Tourist tax in Europe 2021: what you will pay in Spain, Italy and other hotspots

Tourist taxes are becoming increasingly commonplace. Find out how much you'll likely have to pay on your next European holiday.

New Venice tourist tax expected next summer

Venice is planning to charge tourists up to €10 each from next summer, according to media reports.

The tourist tax might be anywhere from €3 to €10 per day, depending on whether someone visits during the low, high or peak season and will largely be aimed at day-trippers.

This will be in addition to Italy's existing tourist tax, which is paid at the hotel and ranges between €1 and €5 per person per night.

The majority of visitors to Venice are day-trippers, many from cruises, and contribute little economically to the city, despite producing huge amounts of rubbish and disruption.

Lots of other popular European destinations have taken to charging tourists a little extra.

Often even though you’ve already paid for your holiday, you will be asked to hand over extra cash when you arrive at your hotel or when you check out.

We’ve taken a look at what tourist tax you will be hit with for a range of popular European holiday destinations.

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Austria tourist tax

In Austria, tourists have to pay an overnight accommodation tax (including in caravans and campsites), which is charged according to the province you are staying in.

The tourism levy, which can go by many names, (Tourismusgesetz and Beherbergungsbeiträge are just two), is currently up to 3.2% of the hotel cost per person per night in Vienna.

Children under 15 are exempt from the tax.

Belgium tourist tax

In Belgium, there are a range of tourism taxes to watch out for, which vary by city.

In Antwerp, there is a fixed rate, including VAT, of €2.97 (£2.52) per person, per night for stays in hotels.

Accommodation that falls under the Tourism for Everyone decree and children under 12 years of age are exempt from the tax.

If you are staying in Bruges, there is a tourism tax of €2.83 (£2.41) per person, per night (excluding VAT). This applies to all tourist accommodation, including hotels, guest houses and hostels.

In Brussels, there is a City Tax that is charged per room, per night according to the borough, hotel size and hotel classification. 

At the Brussels Novotel, for example, you will be charged €4.25 (£3.63) per room, per night due to a City Tax.

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Bulgaria tourist tax

Bulgaria levies a City Tax or a Resort Tax on visitors, which varies by area and hotel classification.

The City Tax is charged per person, per night which ranges from 0.2 Bulgarian (BGN) Lev (8p) to 3 BGN Lev (£1.31).

The Resort Tax is applied in some areas, which is charged on a per person, per stay rather than per person, per night basis.

Croatia tourist tax

In Croatia, holidaymakers have to pay a ‘Sojourn Tax’ which can vary depending on the category of the accommodation and season.

This tourist tax is typically more expensive during peak seasons although children under 12 are exempt from the tax.

France tourist tax

In France, there is ‘Taxe de Sejour’ or tourist tax, which is charged per person, per night and varies according to the quality and standard of the accommodation.

The rates range from €0.20 (17p) to around €4 (£3.42) per person, per night. You can see how the prices breakdown on the service-public.fr website.

Paris charges higher rates of tourist tax ranging from €0.25 and €5 (£4.27) per person, per night, depending on accommodation. Children under 18 are exempt from the tax.

Germany tourist tax

Kulturförderabgabe (Culture Tax) or Bettensteuer (Bed Tax) are some of the terms used for tourist taxes in Germany.

The taxes range from €0.50 (42p) to €5 (£4.27) per person, per night or 5% of the room bill depending on the type of accommodation, room rate and location.

In Berlin, for example, you will be charged 5% of the room rate (excluding VAT) and the tax is capped at 21 successive days although business travellers are exempt from the tax.

Munich, however, does not have a tourist tax.

Greece tourist tax

In 2018, Greece introduced a tourist tax, the first time one had been levied.

You'll have to pay the tax when you check in to your accommodation and you can pay it by cash or card.

The cost is €0.50 (42p) per person per day for those in one to two-star hotels, going up to €1.50 (£1.28) in three-star hotels, €3 (£2.56) in four-star hotels and €4 (£3.42) in five-star hotels.

