rates from 1 April 2026 (Catalan) (official)
- Ajuntament de Barcelona: surcharge ordinance 2.2 (PDF, Catalan) (official)
- Ajuntament de Barcelona: Parliament of Catalonia passes the increase (official)
- BOE: Catalan Law 2/2026 (Spanish) (official)
Other places in Europe
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