Does every guest in the room need to show ID?
Most countries require every adult guest to show ID at hotel check-in, not just the person who booked. Here is what each traveller on your trip1 booking should bring.
Updated
Who needs to show ID at hotel check-in
Every adult guest sleeping in the room normally needs to present ID at check-in. The front desk is not being awkward - in most countries it is filling in a guest register that local law requires it to keep. When you book on trip1, put every adult traveller's name on the reservation so the property knows who to expect.
In the US, Canada and Australia there is no national guest register, and many properties only check the ID of the person named on the booking. Even there, a hotel can ask everyone for ID as a matter of house policy, so it is safer to assume you will be asked.
Adults sharing a room
Each adult is registered separately, so each one needs their own document. A passport works everywhere. A national ID card is fine across most of Europe, and a driving licence is often accepted for domestic stays in countries that do not issue ID cards.
A photo of a passport on someone's phone is usually not enough. Hotels normally need the original to copy the details correctly, and some check-in systems will not let staff continue without it.
Children and teenagers
Children travelling with a parent or guardian rarely have to show ID themselves. The property may still write their names, dates of birth and nationality on the form, because in countries like Spain and Italy every occupant counts as a guest.
A teenager travelling without an adult is a different situation. There the property's minimum check-in age applies, because someone has to take responsibility for the room.
Why hotels ask everyone for ID
The rules come from guest registration law, not from the hotel. Spain, Italy, Greece, Austria, Germany, Czechia and Croatia all require accommodation providers to register every guest and pass the details to the authorities, usually within 24 hours of arrival.
A few countries are narrower. France, for example, only requires a police form for guests from outside the EEA and Switzerland. That is why an ID check can feel routine in one country and thorough in the next.
What to do if someone has no ID
Contact the property before you arrive rather than sorting it out at the desk. Most front desks have seen the problem before and will tell you what they can accept.
- Another government-issued photo ID, such as a driving licence, is often enough for a domestic stay.
- For a passport lost abroad, an emergency travel document from your embassy usually works.
- For children, a birth certificate or a copy of the child's passport page often covers the registration fields.
- If nothing is available, ask whether the guest can be registered under the lead traveller's name.
One more thing worth doing before you travel: check that the names on your trip1 reservation match the documents everyone will be carrying. A mismatch is far easier to fix a week early than in a lobby at midnight.
Showing ID at hotel check-in - FAQ
In most countries, yes. Every adult guest has to show ID at check-in because the hotel must record them in a guest register, while children travelling with a parent usually do not need their own document.
Sometimes, but do not count on it. Many properties in Europe and Asia have to register each adult individually, so bring everyone's ID to the desk.
Children under 18 usually do not need to show ID at the front desk. Some countries still want their names and dates of birth on the registration form, so bring a passport or birth certificate if you have one.
Usually not. Most hotels need to see the physical document to record the details correctly, so carry the original.
Contact the property before you arrive and ask what it accepts. Some will take another government-issued photo ID, and some will register the guest under the lead traveller's name.