Hungary tourist tax

Visiting Budapest? You'll usually have to pay an extra 4% of the price of your room per night.

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Italy tourist tax

In Italy, tourists have to pay a tax called Tassa di soggiorno.

The charge varies from city to city, will depend on a hotel’s star rating and is levied on a set number of nights and there are usually exemptions for children.

In Rome, for example, you can expect to pay between €4 (£3.41) and €7 (£5.98) per person per day for up to 10 days of your stay. Children under 10 are exempt from the tax.

A table with a breakdown of the current taxes in popular cities can be found on italyvacations.com.

Netherlands tourist tax

In the Netherlands, visitors get charged a tourist accommodation tax called Toeristenbelasting.

It's charged per person, per night by over 400 municipalities according to the ETOA but can vary according to hotel grade and accommodation type.

The rest either charge a percentage, which can also vary by hotel star rating or type of accommodation, or they can charge nothing.

For example, in popular tourist hotspot Amsterdam there is a flat fee of €3 per person, per night plus 7% City Tax based on the room price.

Portugal tourist tax

Visitors to the Portuguese capital of Lisbon have to pay a Municipal Tourist Tax, which is currently €2 (£1.72) per person, per night according to Airbnb. 

Children under 13 are exempt from the overnight tax and it only applies to the first seven days of your stay.

In Porto, you'll pay €2 (£1.72) per person per night up to a maximum of seven nights.

A tourist tax of €1.50 per night/per person for up to seven nights was set to be introduced in Faro (Algarve) in March 2020 but this has been temporarily suspended.

Romania tourist tax

The Romanian tourist accommodation tax is called taxa hoteliera locala.

It has been standardised to 1% and is charged against the total value of the accommodation for each night. However, if the accommodation is in a tourist resort, the tax is for the first night only.

Tourists under the age of 18 are exempt.

Slovenia tourist tax

Slovenia charges a tourist tax, which varies nationwide (depending on on location and hotel grade).

Taxes in the capital Ljubljana are €3.13 (£2.67) per person per night, including a €0.63 promotion tax, while there is a 50% discount in some circumstances. 

Generally, children under seven are exempt from the tax, while children aged between seven and 18 are charged at half the rate.

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Spain tourist tax

If you're heading to Ibiza or Majorca, you'll have to pay tourist taxes.

The Sustainable Tourist Tax, which applies to holiday accommodation on Spain’s Balearic Islands (Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza, Formentera), applies to each holidaymaker aged 16 or over.

During high season, those staying in luxury hotels pay €4 a per person, per day (£3.42 at the time of writing), €3 (£2.56) for mid-range hotels and €2 (£1.71) for apartments and cruise ship visitors ­– even if you don't stay on the islands – and €1 (85p) for campers and hostels.

Prices are up to 75% lower if you're travelling from November to April and the tax drops by 50% after your eighth night on the island.

The money raised from the 'eco tax' will go towards the protection of resources on the islands.

Spain also charges people visiting the Catalonia region, a tasa turistica.

You will have to pay between €0.45 (38p) and €2.25 (£1.92) per person, per night, for the first seven nights, which depends on the hotel category and whether you are staying in Barcelona.

The table below sets out what you are likely to pay (children under 16 are exempt)

Source: Agència Tributària de Catalunya

There is also a surcharge from Barcelona City Council – you can find out more here.

The Canary Islands are considering introducing a tax but so far has yet to do so.

Switzerland tourist tax

Anyone staying overnight in Switzerland has to pay a tourist tax.

According to the ETOA, it is charged per person, per night and varies by town and in some cases by the type of accommodation.

It is made up of two elements the Beherbergungsabgabe (BA tax) and Kurtaxe.

The BA tax goes towards paying for tourism advertising and maintaining infrastructure in regions, but the Kurtaxe is used to improve the tourism experience for visitors.

As each canton in Switzerland determines how to set the taxes, there can be further variations. 

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