Barcelona's tourist tax
In Barcelona you pay between €6 and €12 per person per night, depending on the type of accommodation and its stars. Children under 17 don't pay, and the charge stops after 7 nights.
In Catalan it is the taxa turística, and its legal name is the Impost sobre les estades en establiments turístics (IEET). Dutch visitors who search for the toeristenbelasting in Barcelona mean this charge.
What you pay, and for how long
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.
Other Spanish regions charge different amounts, and some nothing at all: the tourist tax in Spain, region by region.
The rate for each kind of stay
Hotels pay by star rating; other kinds of stay have their own rate.
| 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 |
What a real booking costs
4-star or 4-star superior hotel
- €8.40 per person per night2 paying guests × 7 nights × €8.40
- €117.60
Tax on this stay€117.60
Only the first 7 nights are charged. Some children pay less or nothing because of their age.
Exemptions
- Under-17s.
- Stays for health reasons, stays paid for by EU public social programmes, and force majeure.
Who collects the money
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.
Coming next
- 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).
Still unconfirmed
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 own trip
The calculator applies Barcelona's rules to your dates and party. It's an estimate: your host works out the exact figure.
Want a page for the whole country? Try the Spain tourist tax calculator.
Booking a stay in Barcelona
Before you book, open the price breakdown. Some listings fold the tax into the price; others leave it to pay when you arrive.
Where these figures come from
Checked against these on 28 September 2026. If you're a host filing a return, go by the official pages, which change first.
- Catalan Tax Agency: Impost sobre les estades en establiments turístics (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