Buying guidance · Legal & tax
A purchase that's legally and fiscally sound
Buying in Spain follows its own rules around ownership, taxes, and the notarial transfer. We arrange your NIE number, have the file checked, work out the taxes in advance, and stand beside you at the notary. All with independent lawyers and tax specialists from our steady network, so every step is correct and verifiable.
How it works
From NIE number to notarial transfer
Applying for your NIE number
Without an NIE (Número de Identidad de Extranjero) you can't buy anything in Spain, open a bank account, or pay tax. The application runs through the police station or the Spanish consulate, with form EX-15, your passport, the paid tax (modelo 790), and a reason for the request. You can attend in person or let us apply via a power of attorney at the notary. Expect one to four weeks; we start this right after your reservation.
Due diligence on the property
Our lawyer requests the land registry extract (nota simple) and checks the owner, surface area, mortgages, liens, outstanding community fees, IBI, and the habitation licence. For new build, the building permit and the bank guarantee on your instalment payments are added. If anything doesn't check out, you hear about it before the deposit, not after.
Taxes and costs calculated
Before you sign, we put the full cost picture on a single page: transfer tax or VAT, stamp duty, notary, land registry, lawyer, and gestoría. For resale property in Andalusia this adds roughly 9 to 10% on top of the purchase price, for new build roughly 13%. Those amounts need to be ready separately from the purchase price.
Notarial transfer and registration
At the notary, the escritura pública is read aloud and signed, you pay the remaining purchase price, and you receive the keys. We're there and explain in your own language what you're signing. Afterwards we pay the taxes, register the property in the property register, and put water, electricity, and IBI in your name.
What you get
Certainty on paper
Taxes on purchase
Resale property in Andalusia: 7% transfer tax (ITP). New build: 10% VAT plus 1.2% stamp duty. Plus notary, land registry, lawyer, and gestoría, all on the table up front.
Ongoing obligations
As a non-resident you file an annual return (IRNR, modelo 210), plus any wealth tax, IBI, and community fees. We set up your calendar and our tax specialist handles the filings.
Our network, your certainty
Independent Spanish notaries, lawyers, and tax specialists who know each other's language and legislation. Their advice is to you, not to the seller.
Frequently asked questions
Taxes, paperwork, and obligations
How do I apply for an NIE number?+
Through the Spanish consulate or in person at the police station in Spain, with form EX-15, your passport, proof of payment of modelo 790, and the reason for the application (for example the reservation contract). If you can't be there yourself, we arrange it with a power of attorney via the notary. The number is fiscal and remains valid for life.
What tax do I pay on a resale property?+
In Andalusia, 7% transfer tax (ITP) on the purchase price or the land registry's fiscal reference value, whichever is higher. That declaration must be filed within thirty days of the deed. If the purchase price is below the reference value, the regional tax authority may send an additional assessment; we check that in advance.
What about new build from a developer?+
Then it's not ITP but 10% VAT (IVA) on the purchase price, plus 1.2% stamp duty (AJD) in Andalusia. For a building plot or a commercial unit that's 21% VAT. The developer invoices the VAT per instalment, so you pay it spread out with the payment schedule.
What do the notary and land registry cost?+
The notary works with a statutory tariff, in practice around 0.5 to 1% of the purchase price. Registration in the property register comes to around 0.3 to 0.5%, a lawyer around 1% plus VAT, and the gestoría a few hundred euros. If you take out a mortgage, add the valuation and the cost of the mortgage deed.
What tax do I pay annually as a non-resident?+
Non-resident income tax (IRNR) via modelo 210. If you use the property yourself, 1.1 or 2% of the cadastral value is declared as deemed income, taxed at 19% for EU residents. If you rent it out, you declare the actual rent minus deductible costs, per quarter. On top of that: municipal IBI, waste collection tax, and your community fees.
Do I have to pay wealth tax in Spain?+
As a non-resident you're assessed on your Spanish assets, with an exemption of €700,000 per person. Andalusia gives a 100% discount on the regional wealth tax, but above €3 million the national solidarity levy still applies. If you buy with two people, the exemption counts twice. Our tax specialist works through your situation before you buy.
Good to know
What you can expect from us
- One file with all the documents: NIE, nota simple, contracts, tax filings, and the property register entry.
- All costs on the table up front, in euros, with the date they're due.
- Independent lawyers and tax specialists who report to you, and the honest conclusion from us when a file doesn't check out.
Who this service is for
- Buyers purchasing in Spain for the first time who want their NIE, contracts, and transfer handled.
- Investors who want the fiscal consequences in Spain and at home calculated in advance.
- Owners who want their annual non-resident tax filings taken care of.