How to buy property in Spain in 2026: a step-by-step guide
Who this is for: For buyers from the UK, Ireland and the rest of Europe. The steps are the same for everyone; the purchase tax depends on the region, not on your nationality.
Buying a home in Spain as a foreigner is simpler than it looks from outside. The process has been tested for decades, the buyer's rights are protected by law, and most of the work is done by professionals. Here is the whole route, from "we'd like to buy" to the keys.
In short
Five steps, whether you buy a new build or a resale home: decide which of the two → get an NIE → choose the property and have it checked → pay the deposit and sign the contract → complete at the notary and register the property. On top of the price, allow about 12% for taxes and fees on a Costa Blanca new build; resale tax is 9%, 7% or 7.75% depending on the region. You do not need a Spanish bank account for a new build; for a resale you will need one in practice.
First decide: new build or resale
Everything starts here, because the two routes part ways a little further on.
A new build comes from the developer: new, under guarantee, paid for in stages as the building goes up. The purchase tax is 10% VAT, the same everywhere in Spain. How the stages and the legal guarantee on your payments work is covered in buying a new build in Spain.
A resale home is ready to move into. Instead of VAT you pay a transfer tax, and the rate is set by the region: 9% in the Valencian Community, which includes the Costa Blanca (11% if the home costs more than a million euros), 7% in Andalusia, 7.75% in the Region of Murcia. The choice of areas is wider, but the checks matter more: debts, condition, paperwork.
Which suits you depends on what you want the home for. The steps below apply to both.
Step 1. Get your NIE
This is the first thing every foreign buyer needs, and it is worth starting straight away: the procedure itself is short, but appointments take weeks.
The NIE is the identification number for foreigners. Without it you cannot buy property or pay Spanish taxes. You can apply at a Spanish consulate at home, in person in Spain, or through a representative with a power of attorney. Forms, fees and the three UK consulates are covered in how to get an NIE number.
Do you need a Spanish bank account? For a new build, no: you can pay the developer from your own bank abroad. For a resale home it is not a legal requirement, but in practice you will need one: at the notary the seller is paid with a banker's draft that only a Spanish bank can issue. Paying the seller from abroad is possible, but the transfer has to go several days before completion, and that is a risk for the buyer. Either way, an account makes life easier later, for utilities and annual taxes.
Step 2. Choose the property, and have it checked
Liking a home is the start, not the end. Behind it comes the checking, and here a lawyer works on your side.
For a resale home, the lawyer checks debts to the owners' community. Under article 9.1.e of the Horizontal Property Act, the home answers for unpaid community fees for the current year and the three before it. Your personal money is not at stake, but the property itself is. The lawyer also checks for a mortgage, a court seizure or easements. All of this shows in the land registry extract (nota simple). For a new build, the checks are on the developer and on the bank guarantee covering your stage payments.
Do not skip this step for a beautiful view. A problem property is cheaper to walk away from than to live with.
Step 3. Reservation and contract
Once you have chosen, you secure the home: you pay a deposit and it comes off the market.
Then comes the contract. For a resale home it is usually a contrato de arras, a deposit contract: if the buyer pulls out, the seller keeps the deposit; if the seller pulls out, they pay it back twice over. For a new build it is a contract with the developer and a payment schedule. Read the contract with your lawyer, not through a translation supplied by the other side.
Step 4. Completion at the notary, then registration
The last step is signing the deed (escritura pública) before a notary. You pay the balance, the seller hands over the keys, and the notary certifies the sale.
The sale is then entered in the Land Registry (Registro de la Propiedad). From that moment you are the registered owner. The paperwork and the tax return are usually handled by a gestoría, so you do not have to queue at offices yourself.
Who does what
- The agent finds the property, negotiates, arranges viewings and runs the purchase.
- Your lawyer works for you: checks the property and the contracts.
- The notary is a public official who certifies the sale and is neutral.
- The gestoría prepares documents, files the tax and registers the property.
A good purchase is one where these roles are kept apart, and where you have your own people, an agent and a lawyer, looking after your interests.
How much you need on top of the price
Allow for taxes and fees. For a new build on the Costa Blanca that is about 12% above the price: 10% VAT, 1.4% stamp duty, plus the notary and the registry. For a resale home, start from your region's rate, 9%, 7% or 7.75%, and add the same notary and registry fees.
| Region | Coast | New build | Resale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valencian Community | Costa Blanca | 10% VAT + 1.4% stamp duty | 9% transfer tax; 11% over €1m |
| Andalusia | Costa del Sol | 10% VAT + 1.2% stamp duty | 7% transfer tax |
| Region of Murcia | Mar Menor | 10% VAT + 1.5% stamp duty | 7.75% transfer tax |
Every figure with worked examples is in taxes and costs when buying property in Spain.
Do you need a mortgage?
If your own funds are not enough, Spanish banks lend to non-residents too, usually up to 70% of their own valuation, against 80% for residents. So plan on about 30% of the price in cash, plus the taxes and fees. Rates, terms and documents are in Spanish mortgages for non-residents.
Does buying give you residency?
A common question. Until 2025, buying for €500,000 or more qualified you for a "golden visa". It was abolished on 3 April 2025. Owning a home in Spain gives no right to live there. UK citizens can stay 90 days in any 180; for longer stays you need a visa, covered in Spanish visas for UK property owners. Irish and other EU citizens can live in Spain without a visa and register once they move.
What Brexit changed, and what it did not, is in buying property in Spain after Brexit.
We can walk you through every step: browse our new builds and resale homes, or simply write to us.