Buying in Spain

Buying a home on the Costa del Sol is only the first financial commitment. Once the purchase completes, owners face recurring costs — property tax, community fees, insurance, utilities and, for non-residents, an annual tax obligation — on top of everyday living expenses that vary with lifestyle, property type and location. This guide sets out, in general terms, what to plan for and where to get...

Owning property in Spain brings Spanish procedures and Spanish tax obligations into your estate. Those are separate questions from the law that decides who inherits, and the two are easily confused. This guide explains, in general terms, why many foreign owners make a Spanish will, how the law governing a succession is determined, and how Spanish inheritance tax works in Andalucía. Why consider a...

Buying property on the Costa del Sol or Costa Tropical as a non-resident with Spanish bank financing is available to many overseas buyers, subject to the lender's eligibility and affordability assessment. Lenders offer dedicated non-resident mortgage products, though terms differ from those available to Spanish residents — particularly regarding loan-to-value ratios, documentation requirements, and the...

If you are buying on the Costa del Sol with any intention of renting the property short-term, the regulatory landscape shifted during 2026, and parts of the national picture are still settling. What has not changed is that the framework which actually governs owners in Andalucía is the regional tourist-rental regime, and that you must register a property before advertising or letting it. This guide...

Off-plan buying — purchasing a property before or during construction — has been a defining feature of the Costa del Sol market in recent years. It offers the opportunity to acquire a newly built home at a price agreed before completion, with modern specifications and the protections that Spanish law attaches to new construction. It also carries risks that are structurally different from buying a...

Buying Spanish property involves much more than the purchase price. Between acquisition taxes, annual running costs, capital gains on sale and — for higher-value estates — the state-level wealth taxes, the real cost of ownership deserves careful planning. This guide gives an overview of the main taxes and costs a non-resident buyer should understand, with a particular eye on the premium market. It is...

Buying property in Spain as a non-Spanish national is generally accessible, but the process involves legal, tax and administrative steps that should be checked carefully before committing to a purchase. Understanding the NIE requirement, the tax structure, the legal process and the real total cost before you begin looking at properties makes the experience considerably smoother. This guide covers the key...

The route that once allowed non-EU buyers to obtain Spanish residency by purchasing property worth €500,000 or more — the investor visa's real estate pathway — was closed on 3 April 2025. In fact, the change went further than the property route alone: Spain eliminated the entire investor residence visa, ending a twelve-year chapter in which capital investment and residency were directly linked for...