Buying a Home

The reduced property transfer tax rate in Spain: what they actually ask for in return

September 29, 2026

You sign with the reduced rate because you’re under a certain age, or because it’s your first home, and you breathe out: a few points less on the transfer tax (ITP) is thousands of euros. Then someone tells you to register at your town hall as soon as possible, and elsewhere you read you have up to twelve months to actually live there, and you’re not sure whether registering already locks you in, or whether waiting leaves you without the proof you’ll need. It’s the doubt that comes up most often in mortgage forums, and it’s rarely answered well, because it actually mixes up two different questions.

Buying a home in Spain in 2026: the taxes and costs your mortgage won't cover

September 12, 2026

The sum almost everyone does before buying goes like this: the bank lends 80%, so a €200,000 flat needs €20,000… sorry, €40,000. It’s the wrong sum, and not by a little.

What the mortgage doesn’t cover isn’t just the 20% of the price. It’s also the purchase taxes and fees, paid in cash on signing day, which depending on where you buy can add up to as much as half a deposit again. And there’s one piece that surprises even repeat buyers: the most expensive tax of all is not calculated on what you pay for the property, but on a value set by the Land Registry (Catastro) that you can look up before you sign.