Booking.com host and passport- am I being unfair?

[HouseIsOnFire]

Hello, I've booking a trip to Italy and the apartment via booking.com.
The host has messaged and asked for copies of our passports for tourism regulations.
I'm surprised by this, but then no different to it being photocopied in a hotel right?

AIBU to think this is odd?

AIBU - this is normal, send it via email (which I'd password protect)

AINBU - this is odd, refuse and book elsewhere if needed

I had this exact thing recently in Spain, maybe it's new rules, so I wouldn't worry. She asked the day I arrived though which was more reassuring. I also used booking.com

They do have to register you within 24h of being in the country but you don't always need to provide passport details in advance. However, if you have a key safe for the apartment, the host may not be there in person to take your details for registration so it seems reasonable to send them a copy in advance.

We had this with a booking.com villa abroad. They use an online app thingy for check ins and it asks for passport numbers / phot of passport as part of the check in.

I'd say it's fair enough

It’s a legal requirement throughout a lot of Europe with large fines for the hosts if they fail to do so.

Perfectly normal, I had to do the same in Portugal this year.

They've been doing at the hotel in Girona that we like for years. Photocopy on arrival.

Ahh thanks all, that's put my mind at rest!

This.

Absolutely normal request. Password protect it, and ask them to delete it once they no longer need it.

It's the digital aspect that's new to me

UK hosts are technically required to record passport details for non uk residents although most are unaware of this!

It's a legal requirement in a lot of countries, including Italy.

They're not just asking you for the hell of it. YABU.

Totally normal, and not much can be done with a photocopy of a passport anyway.

I guess it's handy for the night staff to see what the guests look like for security reasons?

We had this in Italy recently. The passports were also used for face recognition when going into the apartment building, and to check the right people were staying and extra people hadn't tagged along, plus there's the tax thing where you have to be registered as staying somewhere x

If you stay in a Premier Inn in UK

If you are not from UK, they request to see your passport

So it works both ways

Thanks all, quite used to handing over passports on arrival at hotels, it was more a "private" individual (the host) asking for a copy that had me doubting myself!

I would definitely be doubtful and in fact, telephone the hotel / host.
I was scammed on booking.com recently, the fraudsters got into my account and made it look like it was an email request directly from the hotel. Apparently it happened to many guests, as I telephoned afterwards the hotel, and they said "don't respond / don't click".. I'm still waiting for a reply from booking.com to reclaim what was lost.

Anyway, moral of the story: you have every right to be suspicious and check it's legit first!

We live in Spain and let out a small guest house on our land via airB&B & other booking sites. In order to do this we have to have a license from the local authority & in order to renew our license every year we have to provide photocopies of our guests passports (and pay the relevant tourist tax).

If it's a property where you let yourself in, or for any reason might not get to meet the host straight away, they need it so that they can register you within the required time. Not a problem with a larger hotel with a 24 hour reception.

I had to provide photographic ID to stay in a hotel booked via booking.com in central
scotland recently.

I do look like a wrong ‘un though. 😀