Most of our clients find their home on the Costa Blanca while still living in Manchester, Munich, Oslo or Warsaw. The good news: Spain does not restrict foreign buyers. The part people underestimate is the paperwork, and the order in which it has to happen. Here is the sequence we walk every client through.
1. Get your NIE first
The NIE (Número de Identidad de Extranjero) is your tax identity in Spain. Without it you cannot sign at the notary, pay taxes or connect utilities. You can apply at the Spanish consulate in your country or, once here, at a police station or immigration office, with form EX-15, your passport and the fee paid through form 790 code 012. You must explain the economic reason for the request; a property purchase qualifies.
2. Open a Spanish bank account
Not legally required, but in practice essential. Taxes, community fees, IBI and utilities are paid by direct debit, and the purchase funds should arrive from an account in your name so their origin is traceable.
3. Reserve, then sign the deposit contract
Once you choose a property, a small reservation takes it off the market. Within a few weeks you sign the contrato de arras, usually with 10% of the price. Under article 1454 of the Civil Code, if you walk away you lose the deposit; if the seller does, they return it twice over. Before signing, we check the Land Registry extract (nota simple), debts, community fees and the property’s legal status.
4. Complete at the notary
The sale becomes public in front of a Spanish notary, who checks identities, funds and charges. You can attend in person or sign through a power of attorney if you cannot travel. The deed is then filed with the Land Registry, which is what protects your ownership against third parties.
5. After the keys
Within weeks of completion the purchase tax must be filed with the regional tax office, on Modelo 600 for resale homes; each region sets its own deadline, so we diary it on signing day (see our guía de gastos de compra). Then come the yearly obligations of every non-resident owner, from IBI to Modelo 210.
What changed in 2025
Since 3 April 2025 Spain no longer grants the “golden visa” for property investment (Ley Orgánica 1/2025). Buying a home is still open to everyone; it simply no longer comes with residency.
How we help
Mario Premium coordinates the whole chain: the search, the legal checks with independent lawyers, the notary, the utilities and, if you wish, the management of the home afterwards. Browse our current properties or tell us what you are looking for.
