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Retaining Passports by Hotels in Spain - is This Still a Thing?

Posted by (Philadelphia PA) on

Hello all,

Later this week, my husband and I are traveling to Barcelona, Granada, Tarifa and Seville before heading for Lagos and Lisbon. In years past, the RS guidebooks in general (France, Italy) write about guests at hotels needing to surrender their passports to the front desk management while staying on their property. Since 2009, in my travels to France, Italy, and Eastern Europe over the years, this has never been an issue. (thankfully, because this just goes against my grain). But this is our first trip to Spain, so if anyone has experience with this could you enlighten me? My concerns are with what is going on in the middle east, possibly creating security problems for Americans in general, and American Jews in particular.

It is my sincere hope I am just being a nervous nelly (unusual for me). Already, out of an abundance of caution, we have canceled a trip to Morocco. We are hoping this minor sidestep is the extend of our "troubles." But the images coming out of the middle east are shocking to the core, and I would feel better if I did not have to surrender my American passport.

As always, I rely on the sage advice of this community of world travelers and thank you for sharing any experience you can.

Thanks!

Posted by
325 posts

We stayed at 4 different hotels in Barcelona and Madrid in April of this year. All asked to see passports, none kept them.

Posted by
23296 posts

They keep them long enough to record the information on a log. That has been standard practice for decades. Now they just make a copy of the passport and return it within a couple of minutes. Common practice, no major concern.

Posted by
5854 posts

I don't, in any event, see the link between Israel and Spain/Portugal, which are at opposite ends of the Mediterranean sea. If things spread that far, having crossed multiple borders then we have far bigger problems than you being parted with your passport by a hotel.
It is completely inconceivable that would happen.
The most that might happen is that, as reportedly is happening in London, the police are tightening security for Jews. But it's not something a tourist will see happening in London- only members of the Jewish diaspora. The same behind the scenes activity will doubtless happen in other countries.

Posted by
6576 posts

The hotel will keep your passport long enough to get your passport number or make a copy of it. That is generally a minute or so. It isn’t like it was in the late 70s when passports were kept for a couple hours. Enjoy your trip.

I’m not sure how anyone would know who was or wasn’t an American Jew. Out of caution, if you are, I wouldn’t advertise it.

I disagree with isn31c that people shouldn’t be observant or a little concerned, especially after some tourists were killed in Egypt. One never knows who is sympathetic to whichever cause or group.

Posted by
32823 posts

I am glad that isn31c is so optimistic.

I hope that "It is completely inconceivable that would happen." is true.

Posted by
2942 posts

The passports are not "surrendered while you stay on their property". Passports must be handed out when checking in to pass your information to the Police, then the passport is returned. This takes just a few minutes but sometimes a bit more if they're busy at that particular moment, hence why the passport might be returned later. This has been a common practice, since decades ago, all over Europe.

Posted by
270 posts

I remember a few years ago in Palma Mallorca when the receptionist took our passports and told us we could retrieve them the next day. I was unnerving. But they did return the passports the next day. I'm not sure what I could've done to avoid the situation, without deciding to abandon the reservation.

Posted by
3207 posts

It is completely inconceivable that would happen.

Nothing is inconceivable any longer, IMO, for most of us. If you are of Jewish heritage, IMO, you have a right to your fear based on centuries of history and recent activity in the US and abroad. I would not dream of negating that. That being said, we all have to balance our adventures with our possibilities/fears and plan accordingly. To address your fear of letting go of your passport, I would suggest you make copies of your passport. If a front desk wants to keep your passport, give the copy to them and let the front desk verify they are the same and keep the copy rather than your passport. That's how I would address that fear.

In May, in Madrid, my passport was not kept, but perhaps they made a copy of it. I don't recall seeing that.

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