Buying in Spain as a non-resident
Nothing here is difficult. It is simply unfamiliar, and unfamiliar is where money gets lost. This is the sequence a purchase actually follows in Andalusia, what it costs beyond the asking price, and the checks that matter more on a rural estate than on an apartment.
The short answer
A foreign buyer, resident or not, can buy property in Spain without restriction. You will need a Spanish tax number, an independent lawyer, and roughly ten to twelve per cent on top of the price to cover taxes and fees. From accepted offer to keys is usually two to three months.
One thing has changed and is worth stating plainly, because a great deal of published advice has not caught up: buying property in Spain no longer grants residency. The golden visa route closed in 2025. Property is an asset here, not an immigration strategy.
The seven steps
Get your NIE
The Número de Identidad de Extranjero is the tax number every foreign buyer needs before a purchase can be registered. You can apply at a Spanish consulate in your own country or at a police station in Spain. Start it early: it is the step most likely to add weeks to a purchase, and it holds up everything after it.
Appoint an independent lawyer
Not the seller's, not the agency's. Your lawyer runs the checks that decide whether a rural estate is what it appears to be: that the boundaries on the deed match the land, that the buildings are legally registered, that there are no debts attached to the property, and that water rights and access are real rather than customary.
Reservation contract
A modest deposit takes the property off the market while the checks run. It is normally a few thousand euros and is set against the price.
Private contract, the "contrato de arras"
Usually 10% of the price. Under the Spanish Civil Code, the common form of these deposits means that a buyer who withdraws loses it and a seller who withdraws returns double. Read what you are signing: the consequences differ by the type of arras used.
Completion before a notary
The escritura pública is signed in person or by power of attorney, the balance is paid, and the keys change hands the same day. The notary is a public official, neutral between the parties: they confirm identity and legality, they do not act for you.
Registration and taxes
Your lawyer files the purchase taxes and registers the deed at the Registro de la Propiedad. Registration is what makes your ownership enforceable against third parties.
Utilities and the running of the place
Water, electricity, waste and, on an estate, whatever the land itself needs — a borehole licence, an agricultural register entry, a caretaker. This is the step buyers underestimate on rural property.
What it costs beyond the price
Budget ten to twelve per cent of the purchase price for a resale property in Andalusia. Rates are set regionally and change, so treat the list below as the shape of the bill rather than the bill itself.
- Transfer tax (ITP) on a resale property
- Andalusia applies a flat regional rate. Confirm the current figure with your lawyer before you budget.
- VAT and stamp duty on a new build
- A new-build purchase is taxed differently: VAT plus stamp duty rather than transfer tax.
- Notary and land registry
- Set by official scales and driven by the price and complexity of the deed.
- Legal fees
- Commonly around 1% of the price, sometimes a fixed fee on larger purchases.
- Survey and technical checks
- Optional and, on a rural estate with old buildings, the best money you will spend.
What rural property asks that a villa does not
A finca is bought on its land, and land carries questions a built plot never raises. Whether the registered surface matches what is fenced. Whether the farmhouse, the store and the pool are all declared. Whether water is a legal right or a neighbour's goodwill. Whether the access track is public, private with a registered easement, or neither.
None of these are unusual and none of them are deal-breakers when they are found early. They are only expensive when they are found after completion.
Once you own it
A non-resident owner files an annual return on the property even when it is not let, pays the municipal property tax, and may fall within wealth tax depending on the value held in Spain. Your lawyer or a gestor will normally handle this as a small annual retainer.
If your money is not in euros, the exchange rate will move more than the agency fee ever will. On a purchase of this size, speak to a currency broker before you sign the private contract, not after.
This guide is general information about how property purchases work in Andalusia. It is not legal or tax advice, tax rates and rules change, and your own position may differ. Take advice from an independent lawyer and a tax adviser before you commit to a purchase.
Ask us the specific question
We work with a small number of buyers at a time, which means the answer you get is about your purchase rather than about purchases in general.