Frequently Asked Questions: Buying Property in Spain as a British Citizen

Last updated: 17 August 2026

Brexit changed a lot about how British citizens relate to Spain — but not the fundamentals of buying a property here. UK buyers remain among the largest groups of foreign purchasers on the Costa Blanca and Costa Cálida, and Spanish law still places no restrictions on foreign ownership. What has shifted is the paperwork around the purchase, the tax treatment afterwards, and how long you can actually spend at the property once it's yours. This FAQ answers the questions British buyers ask most in 2026, with sources for every figure so you know what's current and what's guesswork.

Can UK citizens still buy property in Spain after Brexit?

Yes, without restriction. Brexit did not change property ownership rights for UK nationals. British buyers have the same purchase rights as Spanish citizens or any other EU national — there are no nationality limits on the type, price, or location of property you can buy. What changed on 1 January 2021 is that UK citizens are now classed as "third-country nationals" for immigration and non-resident tax purposes, which affects how long you can stay and how you're taxed as an owner.

Do I need an NIE number, and how do I get one?

Yes. The NIE (Número de Identificación de Extranjero) is your Spanish tax identification number as a foreigner, and it's legally required for any property transaction — you cannot sign at the notary without it. You can apply three ways: at a Spanish consulate in the UK (London, Edinburgh, or Manchester) using Form EX-15, in person at a Spanish police station (Oficina de Extranjería) once you're in Spain, or by granting Power of Attorney to a Spanish lawyer to apply on your behalf. Sort this early — a mortgage cannot even be issued without an NIE, and it's the single most common cause of last-minute delays at completion. Details on the process are published by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

How long can I stay in my Spanish home as a British owner?

A maximum of 90 days in any rolling 180-day period across the entire Schengen Area, per the Schengen Borders Code (Regulation (EU) 2016/399). Owning a property gives you no extra days. This is a rolling window, not a calendar reset. From April 2026, the EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) tracks entries and exits biometrically, so overstays are logged automatically and can trigger fines and multi-year Schengen bans. Many British owners now structure their year as two long stays — spring and autumn — with time in the UK, Ireland, or Albania (all outside Schengen) in between.

Can I get residency by buying property?

No — not any more. The Golden Visa route, which previously granted residency for property purchases of €500,000 or more, was abolished on 3 April 2025 under Organic Law 1/2025. Since then, buying a home in Spain no longer opens any residency path on its own. If you want to live in Spain long-term, the main routes for UK citizens in 2026 are the Non-Lucrative Visa (for retirees and those with passive income) and the Digital Nomad Visa (for remote workers).

What total costs should I budget on top of the purchase price?

On the Costa Blanca and Costa Cálida, plan for roughly 11–13% of the purchase price in acquisition costs for a resale, or 12–14% for a new build. The breakdown looks like this in the Valencian Community from June 2026:

Cost	Resale	New build
ITP (transfer tax) or IVA (VAT)	9% ITP (11% above €1M)	10% IVA
AJD (stamp duty)	Not applicable	1.4%
Notary and Land Registry fees	1–2%	1–2%
Legal fees	1–1.5%	1–1.5%

The ITP cut from 10% to 9% came into effect on 1 June 2026 under Law 5/2025 of the Valencian regional government. On a €300,000 apartment in Torrevieja or Guardamar, that's a €3,000 saving. In Murcia (the Costa Cálida), the general ITP rate sits at 8%, per the Región de Murcia tax portal.

Can I get a Spanish mortgage as a UK non-resident?

Yes. Spanish banks lend to UK non-residents, though post-Brexit terms are tighter than for EU non-residents. Expect 60–70% loan-to-value against the lower of purchase price or the bank's valuation (tasación), with fixed rates typically in the 3.0–3.8% range in 2026 for 20–30 year terms. Standard documentation: passport, NIE, last three years of UK tax returns (SA302s), six months of UK bank statements, and proof of deposit source. Timeline is four to eight weeks from application to formal offer. Santander, Sabadell, BBVA, CaixaBank, and Bankinter all have established non-resident mortgage desks.

What taxes will I pay as a non-resident owner?

Three main ones, plus council tax:

• IBI (annual council property tax) — paid to the local town hall, typically 0.4–1.1% of the cadastral value.
• IRNR (non-resident income tax on imputed income) — even if you don't rent the property out, the Agencia Tributaria deems you to have received a notional rental income of 1.1% of cadastral value (2% if the cadastral value has not been updated in the last 10 years). UK non-residents pay 24% on that imputed amount — the post-Brexit rate, up from 19% pre-Brexit.
• Rental income tax — if you let the property, UK residents now pay 24% on gross rental income with no deduction of expenses (again, a post-Brexit change from the 19% net rate available to EU residents).
• Basura (rubbish collection) — a small annual local charge, usually €100–€300 depending on the municipality.

What happens tax-wise when I sell?

Non-residents pay 19% capital gains tax on the gain. The buyer is legally required to withhold 3% of the sale price at completion and pay it directly to the Agencia Tributaria as an advance against your CGT liability — you reclaim any excess through your final tax return.

How long does the whole buying process take?

Realistically, three to four months from "we've found the property" to keys in hand, if you have your NIE and Spanish bank account sorted early. The typical sequence: reservation contract with a deposit of €3,000–€6,000, private purchase contract (contrato de arras) with a 10% deposit, then completion at the notary. Working with an independent Spanish lawyer — not the one recommended by the seller — is not optional in practice: they run the Land Registry checks (nota simple), confirm there are no debts on the property, and translate the contracts.

Do I need to use a UK-based estate agent, or can I buy direct?

You can buy direct through Spanish agencies with listings straight from owners — which is exactly how DirecSpain works. We're a commission-free portal connecting British and Polish buyers with real estate offices across the Costa Blanca and Costa Cálida, without the extra buyer-side fee that UK-facing intermediaries typically add. You still get an independent lawyer and a Spanish agency handling the transaction on the ground; you just skip the middleman layer.

Where do British buyers typically look on the Costa Blanca?

The most popular areas for UK buyers in 2026 remain Torrevieja, Orihuela Costa, Guardamar del Segura, Villamartín, and Ciudad Quesada in the south — favoured for affordability, established British communities, and airport access via Alicante. Further north, Villajoyosa, Finestrat, Altea, and Moraira attract buyers looking for a more Spanish setting and higher-end villas. On the Costa Cálida, San Pedro del Pinatar and the Mar Menor area remain the go-to for value.

A final note on paperwork order of operations

The single most common thing that trips up UK buyers isn't Brexit, tax, or price — it's the order of operations. Get the NIE early. Open the Spanish bank account before you need it. Instruct your own lawyer. Use a currency specialist rather than a bank for the GBP-to-EUR transfer. Get everything ready before you're at the notary's door, not after.

If you're at the stage of looking at actual listings, DirecSpain's commission-free platform lets you browse verified stock direct from agencies across both coastlines — start with our property search or get in touch with our Aureum Real Estate team for a bilingual walk-through of the process.