A month in Girona

Catalan tourism law defines a tourist flat as a whole home let for a seasonal stay, and a seasonal stay as a continuous occupation of 31 days or less. A month of up to 31 days in a registered flat can therefore still be a tourist stay, with the NIRTC on display and the tourist tax for the first 7 nights. A longer stay falls outside the definition.

Beyond that line, a furnished let for a season is a lease for a use other than housing under article 3.2 of Spain's urban leases law. Catalonia's housing law approved on 18 December 2025 requires a seasonal contract to include a clause stating its purpose, backed by documents. Press reports say the law came into force at the start of January 2026; its number was not confirmed in the official text.

The tourist tax follows the stay, not the calendar: it counts at most 7 nights of a continuous stay in one establishment. A month in a Girona tourist flat at the April 2026 rate of EUR 1.75 therefore comes to EUR 12.25 per person over 16. Supply is tight, since the council admits no new tourist-flat applications until its planning is adapted.

The Mercadal and the Eixample suit a month in town: flat streets, shops and the station close by, with the Barri Vell a bridge away. Outside summer, Calella de Palafrugell, Llafranc and Begur suit a quieter month by the sea. The Barri Vell, steep and busy, suits a week better than a month. This ranking is editorial.

With a car, the low-emission zone admits a labelled car every weekday, but the blue zone's 2 hours rule out the street as a daily answer in town, and car park prices and monthly passes were not checked. On the coast, Palafrugell's summer blue zone runs from 15 June to 15 September. Ask the host about a space before signing.

Deposit: the legal deposit (fianza) for a seasonal lease is two months' rent under article 36.1 of the lease law. A platform booking of a tourist flat is not a lease, so the platform's own terms apply.

If the month is booked as a tourist stay, ask the host for the NIRTC before paying; the flat must also display it inside, with its capacity and an assistance phone.

Every lodging records guest identity data and sends it to the Interior Ministry under Real Decreto 933/2021, whatever the length of stay.

EU citizens staying longer than three months must register in person at the provincial foreigners' office or a police station within three months of entry.

Visitors from outside the EU are limited to 90 days in any 180-day period across the Schengen area; longer stays follow national visa procedures. The EU Entry/Exit System, which registers non-EU nationals on short stays in 29 European countries, has been fully operational since 10 April 2026.

Vrbo's monthly-stays page, as archived in June 2026, describes stays of 28 nights or more and says select homes offer a discount for them. Agoda lets partners create long-stay promotions for bookings of more than 28 days and permits stays of up to 90 days. How Expedia filters long stays could not be verified.

A platform label does not decide the legal status in Girona. Up to 31 days in a registered tourist flat it is a tourist stay; beyond that, ask for a seasonal contract that states its purpose.

A tourist flat with no NIRTC in its advert or inside the flat. Catalan rules require both.

A seasonal contract with no stated purpose. Catalan law now requires one, backed by documents.

A deposit above two months' rent on a seasonal lease.

A month on the coast in summer without a parking plan: Calella and Llafranc run cameras and a daily blue zone from 15 June to 15 September.

Miscounting Schengen days, and assuming bills are included; no reliable source on typical practice was found, so ask.