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Tourist licence in Orihuela Costa and Torrevieja: steps, timescales and costs (2026)

Planning compatibility report · Responsible declaration · VT number · Community of owners · Insurance · Renewal

🗓️ Updated: 10 October 2026 🌐 Ce guide en français · Deze gids in het Nederlands

Punta Prima · Playa Flamenca · La Zenia · Cabo Roig · Campoamor · Villamartín · Los Dolses · Los Altos · Torrevieja

🪪 Who needs a tourist licence?

In the Valencian Community, any property let for 10 nights or fewer to the same guest, whether on Airbnb, Booking or directly, must be entered in the Generalitat's Tourism Register. This registration gives a number in the format VT-XXXXXX-A, commonly known as the "tourist licence". Without this number, letting by the week is a serious offence, and the platforms remove listings that are reported.

In Orihuela Costa and Torrevieja alike, getting a licence is possible, but it takes a long time, and an incomplete file can cost months. This page explains what really happens, step by step, based on the applications we handle for our owners.

✅ Key points at a glance

  • Two authorities: the town hall (planning compatibility report), then the Generalitat (responsible declaration and registration).
  • Real timescale: based on the applications we handle, more than a year between filing at the town hall and receiving the VT number.
  • Community of owners: since 3 April 2025, a new tourist activity requires the community's express approval (3/5).
  • Insurance: liability insurance covering the tourist activity is compulsory (Ley 3/2026).
  • Validity: 5 years, renewable with an up-to-date planning report.
  • While you wait: the property can already be let as a seasonal let, from 11 nights, and we take care of it.
  • Moratorium: at the date of this update, neither Orihuela nor Torrevieja has suspended new licences, unlike the city of Alicante.

🔍 1. Five checks before you start the application

  • The community of owners. If there was no tourist activity in the property before 3 April 2025, you need the express approval of the community (comunidad de propietarios), voted by a three-fifths majority. Check the statutes and the latest minutes of the general meeting: if a ban has been voted, there is no point going further.
  • Habitability. The property must have a first occupation licence or a valid habitability certificate (cédula de habitabilidad). In older buildings, this is often the missing document.
  • Cadastral data. The cadastral reference, floor area and address must match across the title deed, the land registry and the application. A single inconsistency is enough to block a file, or to have it struck off later.
  • Equipment. Air conditioning and heating at least in the living room, hot water, a fitted kitchen, internet and television, a first aid kit. Extra beds (sofa beds) may not exceed half the number of fixed beds, and handing over keys via a key box on the public street is prohibited.
  • Insurance. Since Ley 3/2026 (July 2026), liability insurance must cover the tourist activity. A standard home insurance policy, limited to residential use, is no longer accepted.

🧭 2. The steps, in order

1

The planning compatibility report (town hall)

Since Decreto-ley 9/2024, the Generalitat no longer accepts a declaration without a favourable municipal report (informe de compatibilidad urbanística) confirming that tourist use is permitted at that address. The application is made to Orihuela town hall for Orihuela Costa, or to Torrevieja town hall, with the title deed, a photo of the façade, a location plan and proof of payment of the municipal fee. This is the longest step.

2

The responsible declaration (Generalitat)

Once the report is obtained, the holder files a responsible declaration (declaración responsable) with the Generalitat's tourism department, usually online with a digital certificate. It includes the planning report, the cadastral reference, the holder's NIE or NIF, the insurance certificate and, for a new activity, the community of owners' express approval.

3

Registration and the VT number

The Generalitat enters the property in the Tourism Register and assigns the VT number. This is the number that must appear on every listing.

4

Getting ready for guests

Before the first guest, you still need to put up the official plaque at the entrance, provide complaint forms, register on the Ministry of the Interior's guest registration platform and add the VT number to every listing.

5

Renewal, every 5 years

Registration is valid for 5 years. Renewal must be requested before it expires, with an up-to-date planning report. Properties registered before August 2024 have until August 2029. Without renewal, the property is struck off the register.

⏳ 3. Real timescales in Orihuela and Torrevieja

Both municipalities are among those with the most tourist properties in the province, and their planning departments face a huge volume of applications:

  • Orihuela had nearly 5,800 registered tourist properties in mid-2024, mostly in Orihuela Costa, and around 1,300 applications pending.
  • Torrevieja had nearly 2,500 files pending in early 2025, and owners reported planning reports taking more than six months.

👉 Our experience: on the applications we handle, allow more than a year between the first filing at the town hall and receiving the VT number. Every missing document restarts the wait: a complete file from the outset remains the best way not to lose time.

