If you take bookings for overnight stays in Wales of 31 nights or less, you must register with the Welsh Revenue Authority (WRA) by law. Registration is open now and is free. You must register by 31 March 2027. This applies whether you host for a single night a year or run a large hotel.
This requirement was created by the Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Act 2025, which received Royal Assent on 18 September 2025. It is the first time Wales has required visitor accommodation to be on a national register.
Who must register
You must register if you charge visitors for overnight stays in Wales and take bookings for 31 nights or fewer. This includes:
- Hotels, bed and breakfasts, and guesthouses
- Self-catering lets (cottages, houses, apartments, lodges)
- Your main home or spare room (including listings on Airbnb or similar platforms)
- Pitches for tents, touring caravans, motorhomes, or campervans
- Glamping (shepherd's huts, yurts, pods, treehouses)
- Hostels or bunkhouses
- Static caravans, chalets, or lodges
- Temporary or pop-up accommodation
It does not matter how often you host. Even if you let your property for only a few nights a year, you must register.
How to register
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Set up GOV.UK One Login
You sign in to the WRA registration service with GOV.UK One Login. Create an account if you do not already have one.
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Gather your information
Prepare the details you will need to register, including: your contact details (name, address, phone number, date of birth, email, and company or charity number if you have one), the address and name of the accommodation, the types of accommodation you offer, when it is usually open for bookings, the number of rooms or bookable units, and how many people can stay.
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Check whether you have more than one premises
If the same people or organisations are responsible for each premises, include all of them in one registration. If different people or organisations are responsible for different premises, register them separately.
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Register online with the WRA by 31 March 2027
Complete the online registration on the WRA service. Registration is free. You get a unique registration number when you finish. Contact the WRA if you need help.
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Keep your registration details up to date
Update your registration within 30 days if anything changes (for example, you add or remove rooms or beds, change who is responsible, or sell the accommodation). Deregister within 30 days if you stop offering it. Missing either deadline can lead to a £100 penalty per premises.
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Understand the Visitor Levy
Even though registration is separate from the Visitor Levy, being registered is a prerequisite for meeting your levy obligations if your local council introduces one (Cardiff Council starts on 1 April 2027). Review your booking systems to ensure they can accommodate an additional charge if needed.
Penalties for not registering
If you do not register by 31 March 2027, you may have to pay a penalty of £100 per premises. If you still have not registered, a further £10 per premises per day applies for up to 30 days, followed by a further £1,000 per premises. The same £100 penalty applies if you do not update your details or deregister within 30 days. The WRA can also register you itself, which counts as a late registration. Not registering will also mean you cannot meet your Visitor Levy obligations if your local council introduces the levy.
Registration is mandatory regardless of the Visitor Levy
You must register whether or not your local council introduces the Visitor Levy. The register gives Welsh Government a clearer picture of the visitor accommodation sector across Wales and supports tourism planning. Even if you operate in an area where the council has not adopted the levy, you are still legally required to register.
What happens next
Once registered, you get a unique registration number and some of your details appear on the public register of visitor accommodation in Wales. If your local council introduces a Visitor Levy, you will need to pay the levy to the WRA. Councils must give 12 months' notice; Cardiff Council starts the levy on 1 April 2027, and in Cardiff it applies to bookings made or changed from 28 September 2026 for stays on or after 1 April 2027.
Legal basis
Primary legislation and key regulations
Official guidance
Failing to register, update details, or deregister your visitor accommodation (opens in a new tab)
www.gov.wales · Wales
Visitor accommodation registration - GOV.WALES (opens in a new tab)
www.gov.wales · Wales
Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Act 2025 (opens in a new tab)
www.gov.wales · Wales
Registering visitor accommodation: overview (opens in a new tab)
www.gov.wales · Wales
Visitor accommodation registration - GOV.WALES (opens in a new tab)
www.gov.wales · Wales