€0
Purchase-guidance fee
Nordic Move Spain does not charge the buyer a fee for our purchase guidance.
UK buyer cost guide · Reviewed 29 July 2026
Total cost of buying a property in Spain from the UK in 2026.
A detailed cost breakdown for British buyers on the Costa Blanca: purchase tax, lawyer, notary, Land Registry, mortgage costs and the few UK-specific points that genuinely affect your budget.
Official tax sources
Purchase-tax rates are checked against Spanish Tax Agency and BOE legislation current at the review date.
UK-specific, not UK-inflated
The core Spanish purchase costs are the same cost categories we use for other international buyers. We only add UK points where they genuinely change planning.
Professional estimates
Lawyer, notary, registry and administration ranges are budgeting allowances, not statutory tariffs or guaranteed quotes.
Start with the real number
The asking price is not your acquisition budget.
British buyers often ask for a single percentage to add to the Spanish asking price. That is useful as a rough first filter, but it is not accurate enough for a serious purchase decision.
The largest additional cost is usually the Spanish acquisition tax. After that come the independent lawyer, notary, Land Registry and any administration or mortgage-related items. The exact total depends mainly on whether you buy a resale or new property, the autonomous region, the taxable value and whether you use finance.
For Costa Blanca buyers, the important 2026 change is that the general resale-property ITP rate in the Comunitat Valenciana fell to 9% from 1 June 2026. Properties above the statutory €1 million threshold are generally taxed at 11%, unless another rate applies.
Nordic Move Spain
Two lines in your buying budget are €0.
€0
Nordic Move Purchase Safety Report
Our report itself is free. Independent external professionals such as a lawyer or separately instructed technical specialist remain responsible for, and may charge for, their own work.
2026 cost breakdown
What to budget above the purchase price.
These are the same core purchase-cost categories that apply to other international buyers. Being from the UK does not create a separate Spanish “Brexit purchase tax”.
Resale property · Costa Blanca
ITP transfer tax
9% general rate
For taxable transactions from 1 June 2026, the general ITP rate in the Comunitat Valenciana is 9%. Where the statutory value of the property or right transferred exceeds €1 million, the general rate is 11%, unless a specific reduced rate applies.
Statutory / official-source figure
New-build residential property
VAT and AJD
10% VAT + generally 1.4% AJD
The first delivery of a new residential property by a developer is generally subject to 10% Spanish VAT. In the Comunitat Valenciana, the general AJD rate is 1.4% for taxable events from 1 June 2026, subject to specific reliefs and exceptions.
Statutory / official-source figure
Independent legal work
Spanish property lawyer
Allow roughly €1,500–€3,000
Legal fees are not fixed by the tax authorities and vary with value, complexity and scope. For planning purposes, this guide uses a broad allowance of approximately €1,500–€3,000 for a straightforward purchase. Complex, corporate, rural or high-value transactions can cost more. Always obtain a written quote.
Completion
Notary
Allow roughly €600–€1,200
Spanish notarial fees are regulated, but the final amount depends on the deed, property value, number of pages, copies and transaction structure. The range here is a planning allowance, not a tariff quote.
After completion
Land Registry
Allow roughly €400–€800
Registration costs depend on the deed and transaction value. The buyer should budget for registration of title in the Registro de la Propiedad after completion.
Administration
Gestoría, if used
Allow roughly €300–€600
A gestoría can coordinate tax filing, deed processing and registration. Whether it is needed, and what it charges, depends on how the purchase is organised.
Mortgage only
Bank valuation
Allow roughly €300–€600
If you finance the purchase with a Spanish mortgage, the borrower normally pays the valuation. Under Spain's mortgage-credit rules, the lender generally bears the mortgage-deed notary, registry, tax and gestoría costs.
Nordic Move Spain
Buyer guidance fee
€0
Nordic Move Spain does not charge the buyer a purchase-guidance fee. The independent professionals involved in the purchase — such as the lawyer, notary and other external specialists — remain separate and may charge their own fees.
Nordic Move Spain
Purchase Safety Report
€0
The Nordic Move Spain Purchase Safety Report itself is provided without a separate fee. Where independent third-party legal or technical professionals are instructed, their own professional charges remain separate.
