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Can an Airbnb host ask for your ID or passport?

A host's legal guest-registration duty is separate from Airbnb's own identity check.

By David Pelayo · · Updated October 23, 2026 · 3 min read

Short answer

An Airbnb host may ask for identity details after booking when local law or another disclosed compliance rule requires them. Airbnb’s own verification does not replace a host’s guest-registration duty. Check the requirement in the listing and ask which fields the host needs and how they will collect them. In Spain, guest registration includes your document number and date of birth, but the Spanish data protection authority says hosts should not request a full ID or passport copy merely to comply with that law.
  • Check the listing and the reason. Airbnb permits additional identity requests for legal or compliance reasons disclosed before booking.
  • Details and a document image are different requests. A registration form may need your number and birth date without needing a photo of the whole document.
  • Keep a record in Airbnb messages and verify any separate check-in portal with Airbnb support before entering details.

An Airbnb host asking for ID is not automatically running a scam. Airbnb has its own identity verification for booking guests, but that check does not send your government ID to the host or complete every local guest-registration form. The useful question is why this host needs which details, at this stage of this booking.

Can an Airbnb host ask for ID after booking?

Airbnb’s off-platform policy allows additional identity information for legal or compliance reasons that the host can substantiate. The host must say what is required and why in the listing before you book. Airbnb’s guest verification guidance says the host may ask for a government ID after reservation under those conditions. An unexplained request before a confirmed booking, especially with a demand to pay elsewhere, deserves scrutiny.

The host may need to check the document, record specified details, or both. Neither automatically means they need to keep a photograph of every page. Ask which of those actions the requirement calls for.

What about Spain’s guest-registration rules?

Spain’s Royal Decree 933/2021, Annex I lists guest details that accommodation providers may have to record or report. These include the traveller’s name, document type and number, nationality, date of birth and other registration details. Do not redact the number or birth date from a form that lawfully asks for those fields.

That does not make a full passport scan necessary. The Spanish Data Protection Agency’s note on accommodation ID copies says providers should not request an entire DNI or passport copy merely to comply with the decree: the image contains extra data and does not by itself establish that the person checking in is the document holder. A verified registration form or inspection of the original can serve a different purpose from storing an image.

Rules vary by country and by accommodation. Ask the host to identify the rule that applies to your stay rather than assuming the Spanish list applies everywhere.

How to respond to a passport request

  1. Read the listing again. Look for the ID or registration requirement and its stated reason.
  2. Ask for the exact fields and process. A registration form may ask for a document number and birth date; an in-person check may require showing the original. Ask whether an image must be retained at all.
  3. Keep the conversation in Airbnb messages. If the host sends a separate portal, confirm it through Airbnb support or the listing’s established check-in instructions before entering your details.
  4. Match the copy to the actual requirement. If a document image is justified, cover only fields the recipient does not need and watermark the copy for that stay. A registration form that needs a number cannot be completed with the number hidden.

If the host insists on a full photo without explaining the rule, ask Airbnb support through your account before sending it. For the mechanics of preparing a limited copy, see how to redact a passport or ID. For the risk of sending it to a personal inbox, see ID over WhatsApp or email.

Frequently asked questions

Is it normal for an Airbnb host to ask for ID?

Sometimes. Airbnb verifies booking guests itself, but hosts in some locations must separately register guests. Airbnb says a host can ask for a government ID after reservation for a legal or compliance reason if the requirement and reason were disclosed in the listing before booking.

Can an Airbnb host ask for my passport?

A host may need to inspect a passport or collect particular passport details for local registration. Ask what law or rule applies, which fields are required, and whether you can enter them in a registration form or show the document at check-in. A full passport photo should not be the default.

Is an ID request outside the Airbnb app a scam?

It is a reason to verify the request, not proof of fraud. Some lawful registration processes use separate forms. Check the listing disclosure, keep the request in Airbnb messages, confirm an unfamiliar link with Airbnb support, and do not send a document to a personal email or chat account just because a message says it is urgent.

Does a host need a passport copy for guest registration in Spain?

Spain's Royal Decree 933/2021 requires specified guest details, including document number, document type, nationality and date of birth. The Spanish data protection authority says requesting a copy of the whole ID or passport to comply with this decree is excessive. Supply the required details through a verified check-in process instead.

What if the host insists on an unedited document photo?

Ask which rule requires the image itself, what was disclosed before booking, how it will be stored and when it will be deleted. If the answer is unclear, contact Airbnb support through your account before uploading or sending it. Do not conceal a field that the actual registration process requires.