Guest without valid ID? You can refuse check-in — and you should

It happens more often than you'd think. The guest is friendly, the booking is paid, the timing is fine — and then you ask for ID and get a expired card, a phone photo of a document, or a shrug.

What do you do?

Short answer: you refuse check-in. The longer answer is what follows.

What the law requires at check-in

In Portugal, alojamento local operators are legally required to record the identification details of every guest — including minors — before handing over the keys. This obligation sits within the framework for communicating guest data to the competent authorities, currently managed by AIMA (the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum) through the SIBA system.

This is not an optional formality. It applies to every guest, every stay, regardless of nationality or booking platform.

Accepted documents are the ones you'd expect: national identity card, citizen card, passport, or valid residence permit. An expired document is not a valid document. A photo of a document on someone's phone does not substitute the original.

Can you actually refuse?

Yes. Not only can you — you should.

If you complete check-in without a valid document and cannot transmit accurate data to the authorities, the liability falls on you. The law makes no exception for good faith or for guests who seem trustworthy. Failing to meet registration and reporting obligations can result in fines levied against the alojamento local licence holder.

Refusing isn't hostility — it's compliance. Any guest who travels regularly across Europe will recognise this as standard practice.

How to handle it without drama

The key is clear, calm communication. A few practical pointers:

• Ask in advance. Include a note in your pre-arrival messages that a valid ID is required at check-in. Frame it as part of the house instructions, not a surprise at the door.
• Explain why. "It's a legal requirement — I have to register every guest's details with the authorities." Most people accept this immediately once they understand it's not your personal rule.
• Offer reasonable flexibility. If the guest has their document but left it in the car or at the bottom of a bag, give them a moment to retrieve it. If the document is genuinely expired, the situation is different — there's no entry.
• Document everything. If you do refuse check-in, note the date, time, reason, and what you communicated to the guest. That record protects you if a dispute surfaces later on the booking platform.

The problem with manual registration

Many hosts still manage this process by hand: request the document, photograph it, type the data into SIBA, and hope for no typos. It works — until it doesn't.

A transposition error on a passport number, a missed registration during a busy multi-check-in evening, a document that looked valid but had quietly expired — these things happen, and the consequences can be disproportionate to the mistake.

A centralised system that validates documents at the point of registration and communicates automatically with the authorities removes most of this risk. Not because hosts are careless, but because automation doesn't get distracted.

What to record if you refuse

If you reach the point of turning a guest away, keep a simple log:

• Date and time of the attempted check-in
• Reason for refusal (expired document, no document presented, etc.)
• What you communicated to the guest and how
• Any relevant message exchanges

This record serves two purposes: it protects you in any booking platform dispute, and it demonstrates that you acted in line with your legal obligations.

The bottom line

ID at check-in isn't a personal preference — it's a legal condition for the stay to happen at all. When a guest doesn't have a valid document, there's no grey area: check-in cannot proceed.

Handling it well — with clear communication, a documented process, and tools that automate registration — is what separates a host who's exposed from one who's covered.