Germany

Germany: tourist tax, guest registration and travel documents

Responsible editor: Page updated: 18 October 2026Sources and editorial method

Prepare your ski stay in Germany: check local overnight charges, accommodation arrival formalities and the documents relevant to each traveller. Start with the rules below, then confirm your exact property and dates.

Hotel guest registration

Foreign nationals need a valid identity document for the special hotel registration form.

From 2025 German nationals are no longer subject to that special form. The distinction is citizenship, not language or IP address. Guest-card or booking information may still be required.

Who it concerns
Foreign-national accommodation guests under the official hotel-form rules.
Who receives it
Your accommodation, through its verified check-in or reception.
When and how
On arrival.
Information to prepare
Identity, address, birth date, nationality, stay dates and recognised document details where required.

Local visitor levy

A local visitor levy is separate from hotel registration and can also affect German guests.

Check the destination municipality and accommodation bill. Garmisch-Partenkirchen publishes its own contribution and exemptions; its amount is not a German national rate.

Who it concerns
According to the destination municipality's rules.
Who receives it
Your accommodation, through its verified check-in or reception.
When and how
Confirm before payment and check whether already included.
Information to prepare
Stay length, age and any evidence needed for an exemption.

Which documents apply to your trip?

Your language or departure airport does not establish your citizenship. Check each traveller’s passport or national ID, residence status and all countries on the route, including transit.

Start with citizenship, residence and your full route

Check the official destination and transit entry guidance for each person. A country of departure or preferred language is not a passport category. Andorra and Serbia have their own entry rules; do not apply Schengen guidance to them automatically.

EU citizens travelling to an EU/Schengen destination

Carry a valid passport or national identity card. Each child needs their own travel document. Temporary internal border checks remain possible; a driving licence is not a travel document. Non-EU family members may need different documents.

UK and other non-EU passport holders

Check passport validity, visa or visa-exemption conditions and permitted stay for your nationality and residence status. Use the official EU guidance and the destination consulate; do not assume every non-EU traveller has the same permission.

EES and ETIAS: use the official current guidance

Before a Schengen trip, check the EU’s official EES and ETIAS portals for current applicability, exemptions and any action required. Do not send biometric or passport data to this rental website or treat accommodation check-in as border registration.

Border entry formalities and accommodation guest registration are different procedures. A ski booking voucher is not a travel document or permission to enter a country.

A short arrival checklist

  1. Before paying: ask whether the accommodation total includes the visitor tax, how any balance is collected and which exemptions apply to your group.
  2. Before arrival: use the accommodation’s verified booking channel for required check-in information. Check the recipient and privacy notice; ask why a document copy is requested rather than sending it by default.
  3. At the property: have valid identity documents available, check the guest details and keep the accommodation invoice or receipt for any local charge.
  4. Keep ski-rental, accommodation and transfer confirmations separate. Give guest-registration data to the accommodation, fitting measurements to the rental shop and journey details to the transfer operator only as required.

This guide does not ask you to upload a passport or submit a guest-registration form. Do not send identity documents to this website.

Continue planning your ski stay

    This is a practical reference for a short leisure stay, not a personalised entry or tax decision. Accommodation and border authorities confirm the requirements for your exact circumstances. Rates and exemptions must be checked for the municipality and travel dates.