Buying a house in Spain as a UK buyer: what you need to know

British buyers are still buying in Spain in large numbers. Sometimes as a holiday home, sometimes to let out, increasingly to spend part of the year there.

The good news first: there is no restriction on a UK national buying property in Spain. Brexit changed the rules on staying and on tax, not the right to own. But there are practical, legal and fiscal points that work differently from what you are used to.

Why Spain stays popular with British buyers #

The reasons are fairly consistent: a reliable climate with a great many hours of sunshine, direct flights from almost every UK airport, a large supply of holiday and investment property, and long-established British communities along the Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca. That last point matters more than people admit. English is widely spoken, the professional services exist in English, and you are not the first person to work it out.

What you need to arrange #

1. An NIE number #

The NIE (Número de Identidad de Extranjero) is required for virtually every official act in Spain. Without one you cannot buy. You also need it to open a bank account and to pay tax.

2. A Spanish bank account #

In practice this is unavoidable. It is how you pay taxes, utilities, community fees on an apartment and any direct debits.

3. An independent lawyer #

In Spain it is standard to instruct your own lawyer to check the property: whether it was built legally, whether there are debts or a mortgage attached to it, and whether the land registry entries are correct. This is the single most important step for avoiding problems after completion, and the lawyer must be independent of the agent and the developer.

What Brexit actually changed #

This is where UK buyers differ from EU buyers, and it is worth being precise about it.

Time in the country. Without a visa you can spend 90 days in any rolling 180-day period across the Schengen area. If you want longer, there are routes such as the non-lucrative visa or a digital nomad visa, each with income and health insurance requirements. The golden visa, which granted residency in exchange for a property investment, ended in 2025 and is no longer available.

Tax. As a non-EU resident you pay Spanish non-resident income tax at a higher rate than an EU owner, and you cannot deduct costs such as mortgage interest, community fees or maintenance against rental income. On a property you do not let out, Spain still charges an imputed income tax based on the cadastral value. Both of these belong in your budget, not in a footnote.

What did not change. Your right to buy, the purchase process itself, mortgage availability, and the UK-Spain double taxation treaty that stops you paying twice on the same income.

Financing #

You can finance through a Spanish bank or from UK assets. A Spanish mortgage for a non-resident is typically capped around 60 to 70 per cent of the valuation, variable rates are common, and the arrangement costs are higher than you would expect at home. Some buyers release equity in the UK instead. Which works out better depends entirely on your own position, and it is worth doing the sums both ways before you commit.

Prices are quoted and paid in euros, so the exchange rate is part of your budget. A currency broker with a forward contract will usually beat a high street bank and lets you fix the rate between reservation and completion.

CostaConnectUK tips #

Work with an English-speaking specialist and an independent lawyer. Plan a viewing trip that covers more than one region. Budget 10 to 14 per cent on top of the purchase price for taxes and fees. And always confirm the property was built legally and is free of debt before any money moves.

In short #

Buying in Spain as a UK national is straightforward enough. The rules are clear and foreign buyers are welcome. What Brexit changed is how long you can stay and how you are taxed, and both are manageable once they are in the plan rather than a surprise.