Worked examples · resale property
What the numbers can look like on the Costa Blanca.
These examples use the 2026 general ITP rates and the same professional-cost planning ranges shown above. They are budgeting illustrations, not quotes.
Example 1
€500,000 resale property
Purchase price€500,000
ITP at 9%€45,000
Lawyer planning allowance€1,500–€3,000
Notary€600–€1,200
Land Registry€400–€800
Gestoría, if used€300–€600
Nordic Move buyer fee + report€0
Planning total
approx. €547,800–€550,600
Before any mortgage valuation, optional external specialist work, renovation or GBP/EUR conversion cost.
Example 2
€3,000,000 resale property
Purchase price€3,000,000
ITP at 11%€330,000
Lawyer, notary and registryObtain transaction-specific quotes
Nordic Move buyer fee + report€0
Why no artificial fixed total?
At this value, the tax is easy to calculate but professional work may be materially more complex. A responsible budget should use written legal, notarial and registration estimates for the actual structure instead of multiplying a generic fee percentage by €3 million.
New build
Do not apply the resale-property percentage to a new build.
A first delivery of a new residential property by the developer is generally subject to 10% Spanish VAT instead of ITP. On the Costa Blanca, you should then consider AJD as well. The general AJD rate in the Comunitat Valenciana is 1.4% for taxable events from 1 June 2026, unless a specific rule or relief applies.
You still need to budget for the buyer-side lawyer, notary and title registration. Off-plan purchases also require careful checking of the developer, planning status, stage payments and legally required guarantees.
Read our guide to ITP, VAT and AJD →What is genuinely different for UK buyers?
Mostly funding and future UK tax interaction — not a second set of Spanish purchase costs.
No UK SDLT on the Spanish purchase
Stamp Duty Land Tax is a UK land transaction tax. Buying a home in Spain does not create SDLT on the Spanish purchase; the acquisition is taxed under Spanish rules instead.
Your Spanish home can matter for a later UK purchase
HMRC's additional-dwelling test can take account of residential property owned anywhere in the world. If you later buy a residential property in England or Northern Ireland while still owning the Spanish home, the higher SDLT rates may therefore become relevant, depending on the facts and main-residence replacement rules.
GBP to EUR is a cash-planning issue, not a new Spanish tax
If your savings are in sterling, the euro amount needed for completion can move with the exchange rate. Banks or currency providers may also charge transfer or conversion costs. Treat this as part of funding the same Spanish purchase — not as a separate Spanish property tax.
UK tax after purchase is a separate question
A UK tax resident may have UK reporting or tax consequences if the Spanish property is rented or later sold. Those are ownership and disposal issues, not additional acquisition taxes, and they should not be mixed into the purchase-cost percentage.
There is no general “Brexit surcharge” on the Spanish purchase.
British nationality by itself does not create an extra ITP, VAT or AJD percentage on a normal Costa Blanca purchase. The relevant Spanish acquisition tax depends on the property, location, value and applicable reliefs. UK buyers may have additional practical cross-border administration, but it should not be presented as a different purchase-tax system.
Financing
Do not double-count the mortgage-deed costs.
Banco de España states that under the current mortgage-credit cost allocation, the borrower pays the valuation, while the bank bears the notary, registry, tax and gestoría costs of formalising the mortgage.
That does not make the property purchase itself free of notary or registration costs. It means you should distinguish the purchase deed from the mortgage deed when preparing your budget.
Read the mortgage cost guide →Included in the acquisition budget
Keep the purchase calculation disciplined.
- Purchase price
- ITP or VAT + AJD
- Independent Spanish property lawyer
- Purchase-deed notary cost
- Land Registry
- Gestoría if used
- Mortgage valuation if financing
Keep separate
Do not inflate the purchase percentage with future lifestyle costs.
Furniture, renovation, removals, ongoing insurance, annual IBI, community fees, utilities and future UK or Spanish tax on rental income are important, but they are not all acquisition costs. Keep them in a separate post-completion or ownership budget.
Frequently asked questions
Purchase costs for British buyers.
