Signing a purchase and sale agreement (escritura de compraventa) in the presence of a notary is not the last step towards finding and purchasing real estate in Spain. After registering the deed of sale, the owner needs to complete a number of administrative formalities – all of them are quite simple and do not require much time and effort.

The process of completing documents after purchasing an apartment can be divided into six stages, which we describe below.

Stage 1. Paying taxes after purchasing an apartment in Spain

Payment of taxes directly related to the purchase and sale transaction. As a rule, the entire required amount is deposited in advance in a special account of the notary or lawyer accompanying the transaction. After signing the deed of sale, it is they who will take on all the hassle associated with filing declarations electronically and transferring the appropriate amounts to the tax authorities.

If a property is purchased from a developer, the owner pays VAT (IVA) and stamp tax (Impuesto de Actos Jurídicos Documentados); if housing is purchased on the secondary market, a property transfer tax (Impuesto de Transmisiones Patrimoniales) is calculated. For payment taxes when buying real estate according to the current legislation, 30 calendar days are given.

Stage 2. Registration of transfer of ownership

Registration of ownership in the Property Register (Registro de Propiedad). And here a notary or lawyer comes to the rescue: the bill of sale with attached receipts for payment of taxes is transferred to the Property Register at the location of the home.

The law provides for a period of 60 days, i.e. the register must receive the documents within 2 months from the date of notarization of the transaction. Registration involves payment of a state fee, which is calculated from the price of the object indicated in the deed of sale. At the same time, information about the new owner is entered into the cadastre.

Step 3. Meet the president of the housing association and the management company

Without waiting for the completion of registration of the transfer of ownership in the register, it is necessary to notify the housing association (Comunidad de Propietarios) of the change of owner. We recommend that you get acquainted with the president of the “comunidad” – an elected official in charge of all the affairs of the partnership.

You must also bring a copy of the deed to the management company and provide your bank details to write off monthly or quarterly quotas for the condominium.

Step 4. Connecting utilities

Concluding or re-issuing contracts with utility and service providers is another mandatory step after purchasing a home. Water, electricity, gas, Internet, cable TV, alarm system – it is necessary to conclude contracts in the name of the new owner and, if necessary, link all expenses to a bank account.

Some utilities may ask for a license for primary or secondary occupancy (Licencia de primera (segunda) ocupación or Cédula de habitabilidad), confirming that the property is suitable for habitation and meets all applicable requirements.

Step 5. Receive an electronic certificate

Obtaining an electronic certificate (Certificado electrónico) is not a requirement, but we recommend completing this formality as early as possible. The certificate will make your life in Spain much easier, because… will make it possible to immediately contact municipal, regional and state authorities directly from home, submit applications, documents and declarations online, receive the necessary certificates and extracts (including from the cadastre and tax authorities), quickly resolve issues related to registration, etc.

In addition, an electronic certificate is required to open a personal account on the website of unified electronic services, which will allow you to receive notifications from Spanish administrative authorities in one place and respond to them in a timely manner.

Step 6. Registration at place of residence

You can register at your place of residence at your local city hall. This is also not a mandatory step, but if you bought an apartment in Spain for permanent residence, it is better to register in it, because in the future, a registration certificate may be needed for all kinds of administrative procedures: obtaining or extending a residence permit, issuing a bus pass, obtaining a health card, enrolling a child in school, etc.

You may need to appear in person at City Hall for initial registration. However, if you have an electronic certificate, all subsequent actions (receiving a fresh registration statement, renewal of registration) can be performed online.

And the last thing we would like to draw your attention to is to collect and store all documents related to the purchase of real estate in Spain: notarial documents, notary invoices, receipts for payment of taxes and duties, contracts with private companies for certain services. Firstly, they will be needed when selling real estate, and secondly, at any time in the event of disputes they will serve as confirmation of the purity and legality of the transaction, as well as confirmation of the fulfillment of tax obligations.