Cardiff: visitor levy
£1.30 per person per night (75p in hostels and tents), from 1 April 2027.
- Status
- Starts 1 April 2027
- Starts
- 1 April 2027
- Nights charged
- Every night (no cap)
- Children
- No age exemption
- Currency
- GBP
Starts 1 April 2027: nothing is charged yet. The details below are what has been decided so far.
How the Cardiff tax works
Wales passed its visitor levy law in September 2025, letting each council decide whether to charge. Cardiff is the first to say yes: from 1 April 2027 every overnight stay in the city costs £1.30 per person per night, or 75p per adult in shared hostel rooms and tents.
It is charged on bookings made from 28 September 2026 for stays from 1 April 2027, so a room booked now for next spring already carries the levy. Cardiff expects about £3.5 million a year, spent through a Visitor Levy Partnership Forum with local businesses.
Other Welsh councils are holding back: Conwy deferred its decision and Gwynedd delayed one in September 2026, and Anglesey decided against.
Rates
| Where you stay | Tax |
|---|---|
| Hotel, B&B, guest house, self-catering, holiday let, Airbnb, caravan or glamping | £1.30 per person per night Every guest pays, whatever their age, babies included. |
| Shared hostel or bunkhouse room, or a tent pitch | £0.75 per person per night Under-18s pay nothing at this rate. |
Worked example
Example: A family of two adults, a 2-year-old and a 9-year-old stay 3 nights in a Cardiff hotel in April 2027.
Hotel, B&B, guest house, self-catering, holiday let, Airbnb, caravan or glamping: £1.30 per person per night. £15.60 in tax.
Who is exempt
- Bookings of 32 nights or more are not charged at all.
- Under-18s staying in shared hostel rooms or tents.
- People staying for work as employees, contractors or apprentices, where the employer arranges it.
- Refunds for guests who were caring for a disabled person, temporarily homeless, or fleeing harm or domestic abuse at the time of the stay.
Who collects it
The accommodation provider charges it and pays the Welsh Revenue Authority, which collects it for Cardiff Council. Every provider in Wales must register with the Welsh Revenue Authority by 31 March 2027.
Work out your Cardiff 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.
- Welsh Government: visitor levy, how much (official)
- Welsh Government: before the levy starts (official)
- Welsh Government: a small contribution, a lasting legacy (official)
- Cardiff Council newsroom: visitor levy approved (26 March 2026) (official)
Other places in the UK
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