Colombia's TRA explained: the guest registry every host must file
If you rent out accommodation in Colombia — a hotel, a hostel, a finca, or an apartment on Airbnb or Booking.com — the law requires you to register every guest in the Tarjeta de Registro de Alojamiento (TRA), run by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism. This guide covers what it is, which laws make it mandatory, how to file it step by step, and what happens if you don't.
What is the TRA?
The Tarjeta de Registro de Alojamiento (TRA) — literally the "Accommodation Registration Card" — is the centralized digital registry where every tourist-accommodation provider in Colombia must report guest information to the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism (MinCIT). It replaced the paper cards hotels used to fill in by hand.
The TRA serves two legal functions at once: it is the proof of the lodging contract between you and your guest (article 81 of Law 300 of 1996), and it feeds Colombia's official tourism statistics. It is not optional paperwork — it is an inspectable legal obligation.
The legal framework: why it's mandatory
The obligation doesn't come from a single rule but from a chain of laws worth knowing:
- Law 300 of 1996 (art. 81) — the original General Tourism Law: the guest registry is the proof of the lodging contract. Articles 71–72 define infractions and penalties for tourism providers.
- Law 1558 of 2012 — modernizes the tourism framework and consolidates the National Tourism Registry (RNT) as a mandatory requirement to operate any tourist accommodation.
- Decree 229 of 2017 — regulates the RNT and providers' information-reporting duties.
- Law 2068 of 2020 (art. 22) — creates today's TRA: a single digital system run by MinCIT where every guest is registered.
- Resolution 700 of 2021 (MinCIT) — regulates implementation: who reports, through which channel, and on what deadlines.
The legal basis in one line
Article 22 of Law 2068 of 2020 orders all tourist-accommodation providers to submit their guests' information through the TRA. Non-compliance is sanctioned under the regime of Law 300 of 1996.
Who must file it?
Every tourist-accommodation provider registered in the RNT, regardless of size:
- Hotels, hostels and aparthotels
- Tourist homes: apartments and houses rented by the night — including Airbnb and Booking.com listings
- Tourist fincas, glamping and campsites
- Rural lodging and any other RNT-registered category
The prerequisite is an active RNT. If you rent by the night and don't have one yet, that's step zero: it's free, processed through your local Chamber of Commerce, and renewed every year between January 1 and March 31. Operating without an RNT is itself an infraction — mayors' offices can order the temporary closure of the establishment (Law 1558 of 2012, art. 33).
The TRA covers ALL guests
Colombians and foreigners alike, including companions (children too). Don't confuse it with SIRE, which only covers foreign guests and reports to a different authority — see the comparison below or the full SIRE guide.
When do you report?
Resolution 700 of 2021 classifies providers into three groups by technical capacity, which sets the deadlines:
| Group | Who | How and when they report |
|---|---|---|
| Group 1 | Providers with integrated software (PMS) | The system submits each registration to the TRA automatically |
| Group 2 | Providers with internet, no PMS | TRA web form, guest by guest, no later than check-out |
| Group 3 | Providers without internet access | Consolidated file within the first business days of the following month |
In practice, the best moment to register is check-in — that's when the guest and their ID are in front of you. Letting registrations pile up "for later" is the #1 reason hosts end up non-compliant.
How to file the TRA, step by step
Filing is free and happens on the official portal tra.mincit.gov.co:
- Check your RNT. It must be active, with an email address you can access — the TRA portal uses the credentials tied to your RNT.
- Log in to the TRA portal (tra.mincit.gov.co) and identify your reporting mechanism (group 1, 2 or 3).
- Register the primary guest: full name, document type and number, nationality, city of residence and origin, destination, purpose of travel, room number, check-in and check-out dates, and number of companions.
- Register each companion with their identity data — companions are guests before the law too.
- Keep the confirmation. The system generates one record per guest; keep it as evidence for any inspection.
If you use property-management software (PMS)
MinCIT exposes a direct integration for authorized software: you generate a token in the system's portal and your PMS files the TRA for you, guest by guest, with an official MinCIT confirmation for every submission. That's the Group 1 mechanism — the same form, minus the manual typing.
lulocloud files the TRA for you
Your guest completes digital check-in from their phone (you send the link via WhatsApp), their data and their companions' data arrive complete without you typing anything, and lulocloud submits it to MinCIT's TRA in one click — with an official confirmation code per guest. Your guest registry stays up to date and downloadable.
Try free for 14 days — no card required →What happens if you don't comply
Breaching tourism providers' obligations — the TRA included — is sanctioned under articles 71 and 72 of Law 300 of 1996 (the latter as amended by Law 1429 of 2010). Sanctions are imposed by MinCIT and the Superintendence of Industry and Commerce, and are recorded against your RNT:
- Written warning — the first formal notice.
- Fines of up to 20 monthly minimum wages — at the 2026 minimum wage ($1,750,905 COP), up to roughly $35 million COP.
- RNT suspension for up to 30 days — without an active RNT you cannot operate legally or list on platforms.
- RNT cancellation for repeat offenses — the sanction that ends the business.
The real risk isn't just the fine
Suspension or cancellation of your RNT takes you off the market: platforms require a valid RNT to list in Colombia, and mayors' offices can order the closure of establishments operating without one. The TRA is the cheapest obligation to comply with compared to the cost of ignoring it.
Are TRA and SIRE the same thing?
No — and confusing them is the most common mistake. They are two independent, simultaneous obligations: complying with one does not exempt you from the other.
| TRA | SIRE | |
|---|---|---|
| Authority | MinCIT (tourism) | Migración Colombia |
| Who gets reported | ALL guests (Colombians and foreigners) | FOREIGN guests only |
| When | Every guest registration (per your group) | Every check-in AND check-out of the foreigner |
| Legal basis | Law 2068 of 2020, art. 22 | Decree 1067 of 2015 + Res. 2357 of 2020 |
| Penalty | Up to 20 minimum wages + RNT suspension | 105.25 to 2,631.30 UVT (up to ~$137.8M COP) |
A German guest, for example, goes into both systems; a guest from Bogotá only into the TRA. The full SIRE guide is here.
Frequently asked questions
Does the TRA apply if I only rent one apartment on Airbnb?
Yes. An apartment rented by the night is a tourist home (vivienda turística): it needs an RNT and must register every guest in the TRA, just like a hotel.
Do I have to register children and companions?
Yes. The TRA requires registering the primary guest AND every companion, minors included.
Does filing the TRA exempt me from SIRE?
No. They are independent obligations before different authorities. If the guest is a foreigner, they go in the TRA and their entry and exit must additionally be reported to Migración Colombia's SIRE.
How much does filing the TRA cost?
Nothing. Registration at tra.mincit.gov.co is free. What costs money is not filing: fines of up to 20 minimum wages and RNT suspension.
What about Colombian guests?
They are registered in the TRA exactly like foreigners. Nationality only matters for SIRE, where only foreigners are reported.
Do I need software to comply?
It's not mandatory — MinCIT's web form is free. Software removes the manual typing: the guest fills in their data once and the system files the TRA automatically with official confirmation.
Official sources
This guide is informational material for hosts and does not constitute legal advice. Rules and values (UVT, minimum wage) change — always verify the current version in the official sources cited.