Portugal's INE guest-stay survey (IPHH) in 2026: what hotels, alojamento local and rural tourism must send every month

Updated 9 November 2026

Every month thousands of hotels, alojamento local (local accommodation) units and rural tourism houses in Portugal, including the Algarve, send the National Statistics Institute (INE) how many guests they had and how many nights they stayed. It is the Survey on Guest Stays in Hotels and Other Accommodation (IPHH), the source of Portugal's official tourism figures. This guide sums up what INE and Turismo de Portugal say as of November 2026, with sources at the end. Where we could not confirm something, we say so. It is not legal advice.

Who must answer

According to INE's survey page and filling-in instructions (January 2026):

It is monthly and covers hotels, rural tourism establishments and «other alojamento local establishments with tourist use».
The instructions cover establishments «with accommodation capacity equal to or above ten beds», in line with Regulation (EU) 692/2011. INE's Tourism Statistics likewise refer to «AL with 10 or more beds».
Alojamento local apartments and houses use the APAL questionnaire; guest houses, hostels and rooms use the hotel one.
Turismo de Portugal says the local accommodation holder must «answer INE, if contacted for that purpose». We found no official source saying whether INE surveys every establishment with 10 or more beds or a sample.
We found no official source giving the year alojamento local was added to the survey.

What is sent and by when

According to the questionnaire and instructions:

Guests and nights by country of residence.
Rooms, beds or apartments available and occupied.
Turnover for the month: total, accommodation and food and drink, excluding VAT and the municipal tourist tax.
Deadline: «by the 10th of the month following the reference month». For example, the Webinq calendar shows the January 2027 survey open from 1 to 10 February 2027.
Even with no guests: «the obligation to answer INE remains».

How to answer

According to the survey page on Webinq:

Online form in the Companies area of Webinq.
Upload of an XML file. INE also publishes a document on automatic data transmission by XML; we could not open it, so we give no details on connecting management software.
On paper, with the downloadable questionnaire.
When you join Webinq you get a member code on screen and the password by email. Survey contact: nrp.turismo@ine.pt.

It is compulsory and there are fines

The survey page says answering «is confidential and compulsory» under article 4 of Law 22/2008 (National Statistical System Law) and Decree-Law 136/2012:

Webinq's FAQ explain that the law sets penalties for not answering, answering late and answering incorrectly.
INE's 2026 INTRASTAT Manual quotes article 26 of Law 22/2008: failing to answer on time and repeatedly inaccurate answers are serious offences, with fines of 250 to 25,000 euros (individuals) or 500 to 50,000 euros (companies). We could not read the law itself to confirm the amounts are in force in 2026.
Individual data are confidential and covered by statistical secrecy (Turismo de Portugal's Local Accommodation Guide, January 2025).

It is not SIBA

These are two different obligations, and Turismo de Portugal lists them separately:

SIBA (accommodation bulletin information system) reports foreign guests to the UCFE border coordination unit, within three working days of arrival and departure (SIBA FAQ).
The IPHH sends INE aggregate numbers of guests, nights and revenue, for Portuguese and foreign guests.
Sending bulletins to SIBA does not count as answering INE, nor the other way round. See our SIBA guide for the other part.

Why answering well is in your interest

The IPHH produces the official nights and revenue by region, used by municipalities, the regional tourism body, the press and AI assistants when someone asks when the Algarve is quieter. And pulling together nights and revenue every month helps you see how much business comes direct and how much from platforms.

How iQuota helps

iQuota publishes an official page for each property with direct booking, no commission and payment at the property, readable by AI assistants and search engines. iQuota does not answer INE surveys or send SIBA bulletins for you, and cannot guarantee that an AI will recommend your property.

Want more direct bookings, with no commission? The first 30 properties join free until 30 June 2027.

See the Founding Hotels programme

Frequently asked questions

Must my alojamento local answer INE?

If it has 10 or more beds and you are contacted, yes. INE's instructions cover local accommodation with tourist use from ten beds, and Turismo de Portugal says you must answer if contacted.

What is the deadline?

The 10th of the month after the reference month.

What if I had no guests in a month?

You must still answer: INE says the obligation remains even with no guest movement.

What is the fine for not answering?

INE quotes Law 22/2008: a serious offence, with fines of 250 to 25,000 euros for individuals and 500 to 50,000 euros for companies. We did not confirm the amounts in the law's current text.

Is it the same as SIBA?

No. SIBA reports foreign guests to the UCFE; the IPHH sends INE the numbers of guests, nights and revenue.

Sources

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