Buying on the Costa Brava from abroad: where to start

Buying a house in another country nearly always starts the same way: a summer visit, a house you cannot forget and, back home, a lot of questions. This note puts the usual steps in order. It does not replace a lawyer’s advice, which we recommend from day one.

Before you travel

Apply for your NIE, the foreigner’s identification number. You will need it to sign at the notary, open an account and pay taxes. You can apply at a Spanish consulate or in Spain, and it is worth starting early.

Open a Spanish bank account. It makes the purchase payments easier and, later, the house bills.

Choose and check

Once you have chosen the house, your lawyer will request the nota simple from the Land Registry to check who owns it and whether there are charges on it. They will also review licences, the energy certificate and that bills are paid up.

Reserve and sign

The usual next step is a deposit contract (contrato de arras). Then comes the deed before a notary, where the balance is paid and the keys handed over. Finally, the deed is recorded at the Land Registry.

Taxes depend on whether the house is new or resale and on the region. Your lawyer or gestor will tell you what applies to you.