How Spanish banks lend to residents and non-residents, how much you can borrow, which documents you need, who pays each cost and the legal protections you have before you sign.
Yes. Spanish banks lend to buyers of any nationality. What changes the terms is not your passport but your tax residence: whether you live and pay income tax in Spain (as a rule, more than 183 days a year) or abroad.
Every buyer, resident or not, needs a foreigner identification number (NIE, Número de Identidad de Extranjero) and, in practice, a Spanish bank account from which the instalments are paid.
Banks treat non-residents as a higher risk because they cannot easily verify income earned abroad or enforce against assets outside Spain. That shows in the conditions:
| Criterion | Spanish tax resident | Non-resident |
|---|---|---|
| Typical maximum financing | Up to 80% | 60 to 70% |
| Calculated on | The lower of purchase price or bank valuation | |
| Typical maximum term | Up to 30 years | Often 20 to 25 years |
| Documents | Spanish payslips and tax returns | Home-country income, tax returns and credit report, often translated |
| Interest rate | Market rate for your profile | Usually somewhat higher |
These are market ranges, not legal limits. Each bank applies its own risk policy and can go above or below them.
Moving to Spain? If you will become tax-resident soon (for example with a Non-Lucrative or Digital Nomad residence permit), timing the mortgage application can change the financing you are offered. It is worth planning both together.
Three numbers decide it:
Your own funds must cover the part the bank does not lend plus purchase taxes and fees. For a non-resident, that is typically 30 to 40% of the price plus another 10 to 15% in costs.
Example: price €400,000, valuation €380,000, non-resident at 70%. The bank lends €266,000. You contribute €134,000 towards the price, plus taxes and fees on top.
Many offers include a lower rate if you take linked products (home or life insurance, payroll, cards). Compare the total cost with and without them: the cheaper-looking rate is not always the cheaper loan.
Documents in other languages usually need a sworn translation, and public documents may need an apostille.
Since Law 5/2019 on real estate credit contracts, in force since 16 June 2019, the costs of the mortgage deed are split as follows for individual borrowers:
| Cost | Who pays |
|---|---|
| Notary fees for the mortgage deed | Bank (you pay only copies you request) |
| Land Registry entry of the mortgage | Bank |
| Administrative agency (gestoría) | Bank |
| Stamp duty on the mortgage deed (AJD, Impuesto sobre Actos Jurídicos Documentados) | Bank |
| Bank valuation (tasación) | You |
The purchase is a separate deed with its own costs, always paid by the buyer: notary and registry fees for the sale, and the purchase tax. In Catalonia, resale homes pay property transfer tax (ITP, Impuesto sobre Transmisiones Patrimoniales) on a progressive scale: 10% up to €600,000, 11% up to €900,000, 12% up to €1.5 million and 13% above. New builds bought from the developer pay VAT plus stamp duty instead. Reduced rates exist for some buyers, such as young people buying their main home.
You can also commission the valuation yourself from an appraiser approved by the Bank of Spain; the bank must accept a valid, unexpired one.
The notary checks that you were informed. It is not the notary's role to tell you whether the loan suits you, which is why many buyers ask their own lawyer to review the offer.
From application to signing, four to eight weeks is common for non-residents; complex income profiles can take longer.
Some buyers borrow at home against an existing property instead. That can mean better terms and less paperwork, but your Spanish home is then bought without a mortgage on it, and currency risk sits with you if you earn in another currency. A Spanish mortgage keeps the debt in euros, secured on the Spanish property, and comes with the protections above.
It is uncommon. Most banks cap non-residents at 60 to 70%. Higher percentages sometimes appear with extra guarantees or a very strong profile, and becoming tax-resident in Spain usually opens access to up to 80%.
Typically four to eight weeks from a complete application to signing, including valuation, approval and the mandatory 10-day period.
Since Law 5/2019 the bank pays the notary for the mortgage deed. You pay any copies you request, plus the separate notary fees for the purchase deed.
In practice, yes. Instalments are paid from a Spanish account, and the bank lending to you will usually ask you to open one with them.
No. The Spanish golden visa was abolished in April 2025. Residence is applied for separately, through permits such as the Non-Lucrative Visa or the Digital Nomad Visa.
If you would like an independent lawyer to check the arras and the bank's offer before you are bound by them, see our mortgage review service.
This guide is general information on Spanish mortgages for foreign buyers and does not constitute legal or financial advice. Financing ranges are typical market practice and vary by bank and profile. Last reviewed October 2026 by MigratioLex, Figueres (Girona).
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