1. Get your NIE and a Spanish bank account
The NIE is the tax identification number for foreigners in Spain. You will need it to sign the purchase, pay taxes and, in practice, to open a Spanish bank account.
A local bank account makes the rest of the process much easier: payments to the seller, taxes, notary and registry fees, and utilities. Start both early, because they can take several weeks, especially if you are not in Spain.
2. Define your brief and your real budget
Your budget is not only the price of the property. On top of it you should plan for purchase taxes and costs (which differ depending on whether the property is new or resale), notary and registry fees, legal or gestor fees and, often, renovation works.
Ask your advisers for a full estimate before you start looking. It prevents the common situation of finding a property you like that, once everything is added up, is out of range.
- Purpose: home, investment or both
- Areas and building types that fit your plans
- Total budget including costs, works and a safety margin
- Financing, if you need it, and timing
3. Search, visit and shortlist
Barcelona is a very local market: neighbourhoods, building types and condition vary a lot. A clear brief helps you discard unsuitable listings quickly.
If you cannot travel often, ask your advisers to visit on your behalf and report by video call and in writing. A good shortlist of three or four properties is better than twenty visits.
4. Review the property before you commit
Before you make an offer, or at the latest before you sign anything binding, have the property reviewed: its physical condition, installations, documentation and any works it may need. The next guide in this series explains what a property due diligence covers.
5. Offer and earnest money contract
Once you agree a price, buyer and seller usually sign an earnest money contract (contrato de arras), paying a deposit. This contract has legal consequences if either party withdraws, so it should be reviewed before you sign it, not after.
Make sure the conditions that matter to you, such as the results of checks or financing, are reflected in it.
6. Final checks before completion
- An up-to-date registry extract (nota simple) showing ownership and charges
- Consistency between registry, cadastre and the real property
- Confirmation that taxes and community fees are paid
- The energy performance certificate and, in Catalonia, the habitability certificate where required
- Any pending works or special assessments in the building
7. Deed before a notary and registration
The purchase is formalised in a public deed signed before a notary. The balance is paid, the keys are handed over, the taxes are settled and the property is registered in your name. You can grant a power of attorney if you cannot be present.
Common mistakes
- Signing the earnest money contract without checking the property first
- Underestimating renovation costs and licences
- Relying only on the listing and the agent's description
- Ignoring community obligations and building condition
- Discovering registry or cadastre mismatches after the purchase