Spain vs Greece Property Investment

Foreign buyers and the property register

Foreign buyers can purchase Spanish property and need a NIE identification number for the transaction. Obtain the land-registry extract and check the owner's title, charges and the property's legal status. Non-EU nationals can require a military permit in designated defence zones; exemptions depend on the exact location.

Reviewed: 2026-09-07UK Foreign Office — buying property in SpainRegistradores de España — international land-registry service

Foreign buyers need tax registration and property checks

AADE's buyer guide requires a Greek tax identification number and a transfer-tax declaration whether the buyer lives in Greece or abroad. Eurobank explicitly permits applications without Greek citizenship. For a particular parcel, establish whether nationality, border-zone, planning or land-status restrictions apply before proceeding.

Reviewed: 2026-09-07AADE — before buying propertyEurobank — mortgage loan for nonresidents

Resale and new-build tax follow different rules

Used housing is subject to the relevant autonomous community's transfer tax; Madrid's general property-transfer rate is 6%. New housing normally attracts 10% VAT, with specific reduced-rate exceptions. Registration, notarial and professional costs sit on top, and the rate varies by community.

Reviewed: 2026-09-07Agencia Tributaria — VAT or transfer tax on home purchaseComunidad de Madrid — property transfer tax

3% transfer tax plus a municipal levy on the tax

AADE states a property transfer tax of 3% of taxable value and a municipal levy of 3% of that tax. Their combined arithmetic is 3.09% of taxable value before other costs, where this transfer-tax regime applies. Exemptions and other regimes are assessed separately.

Reviewed: 2026-09-07AADE — real-estate transfer tax for nonresidents

Nonresident rental income depends on tax residence

AEAT lists a 19% nonresident income-tax rate for residents of the EU, Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein, and 24% for other taxpayers. Tax-base and expense-deduction rules also differ. Nationality alone does not determine the category; use the applicable tax residence, treaty and current deduction rules.

Reviewed: 2026-09-07Agencia Tributaria — nonresident rental income

Annual ENFIA and rental taxation are separate

AADE maintains distinct guidance for annual property tax, property transfers and income taxation for nonresidents. Determine ENFIA from the property's assessed characteristics and verify the applicable rental-income regime. This dataset does not replace those calculations with a single national tax percentage.

Reviewed: 2026-09-07AADE — property taxation for nonresidentsAADE — income taxation for nonresidents

A real nonresident mortgage application route

Banco Santander advertises a mortgage product for people living outside Spain. That is an application route, not a guarantee for any applicant, foreign income or investment property.

Reviewed: 2026-09-07Banco Santander — mortgages for nonresidents

Eurobank: citizenship affects maximum financing

Eurobank's nonresident product states up to 80% of assessed commercial value for Greek or Cypriot citizens and up to 65% for other citizens. Income, creditworthiness, property value and the agreement all constrain the loan.

Reviewed: 2026-09-07Eurobank — mortgage loan for nonresidents

Barcelona is a local regulatory example

Barcelona's municipal housing publication records the plan not to renew its tourist-flat permissions, with a phase-out intended for November 2028. This is a city-specific policy. Before underwriting any Spanish holiday let, verify municipal and regional permissions and condominium rules for that address.

Reviewed: 2026-09-07Barcelona City Council — The New Housing Law

AADE registration and stay declarations

AADE provides a Short-Term Stay Property Registry and requires the relevant short-stay statements. Tax registration does not by itself establish that a specific apartment satisfies local, building or accommodation requirements. Check current restrictions for the municipality and the type of ownership or residence programme.

Reviewed: 2026-09-07AADE — short-term rental registry and statements

New investor visas ended in April 2025

Spain's consular guidance states that investor visas were abolished from 3 April 2025. A new property purchase should not be presented as a route to an investor visa. Existing applications or authorisations require review under their transitional rules.

Reviewed: 2026-09-07Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs — investor visa notice

Golden Visa thresholds depend on the property

Enterprise Greece describes EUR 800,000 in designated high-demand areas and EUR 400,000 in other areas, with EUR 250,000 categories for qualifying conversions and historic buildings. These are conditional routes, not an automatic entitlement after buying any home. Confirm the exact category, holding rules, permitted use and immigration requirements.

Reviewed: 2026-09-07Enterprise Greece — Golden Visa programme changes