House to debate new extension for unlicensed hotels until 2028

Parliament is set to examine a bill that would give hundreds of hotels and tourist accommodation providers until December 31, 2028 to continue operating without a full licence, as the Deputy Ministry of Tourism seeks more time to resolve long-running planning irregularities.

The bill, submitted to the House last week and referred to the commerce committee, would extend a transitional regime for businesses that have yet to secure an operating permit, while requiring them to meet specific safety and health conditions in the meantime.

According to the deputy ministry, the measure is intended to allow hotels and tourist accommodation providers to remain open within a defined timeframe while they regularise urban planning violations and comply with requirements related to safety.

It follows legislation that came into force on May 31, 2025, which gave operators without a permit until November 30, 2025 to obtain one from the Deputy Ministry of Tourism.

Businesses that, by that date, had submitted architectural plans showing the layout of the premises, together with a study covering escape routes and fire protection measures, as well as the other required certificates and documents linked to safety and health, were granted an extension until August 31, 2026.

The deputy ministry said 167 out of a total of 733 hotels and tourist accommodation units have so far been licensed under the current legislation, equivalent to 22.8 per cent.

It added that, on March 1, 2023, only 43 units, or 5 per cent, had been licensed. By November 30, 2025, when the first extension expired, 158 businesses, or 21.5 per cent, had secured an operating certificate.

That leaves 566 units still without a licence.

The proposed bill sets out a new extension, subject to conditions, in a bid to maintain momentum in addressing the licensing problem and give fresh impetus to the legalisation of planning violations that operators are now being called on to settle.

At the same time, it seeks to ensure the safe operation of hotels and tourist accommodation holding an operating certificate until the end of 2028, while allowing more time for consultation between the competent authorities so that legal approvals can be issued for certain categories of irregularities.

According to the bill, all hotels and tourist accommodation providers that currently hold a building permit for the premises they use will be able to benefit from a conditional extension of the transitional period until December 31, 2028.

Businesses that cannot yet obtain a full licence will still be allowed to operate until December 31, 2026, provided they secure an operating certificate from the deputy ministry and, within six months from the publication of the law in the Official Gazette, submit a series of documents.

These include a document from the fire service confirming that the required papers for a fire protection certificate have been submitted, as well as a health certificate for recreation centres and swimming pools operating within the business.

They must also provide a swimming pool suitability certificate and an elevator inspection report without observations, along with a certificate of suitability for the liquid petroleum gas installation and a periodic inspection report for the LPG installation or storage without remarks.

In addition, operators must submit a certificate from the labour inspection department confirming the existence of a written risk assessment, together with a copy of the first page of the existing building permit.

The bill also provides that hotels and tourist accommodation providers submitting a fire protection certificate to the deputy ministry by December 31, 2026 will be allowed to continue operating until December 31, 2028 without having secured a full operating permit, provided they renew all the above documents.

Legal action will be taken against businesses that fail to meet the deadlines set out in the bill.