According to Relocation, Barcelona authorities intend to significantly increase the tax burden on vacation rental owners. On October 15, 2026, the city council tentatively approved the introduction of additional surcharges on the property tax (IBI) ranging from 50% to 150%, depending on the number of short-term rental licenses held by the owner.
The new measure will affect approximately 10,600 vacation rentals and will mark the next phase of the city government’s policy to reduce short-term rentals. Final approval of the tax changes is scheduled for December 2026. If the decision is adopted, the new rules will take effect on January 1, 2027, and the first additional tax will be assessed on December 31, 2027.
The amount of the surcharge will depend on the number of tourist licenses held by the owner. Owners of a single license will be required to pay 50% more than the current IBI tax. Owners of two or three licenses will face a 100% surcharge, while owners of four or more tourist properties will face a 150% surcharge.
Thus, if the standard annual tax on an apartment is 1,000 euros, after the new rules take effect, an owner with one tourist license will pay 1,500 euros, an owner with two or three licenses will pay 2,000 euros, and an owner with four or more licenses will pay 2,500 euros per year for the respective property.
According to city data, approximately 6,000 tourist apartments—or about 57% of the total—are owned by individuals with four or more licenses. Another 1,200 properties are owned by individuals with two or three licenses, and approximately 3,200 by those with a single license.
City officials expect to generate an additional 7–8 million euros annually through this increased taxation.
Jordi Valls, Barcelona’s deputy mayor for economic affairs, explained the need for the changes by noting that vacation rentals are effectively used for commercial purposes, so their taxation should not be subject to the same conditions as regular residential housing.
The new tax policy is being implemented against the backdrop of a previously adopted decision to gradually phase out short-term apartment rentals in Barcelona. The municipality intends not to renew existing tourist accommodation licenses after they expire in November 2028.
For real estate investors in Barcelona, the new rules mean a reduction in the potential profitability of tourist rentals. The additional costs will particularly affect professional operators who manage multiple apartments. At the same time, the prospect of tourist licenses expiring in 2028 creates additional risks for long-term investment plans.
Owners will have to consider alternative models for using their properties, including long-term rentals, medium-term leases—provided they meet the established requirements—or the sale of the properties.
At the same time, industry representatives are opposing the new restrictions. Apartur, the Barcelona Tourist Apartments Association, has called the tax increase disproportionate and said it creates legal uncertainty for businesses. The organization has stated its readiness to challenge the new rules in court once they are finally adopted.
Barcelona remains one of the largest tourist destinations in Spain and Europe. The massive growth of short-term rentals in recent years has become a source of controversy among property owners, representatives of the tourism industry, and local residents.
The mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, has proposed banning citizens of countries outside the European Union from buying second homes in the city, explaining that this is to combat speculative demand amid a protracted housing crisis. This primarily concerns buyers who purchase real estate not for permanent residence but as an investment asset. In February, Collboni himself said that if it were within his power, he would ban British, American, and other non-EU citizens from buying second homes in the Catalan capital.
At the moment, this is only a political initiative and not an adopted norm. At the same time, at the national level, the Spanish government announced in January 2025 its intention to significantly tighten the conditions for purchasing housing for non-residents from countries outside the EU, increasing the tax burden for them to 100% of the property value. This measure also remains a proposal and requires further legislative formalization.
Barcelona’s initiative is part of a broader policy by city authorities to cool the overheated housing market. Earlier, the city had already decided not to renew licenses for short-term tourist rentals, of which there are about 10,101 in Barcelona, after 2028. The authorities explain the tough stance by the fact that over the past ten years, the average rent in the city has increased by 68%, and the cost of purchasing housing by 38%.
According to official data from Idescat, at the beginning of 2025, 1,713,247 people lived in Barcelona, of whom 437,663 were foreigners, or 25.55% of the population. Accordingly, there were about 1.276 million Spanish citizens in the city. At the same time, if we look not at citizenship but at place of birth, according to the city report for 2024, 33.6% of Barcelona’s residents were born outside Spain, and those born directly in Barcelona accounted for only 46.1% of the population.
The largest diasporas in Barcelona by citizenship at the beginning of 2025 were Italian (50,754 people), Colombian (29,574), Pakistani (24,857), Chinese (22,333), Peruvian (22,105), Moroccan (19,300), and French (18,437). The city authorities separately noted that the statistics for Italian citizens also include many people born in Argentina with Italian passports.
