How to buy property in Spain without travelling, step by step

In short. You can buy an apartment in Spain without ever flying in. The NIE, the bank account and the signing at the notary can all be done under a notarised power of attorney. The route is: shortlist and video viewings, reservation, legal checks using the Land Registry extract, NIE and bank account, deposit contract (arras), signing the deed at the notary, then tax and registration. On top of the price, budget about 10% for a resale and about 12.4% for a new build.

This article explains how a purchase works and is not a substitute for legal advice. Laws change, so check the primary sources listed at the end before you sign anything.

Who is involved in the purchase

Everyone in a Spanish property purchase has a defined role. It helps to know who does what from the start, so you don't pay for things you don't need or miss something you do.

A Spanish notary is not the buyer's lawyer: they serve both parties equally. That is why the legal checks on the property are done by your own lawyer, in your interest.

Step 1. Shortlist and video viewings

First we agree the brief: town, budget including taxes, number of bedrooms, how close to the sea, and whether the home is to live in or to let. We then send you matching options from our catalogue. It currently holds 139 properties, most of them on the southern Costa Blanca, in and around Torrevieja.

We show the apartments you like over a video call: we walk through the rooms, step out onto the balcony, and show you the entrance, the communal areas, the street and the walk to the beach. You ask questions as we go. After these viewings most buyers are down to two or three candidates, and we request the paperwork for those.

If your budget is tight, start with our selections under 150 000 € and under 200 000 €. If you want the sea within walking distance, see apartments near the beach: every property there is no more than 500 m from the sand.

Step 2. Reservation

Once you have chosen a property, it is taken off the market. To do this you sign a reservation agreement (reserva) and pay a small sum. This is market practice, not a legal requirement, and the terms are set out in the document itself: how many days it lasts and when the money is refunded. Read that clause carefully before you pay.

Step 3. Legal checks on the property

While the apartment is reserved, the lawyer checks that it is safe to buy. The basic set:

• Nota simple from the Land Registry. It shows who the owner is and whether there is a mortgage, a court seizure or any other charge. It is ordered online from Registradores de España by address, cadastral reference or owner's details.
• Community certificate (comunidad de propietarios) confirming no unpaid service charges. Under the Horizontal Property Act (Article 9), the apartment itself stands as security for the previous owner's debts to the community for the current year and the three before it, so the certificate is obtained before completion.
• The latest IBI receipt, the local property tax. It shows the cadastral value, which is the basis for your annual taxes later on.
• Energy performance certificate. It is mandatory when selling a home under Real Decreto 390/2021.
• Matching floor area and layout in the Land Registry, the cadastre and in reality. Added terraces and glazed-in balconies are sometimes not legalised, and you want to know that before paying a deposit.

If the checks turn up a problem, it is resolved before signing: the seller pays off the debt or removes the charge, or the purchase goes no further.

Step 4. NIE and bank account

The NIE, the foreigner identity number, is required for any property transaction: without it the notary will not execute the deed and the bank will not open an account. You apply on form EX-15 and pay the fee on form 790, code 012. You can apply at the Spanish consulate where you live or in Spain, in person or through a representative. We cover this in detail in NIE and a Spanish bank account.

The Spanish bank account is opened in your name. Under the anti-money-laundering law (Ley 10/2010), the bank will ask you to show where the money comes from: bank statements, tax returns, the contract for the sale of another property. The sooner you have these documents ready, the faster this step goes.

Step 5. Power of attorney

So that you don't have to fly in, you grant a notarised power of attorney to a representative. There are two ways to do it:

1. At a Spanish consulate. Consulates act as notaries for documents that take effect in Spain or concern property in Spain. A power of attorney granted there is valid in Spain without an apostille or translation. You have to attend the consulate in person.
2. At a notary in your own country. The power of attorney then gets an apostille and a sworn translation into Spanish. Armenia, Russia and Kazakhstan are all parties to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention.

It is best to get the wording from your lawyer in Spain in advance. It should list specific powers: to obtain the NIE, open a bank account, sign the deposit contract and the deed, pay the taxes and file documents with the Land Registry. A power of attorney that is too narrow can stall the purchase at the very last step.

Step 6. Deposit contract (arras)

After the checks, you sign the deposit contract, the contrato de arras. It is usually arras penitenciales under Article 1454 of the Civil Code: if the buyer pulls out, the seller keeps the deposit; if the seller pulls out, they pay back double. The parties agree the amount themselves, and around 10% of the price is common on the market.

The contract fixes the price, the completion date, what is included in the sale (furniture, appliances, parking space, storage room) and who pays which costs. Make sure the completion date leaves enough time for the NIE, the bank and the money transfer.

Step 7. Signing the deed at the notary

The deed of sale (escritura pública de compraventa) is signed before a notary. Your representative signs on your behalf under the power of attorney. On the day, the balance is paid, usually by banker's draft or bank transfer, and the keys are handed over.

One important detail: if the seller is not resident in Spain, the buyer must withhold 3% of the price and pay it to the tax office on form 211 within one month. This is an advance on the seller's capital gains tax. If you don't withhold it, the tax office is entitled to claim that money from the buyer. The notary and the lawyer usually remind you, but it is better to know in advance so the payment to the seller is calculated correctly.

The tax on the increase in land value (plusvalía municipal) is by law paid by the seller. If the contract says otherwise, that is a point of negotiation, not an obligation.

Step 8. Tax and registration

After signing, the tax has to be paid and the ownership registered:

• resale: ITP, the property transfer tax. In the Valencian Community, which includes Alicante and Torrevieja, the rate is 9% for purchases from 1 June 2026, or 11% on the whole price if it is above 1 000 000 €. It is paid on form 600 within one month of signing;
• new build from a developer: VAT (IVA) at 10% is included in your payments to the developer, plus AJD stamp duty at 1.4%.

The deed is then filed with the Land Registry. Once it is registered, you are the owner not only under the contract but also as against any third party. Worked examples are in taxes and costs when buying.

Step 9. After the purchase

What remains is to transfer the water, electricity and internet contracts into your name, set up direct debits from your account (community fees, IBI, rubbish collection) and decide how you will pay the annual non-resident tax. If the apartment is not let, the tax is based on deemed income; if it is let, on the rental income. If you plan short-term holiday lets, check the regional rules and the building's community rules first: in the Valencian Community, tourist accommodation must be entered in the tourism register, and a new tourist apartment in a block needs the consent of 3/5 of the owners.

What it costs on top: a quick table

Notaries and the Land Registry charge official scale fees (Real Decreto 1426/1989 and 1427/1989), so the 1% here is a guide; the notary calculates the exact amount. Legal fees, translation and the apostille on the power of attorney are extra.

Common mistakes

• Budgeting without taxes. A 170 000 € resale apartment ends up costing about 187 000 €. Leave yourself headroom when you search.
• Paying a deposit before the nota simple. The extract is cheap and quick to order. Without it you don't know who really owns the property or whether there is a mortgage on it.
• Leaving the source-of-funds documents until later. The bank will ask for them regardless. If you gather them at the last minute, the completion date will have to move.
• A narrow power of attorney. If it doesn't include the right to pay the tax or file documents with the Land Registry, you will have to grant a second one.
• Forgetting the 3% when the seller is a non-resident. This is your obligation, not the seller's.

Where to start

If you are just looking around, start with the catalogue or with Torrevieja, which has the widest choice. If you already know your budget, send us a request: we will send a shortlist and set out the steps for your specific case, taking into account your citizenship and where the money will come from. Quick answers are collected on the questions about buying in Spain page.