Foreigners can buy a flat or a house in Spain without Spanish citizenship or residency. The process is transparent, but some steps are easy to miss. Here is how a purchase works, from finding the property to getting the keys.
Step 1. Get your NIE
The NIE (Número de Identidad de Extranjero) is the tax identification number for foreigners. You need it to sign at the notary, open a bank account and pay taxes. You can apply in Spain (at the police, by appointment) or at a Spanish consulate in your home country. If time is short, a representative can do it for you with a power of attorney.
Step 2. Open a Spanish bank account
A Spanish account makes it easier to pay taxes, utilities and community fees. Many banks open accounts for non-residents. The bank will need to verify the source of your funds, so prepare bank statements and proof of income in advance.
Step 3. Choose the property and check it
Before you pay any money, the property needs a legal check:
- a nota simple from the Land Registry: who the owner is and whether there are mortgages, seizures or other charges;
- no outstanding property tax (IBI) or community fees;
- the actual property matches the Cadastre records;
- an energy performance certificate and, for resale homes, confirmation that there are no planning breaches.
We carry out this check for every property in our catalogue.
Step 4. Reservation and deposit contract (arras)
Once you have chosen a property, you usually sign a reservation with a small payment to take it off the market. Then you sign the deposit contract, the contrato de arras. The deposit is usually around 10% of the price. The contract sets the price, the deadline for signing at the notary and the terms: if the buyer withdraws, the seller keeps the deposit; if the seller withdraws, they return double the deposit.
Step 5. Mortgage (if you need one)
Spanish banks also lend to non-residents, although usually for a smaller share of the value than to residents and after reviewing your income. It is best to get approval before signing the arras so that the completion date is realistic.
Step 6. Signing at the notary
The purchase is completed by signing the deed of sale, the escritura pública de compraventa, at the notary. On that day the buyer pays the balance and the seller hands over the keys. The notary checks the identity of both parties and the legality of the sale. If you do not speak Spanish, you will need an interpreter at the signing. If you cannot travel, a representative with a notarised power of attorney can sign for you.
Step 7. Taxes and registration
After signing, you pay the purchase tax and register the property in the Land Registry. In the Valencian Community, resale homes are subject to ITP, and new builds to VAT and AJD. You will find the rates and costs in detail in our article on purchase taxes. After registration, transfer the water, electricity and internet contracts into your name.
How long it takes
Without a mortgage and with the paperwork in order, it usually takes 4 to 8 weeks from choosing the property to getting the keys. With a mortgage, add the time the bank needs for approval.
What to know in 2026
Since April 2025 Spain no longer grants the “golden visa” for buying property. Any foreigner can still buy a home, but the purchase itself no longer gives the right to residency.
How we help
Inmoglobo supports buyers at every stage: property search, legal checks, help with the NIE and bank account, negotiation with the seller, signing at the notary and transferring the utilities. We speak English, Spanish, Russian and Polish. Browse our properties for sale or write to us and we will reply within 2 hours.
Information as of October 2026. It does not replace individual legal advice.