Barcelona’s tourist tax is now double: here’s what to know

Catalonia’s Parliament has approved a major increase to the tourist tax, taking effect from 1st April 2026. The move will affect travellers across the region, with Barcelona set to see the biggest jump.

Under the new system, visitors will pay a per-person, per-night tax on most short‑stay tourist accommodation, with higher base rates in Barcelona and lower ones in the rest of Catalonia, plus the possibility of additional local surcharges.

Tourist rates from April 2026

This replaces the earlier ceiling of €4.50 per night in Barcelona until March 2027, rising to €6 thereafter, with a clearer structure of base rates by accommodation type and broader scope for local surcharges.

Tourist rates for the rest of Catalonia

Type of establishment	Tax 1 Apr 2026 – 31 Mar 2027 (per person, per night)	Tax from 1 Apr 2027 (per person, per night)
5‑star hotel, grand luxury, luxury campsite and equivalent establishments	€4.50	€6.00
4‑star and 4‑star superior hotel, and equivalent establishments	€1.80	€2.40
Tourist dwelling (vivienda de uso turístico)	€1.75	€2.50
Youth hostel	€0.80	€1.00
Other campsites and other establishments and facilities	€0.90	€1.20
Cruise ship stay – more than 12 hours	€3.00	€4.00
Cruise ship stay – 12 hours or less	€4.50	€6.00

Where the money goes

The revenue from the tourist tax is earmarked to:

• 25% of total revenue from the tax is allocated to housing policies of the Generalitat de Catalunya.
• The remaining 75% goes into the Tourism Promotion Fund. From this fund:
  • 50% of the revenue generated in each municipality is assigned back to that municipality
  • The rest goes to the Generalitat bodies responsible for tourism.

Barcelonatips, CC BY-SA 4.0 Wikimedia commons

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