What is guest self check-in and how does it work?

How the process works

• 1. Check-in link — the guest receives a personal link by email, automatically or sent by the host.
• 2. The guest fills in their details — names, dates, companions — in their own language (Hostello supports 10 guest languages).
• 3. Document scan — an ID card or passport is photographed with the phone; the data is extracted automatically.
• 4. Identity verification — with verification enabled, the document is validated and matched against a selfie of the guest.
• 5. Done — the host gets a notification and the data goes straight into the register of accommodated tourists.

The benefits for the property

• Time saved — no dictating and retyping at the front desk; check-in takes minutes even for a midnight arrival.
• Fewer errors — the data comes straight from the document, not from a handwritten copy.
• No front desk needed — apartments and guest houses handle arrivals 24/7 without being on site.
• ESTI-ready — correct register data means a ready ESTI export with no extra processing.

What about security and identity?

A fair question: if nobody meets the guest in person, how do you know who is checking in? That is why self check-in goes hand in hand with document verification: the system validates the document's authenticity and matches its photo against a live selfie of the guest. In practice this check is stricter than a quick glance at a front desk.

Legal aspects and personal data

Self check-in does not remove the tourist registration obligations — on the contrary, it helps meet them accurately. As for GDPR, the principle is collecting the minimum necessary data: the guest enters it themselves, it is used for the register and kept only as long as needed.

How to get started

In Hostello self check-in is built in: you create a reservation, the guest gets a link, and you get a filled register and a ready ESTI export. The trial is 30 days, no card required.