The Victoria Museum, a private museum of historical costume and style, is resuming its work in Kyiv and preparing to open a branch in Barcelona, the museum’s press service has announced.
“On August 30, the Victoria Museum in Kyiv will reopen its doors to visitors. And on September 30, another Victoria Museum will be inaugurated in Barcelona. Two cities, two countries — but one soul: preserving beauty and cultural memory,” the museum’s Facebook page said.
As the museum’s founder, Victoria Lysenko, announced in April 2025, she had decided to suspend the museum’s operations for economic reasons.
“The museum has been closed since April 26. I don’t know when it will reopen. Unless a miracle happens, which so many people continue to believe in.
I am a realist. The museum will reopen when I am able to earn money abroad,” she said.
Now, starting August 30, the renovated Belle Époque-style halls in Kyiv will display more than 1,500 authentic exhibits from the 19th and early 20th centuries, and there will also be a new audio guide.
The Victoria Museum (23 Butishev Lane) is a private museum of historical costume and style in Kyiv, dedicated to European urban fashion from 1830 to 1920. The museum was founded by Victoria Lysenko in 2017.
“Shakhtar defeated Barcelona 1-0 and retained its chances of qualifying for the Champions League playoffs, Suspilne.Sport reported on Tuesday evening.
“Shakhtar won its second victory in this season’s Champions League. “The Miners beat Barcelona 1-0 in a nominally home match in Hamburg,” the report said.
It is noted that this is Shakhtar’s first victory over Barcelona in 15 years.
It is also emphasized that Shakhtar started the European season with a defeat against Porto (1-3) and a victory over Antwerp (3-2). And in the first game against Barcelona away from home, the Miners lost 1-2.
Barcelona Mayor Ada Colau, who visited Kiev at the invitation of the capital’s mayor Vitaly Klitschko, expressed admiration for the courage of the Ukrainian people and assured that she would do everything possible to ensure that partners continue to help Ukraine and Kiev.
“For Ukraine is Europe. And crimes against humanity are being committed in your country,” stressed the mayor of Barcelona, whose words are quoted on Vitaly Klitschko’s personal website.
In his turn, the mayor of Kiev thanked Ada Colau for his visit to Kiev during the wartime and for his help to Kiev residents who fled the war in Barcelona. He said that despite the difficulties caused by Russian terrorist attacks, the Kiev authorities are doing everything possible to provide life support to the city, provide services to its residents, restore the destroyed infrastructure and housing damaged by shelling, and set up heating stations.
“We understand that to overcome the challenges that Ukraine has faced, we continue to need strong assistance from international partners. Together we must defeat the enemy and restore security on our continent. And we will need your help very much for the post-war reconstruction of the country and the capital city in particular,” Vitaliy Klitschko emphasized, adding that today Kiev would welcome any possible help. First of all, in order to survive this difficult winter.
Thus, Kiev has already received 2 fire trucks from Barcelona as an aid. Barcelona promises to give another 2 such cars at the beginning of the next year. And also 4 powerful generators, the autocranes with load-carrying capacity up to 40 tons and protective suits for rescuers against various kinds of dangers.
Kiev and Barcelona signed a Memorandum of friendship between the cities on September 24 this year during the visit of Vitaliy Klitschko to Barcelona. Barcelona became the seventh European city with which Kiev has signed a twinning since the beginning of Russia’s large-scale aggression.
Kyiv Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko and Mayor of Barcelona Ada Kolou have signed an agreement on twinning between the cities, the press service of the mayor of the capital of Ukraine reports.
“Today, cooperation at the city level is very important, because it is cities that play a key role in the development of states and deepening cooperation between them. The capital of Ukraine develops cooperation with European cities. Attracts help from partners, convinces them of the need for further support for Ukraine. We must be strong Together! Ukraine’s victory in the war against the Russian barbarians is a guarantee of peace and tranquility throughout Europe. We are grateful to our friends who help. Barcelona gave Ukraine fire trucks, humanitarian aid, and provided temporary shelter to Ukrainians fleeing the war,” Klitschko said.
Kolow, in turn, stressed that Barcelona will continue to help and support Kyiv and Ukraine. In particular, the mayors also discussed cooperation in the field of public transport, ecology, smart city and culture.
It is noted that Barcelona has become the seventh European city with which Kyiv has signed twinning since the beginning of the large-scale aggression of the Russian Federation. In particular, Madrid, Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Oslo and Hamburg also became twin cities of the Ukrainian capital. In total, the capital of Ukraine has 63 sister cities.