📅 4. While you wait, your property can already earn money

More than a year without income is a long time. But the tourist licence only applies to stays of 10 nights or fewer. From 11 nights, seasonal lets are possible without a licence, fully legally.

While your application is being processed, we offer your property as a seasonal let: stays of 11 nights or more, winter visitors, families on longer holidays. As soon as the VT number arrives, we open up short stays.

💶 5. How much does it cost?

  • Registration in the Tourism Register: free.
  • Municipal fee for the planning compatibility report, according to the town hall's scale.
  • Official plaque and complaint forms.
  • Any upgrades to the equipment, and a habitability certificate if it is missing.
  • Support: our administrative partner handles the complete application, from the town hall to registration, for around €550 in fees, depending on the case.

🏠 6. Buying a property that already has a licence

A property "sold with a licence" is a real asset, provided you check three points before signing:

  • Is the licence still active? Check its entry in the register, its expiry date and the number of beds declared.
  • Change of holder: the licence does not lapse on sale, but the buyer must file their own responsible declaration, with a favourable planning report.
  • The community of owners: for a purchase after 3 April 2025, continuing the tourist activity requires the community's express approval. Without it, the existing licence is not enough.

👉 Ask your estate agent or your notary to check these three points before signing.

⚠️ 7. The mistakes that block or cost you a licence

In 2025, the Generalitat struck thousands of properties in the region off the register because of incomplete files. The most common causes:

  • a missing cadastral reference, or one that does not match the property;
  • a missing or out-of-date planning report;
  • a holder without a valid NIE or NIF;
  • standard home insurance instead of liability insurance covering the tourist activity;
  • a listing published without a VT number, or with more beds than declared;
  • letting by the room, which is prohibited for a tourist property;
  • forgetting the 5-year renewal.

📌 8. What the licence does not cover

Getting the VT number is only the first step. After that come registering every guest within 24 hours, declaring the rental income (Modelo 210 for non-residents) and, if the decree of 6 October 2026 is approved, 10% VAT on stays of 30 nights or fewer from 1 December 2026. Everything is explained in our guide Renting legally in Orihuela Costa.

🤝 9. How Casacare360 supports you

  • Complete application through our administrative partner, from the town hall to registration (around €550 in fees, depending on the case).
  • Seasonal lets while the application is processed, so the property earns money straight away.
  • Fire safety kit (fire extinguisher, fire blanket, smoke detector on every floor, first aid kit), supplied and installed before the first booking, invoiced to the owner.
  • Go-live once the number is issued: listings, guest registration, in-person welcome, cleaning, with our 4-star formula.
  • Regulatory watch: we keep you informed of every change that affects you, renewal included.

Message us on WhatsApp: +34 604 470 876, or discover our services on the For owners page.

❓ Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to get a tourist licence in Orihuela Costa?

On the applications we handle, more than a year between filing at the town hall and receiving the VT number. The longest step is the planning compatibility report issued by the town hall, which deals with a very large number of applications.

Can I let my property while the licence is being processed?

Yes, as a seasonal let, meaning stays of 11 nights or more, which do not require a tourist licence. Casacare360 offers this service while the application is processed. Stays of 10 nights or fewer have to wait for the VT number.

How much does a tourist licence cost in Orihuela Costa?

Registration with the Generalitat is free. You need to add the municipal fee for the planning report, the official plaque and, if you use professional support, the application fees: around €550 with our partner, depending on the case.

Can my community of owners block my licence?

Yes, for a new activity. Since 3 April 2025, the community's express approval by a three-fifths majority is required. An activity carried on before that date is protected.

If I buy an apartment with a licence, is the licence mine?

It stays attached to the property, but you must file your own responsible declaration, with a favourable planning report. For a purchase after 3 April 2025, the community of owners' approval is also required.

Is the tourist licence valid for life?

No. It is valid for 5 years and must be renewed with an up-to-date planning report. Properties registered before August 2024 must be renewed by August 2029 at the latest.

Is there a moratorium on licences in Orihuela Costa or Torrevieja?

At the date of this update, no: both municipalities are still processing applications. The city of Alicante, on the other hand, has suspended new licences since January 2025.

✍️ Who wrote this guide?

This guide is written by Gauthier, co-founder of Casacare360 with Amy, a licensed estate agent (API nº 01529). A Belgian couple living on the Costa Blanca, we speak French, Dutch and English, and manage tourist and seasonal rentals every day in Orihuela Costa and Torrevieja, welcoming every guest in person.

Casacare360 (Casa care 360 SL) is listed in the Valencian Community's register of estate agents under number RAICV 4145. Rated 4.9/5 on Google. More about us.

📚 Reference texts

This guide is for information only and does not replace professional advice for a specific situation.