How much should a UK buyer budget on top of the purchase price in Spain?
It depends mainly on whether the property is resale or new build, the autonomous region and the property's value. On the Costa Blanca, many resale purchases in the Comunitat Valenciana are subject to 9% ITP from 1 June 2026, or generally 11% where the statutory value exceeds €1 million. Add the buyer's external lawyer, notary, Land Registry and any gestoría or mortgage valuation. Nordic Move Spain's purchase-guidance fee is €0 and its Purchase Safety Report is €0.
What tax does a British buyer pay on a resale property on the Costa Blanca in 2026?
For taxable events from 1 June 2026, the general ITP rate in the Comunitat Valenciana is 9%. Where the relevant value exceeds €1 million, the general rate is 11%, unless a specific reduced rate applies. The taxable base also needs to be checked against Spain's valuation rules, including the cadastral reference value where applicable.
What tax does a UK buyer pay on a new-build home in Spain?
A first delivery of a new residential property by the developer is generally subject to 10% VAT. In the Comunitat Valenciana, the general AJD rate is 1.4% from 1 June 2026, subject to specific exceptions or reduced treatment.
Do I pay Stamp Duty Land Tax in the UK when buying in Spain?
No SDLT is charged on the Spanish property purchase itself because SDLT applies to land transactions within its UK territorial scope. Spanish acquisition taxes apply instead. However, owning the Spanish property can affect the higher-rate SDLT test if you later buy another home in England or Northern Ireland.
Does Nordic Move Spain charge a buyer's fee for the purchase?
No. Nordic Move Spain's purchase-guidance fee is €0. External independent professionals such as the Spanish lawyer, notary, Land Registry, gestoría and any separately instructed specialist remain third-party costs.
Is the Nordic Move Spain Purchase Safety Report free?
Yes. The Nordic Move Spain Purchase Safety Report itself is €0. Any external independent legal or technical professional instructed in connection with the purchase may charge separately for their professional work.
Who pays the mortgage notary, registry and gestoría costs in Spain?
For Spanish mortgage formalisation under the current mortgage-credit framework, Banco de España states that the borrower pays the valuation, while the bank bears the mortgage notary, registry, taxes and gestoría costs. This should not be confused with costs attached to the property purchase deed itself.
Should a UK buyer add a special Brexit purchase tax?
There is no general extra Spanish property transfer tax simply because the buyer is British. The core acquisition taxes are determined by the property type, region, value and any applicable relief. British buyers do, however, need to plan for cross-border administration and sterling-to-euro funding where relevant.
Official sources and review basis
The tax facts are linked to primary or government sources.
Tax rules can change and professional fees vary by transaction. Use the statutory figures as the starting point, then ask your independent Spanish lawyer to confirm the exact tax base, rate and completion costs for the property you intend to buy.
Comunitat Valenciana · 2026
BOE — Ley 5/2025: general ITP 9%, 11% above €1m and AJD 1.4% from 1 June 2026 ↗
Spain · new build
Agencia Tributaria — VAT or ITP when buying a home; general new-home VAT rate 10% ↗
Spain · mortgage
Banco de España — mortgage costs: borrower pays valuation; lender bears mortgage notary, registry, tax and gestoría ↗
UK buyers · Spain
GOV.UK — Spain: buying and renting property; recommendation to use an independent lawyer ↗
Buying abroad
GOV.UK — Guidance for buying property abroad, including international transfer and power-of-attorney considerations ↗
UK · future property purchase
HMRC — higher SDLT rates can take account of another dwelling owned anywhere in the world ↗
Editorial note: This guide is designed to help buyers create a realistic budget. It is not individual legal, tax, mortgage or foreign-exchange advice. Reduced tax rates, special ownership structures, unusual title issues and high-value transactions require property-specific review.
Continue your research
Understand the tax, legal and financing pieces before reserving.
Plan before you commit
Know the region, property and purchase costs before making a binding decision.
Nordic Move Spain helps international buyers move from area and property selection to independent purchase checks and completion. Our buyer purchase-guidance fee is €0 and our Nordic Move Purchase Safety Report is €0; independent external professionals remain separate.