What is the VFT/VUT tourist licence in Andalusia and why do you need it?
It is not a licence someone grants you: it is a registration you make yourself, through a responsible declaration, with the Andalusian Tourism Registry. What the code VFT/MA/00000 means, who has to apply for it and what happens if you do not have it.
Reviewed on 22 September 2026 · By the team at Torremolinos Gestión Vacacional, more than ten years managing holiday rentals · Markdown version · Versión en español
Short answer: what everybody calls the "tourist licence" is, in Andalusia, the registration of your home with the Andalusian Tourism Registry (RTA) as a vivienda de uso turístico (tourist dwelling). Nobody grants it: you do it yourself by filing a responsible declaration in which you state that the flat meets the requirements. It is free, it is done online with a Spanish digital certificate and, once filed, you can advertise the flat. Without it, advertising is an offence.
Why is it called VFT or VUT?
They are the initials of the same concept in two periods: Vivienda con Fines Turísticos (VFT), the name in the 2016 decree, and Vivienda de Uso Turístico (VUT), the name used since 2024. The registration code looks like this: VFT/MA/00000 or VUT/MA/00000, where MA is the province (Málaga) and the number is yours. That code has to appear in every listing.
Who has to register?
Anyone who offers a home to tourists regularly, for money, through tourist channels (Booking, Airbnb, agencies, a website with bookings). The Junta presumes regularity if the home is offered for more than a month a year. It does not matter that it is your second home and you rent it "only in summer": if you advertise it, it is a tourist dwelling and must be registered.
You do not need to register if:
- You lend the flat for free (to family, friends).
- You rent it for more than two consecutive months to the same person (that is a seasonal or residential let, under a different law).
- It is a rural home on non-urban land (it has its own rules).
Who is the holder?
The holder of the operation is whoever provides the service: the owner if they manage it directly, or the manager if they are the one who looks after guests, hands over keys and organises cleaning. The Junta says so expressly: a company that manages those services must appear as holder of the operation. The owner is still the owner; what changes is who answers to the administration. Explained in Who is the holder of the listing and the licence?.
What obligations come with registration?
- Meeting the flat's requirements (square metres, beds, bathrooms, air conditioning, safety).
- Showing the code in every listing.
- Registering travellers with the police for every booking.
- Having complaint forms and a 24-hour contact phone.
- Cleaning on each guest's arrival and departure.
- Informing guests of the association's rules, pets and smoking areas.
- Providing a payment receipt with the details the rules require.
- Providing the service in the declared periods, all year round if that is what you declared.
What happens if I rent without registering?
It is the "clandestine provision" of a tourist service (art. 30.4 of Law 13/2011 on Tourism in Andalusia) and the law classifies it as a serious offence (art. 71.1). In addition, platforms remove listings without a code and owners' associations can demand the cessation of the activity.
What is the fine for renting without a licence?
The amounts are in article 78 of Law 13/2011 (consolidated text in the Official State Gazette, checked on 21 September 2026):
| Offence | Fine | Possible additional penalty |
|---|---|---|
| Minor | Warning or up to €2,000 | — |
| Serious (this is where renting without registration falls) | From €2,001 to €18,000 | Suspension of the activity or temporary closure, under six months |
| Very serious | From €18,001 to €150,000 | Suspension or closure from six months to three years; definitive closure and cancellation of the registration for repeat offenders |
Two nuances so you are neither alarmed nor complacent:
- Renting without registering is serious, not very serious: the real range is €2,001 to €18,000. The "up to €150,000" you see around refers to very serious offences (notorious damage to the tourist image, obstructing an inspection, discrimination…).
- The exact figure within the range is set by the Junta according to the circumstances (art. 79): intent, repetition, profit obtained, harm caused. A first offence with no aggravating factors sits at the low end; a repeat offence with neighbour complaints does not.
Once registered (which is free and done the same day), this section no longer applies to you. If you already have proceedings open, it is time for a lawyer, not a guide.
Is it the same as the NRUA?
No. The NRUA was a separate national registry, created at the end of 2024, which the Supreme Court annulled in May 2026. It no longer has to be requested. The Andalusian registration is the one that has always existed and remains mandatory. Explained in The NRUA has been annulled: what changes.
How is it processed?
Step by step, in How is the licence processed?. If you would rather not do it yourself, we process it free of charge for the owners we manage.