Chapter
Spanish mortgage requirements and process
Quick answer
Spanish law gives a borrower a standard information sheet and a warnings sheet at least ten calendar days before signing, and a meeting with a notary who must advise on them. The lender bears the notary and registry fees for the mortgage deed, and the borrower bears the appraisal.
Applies toBuyers who want to understand the path from first enquiry to signing a mortgage.
On this page: 17 sections
§ 1The sequence
A Spanish mortgage follows a legal sequence. You ask one or more lenders, or a registered intermediary, for offers. The lender assesses your ability to repay and orders an appraisal. It gives you the standard information sheet and the warnings sheet. You meet a notary. You sign the deed, which is registered. Each step has a rule or a practice behind it. This page belongs to the section on mortgages and money.
§ 2Your first enquiry
Before you ask, fix your budget and know your documents. Mortgage documents lists what lenders commonly ask for, and pre-approval explains what an early indication from a lender is worth.
§ 3The assessment and the appraisal
The lender must assess your solvency, and it consults the central credit register of the Bank of Spain. It orders an appraisal of the home, which you pay for. The appraisal explains what the appraisal does and how it can affect the loan.
§ 4The information sheets
The law requires the lender to give you the standard information sheet, called the FEIN, and the warnings sheet, called the FiAE, at least ten calendar days before you sign. The FEIN has the force of a binding offer for a period that must be at least ten days. The FiAE flags clauses such as minimum interest rate limits. Read both, and ask your lawyer to read them.
§ 5The notary
You must appear before a notary of your choice at the latest on the day before the deed is signed, and the notary must advise you on the sheets and explain their clauses individually. A generic statement is not enough. The notarial record of this meeting carries no fee. The legal process section explains the role of the notary in the sale.
§ 6Costs
The law allocates the cost of the mortgage deed. Costs and fees explains who pays what, and the 2019 mortgage law explains the law that did it.
§ 7Timing
How long it takes explains how long the process takes. The legal minimum between the information sheet and the signing is a fixed part of the timetable.
§ 8Intermediaries
You may use a broker or intermediary. Mortgage brokers explains how to check one and what to ask.
§ 9After signing
The deed is registered, and you repay according to the schedule. The rates chapter explains fixed, variable and mixed loans and the limits on early repayment. Tied products are generally prohibited, and the lender cannot link your staff’s pay to the volume of loans it sells you, according to the Bank of Spain’s summary of the law.
§ 10Keep records
Keep the information sheets, the offer, the deed and the payment schedule with your purchase file. You will need them for the tax returns, for a sale and for any dispute.
§ 11Mistakes to avoid
Do not pay for an appraisal before you have a written estimate of its cost. Do not sign a reservation with a fixed completion date before you know your lender’s timetable. Do not rely on a verbal promise from a lender or broker. Do not skip the notary meeting, which is your chance to ask. And do not accept a product you do not understand because it comes with the loan.
§ 12Questions for your lawyer
Ask your lawyer to read the information sheet, the warnings sheet and the contract, to explain the clauses on interest and early repayment, and to check the costs against the law. A lawyer who acts only for you has no interest in the loan being granted, which is the point.
§ 13Where the law is
The law is Ley 5/2019, published in the official gazette in March 2019. Each step cites the article behind it, or the central bank’s summary where the article was not read.
§ 14Keep your own file
Keep every sheet, offer and email in one folder, with dates. If a later dispute arises about what you were told, the dated paper is your evidence. Ask your lawyer to review the draft deed against the information sheets before you meet the notary.
§ 15Questions to ask the lender
Ask which fees apply, what the total cost is, which linked products are required, what happens if you repay early and whether the offer can be changed before signing. Write down the question, the answer and the date, and keep the reply with your purchase file. Ask your lawyer to read anything that affects the amount or the timing, and do not rely on a verbal promise. If two sources disagree, ask for the official text and tell the person in writing which version you are relying on.
§ 16Back to the section
The chapter on mortgages, banking and transfers explains financing, accounts and transfers for a purchase.
§ 17Other chapters in this section
What to know about mortgages for non-residents explains what to expect when borrowing as a non-resident and the chapter on rates and repayment explains how Spanish mortgage interest works and what repaying early costs.
More on paying without a mortgage explains the checks on paying with your own money and more on Spanish bank accounts explains how a non-resident opens and uses an account.
More on transferring money explains how to move money to Spain for a purchase.
FAQRelated questions
What does the law give me before I sign?
Two standard sheets: one with the personalised terms and one with warnings about the key clauses. The lender must hand them over well before the signing. You then meet a notary of your choice, who must explain the clauses to you.
Who pays the costs of the mortgage deed?
Under the mortgage credit law the lender pays the notary and registry fees for the deed, and the borrower pays the appraisal. Taxes follow the tax rules. The costs and fees page explains the allocation.
Can a lender make me buy other products?
Mostly not. The central bank’s summary of the law says tied sales are generally prohibited. Offers are fine, but a forced bundle is not, so have every condition put in writing.
Sources
- Boletín Oficial del Estado: Ley 5/2019, de 15 de marzo, reguladora de los contratos de crédito inmobiliario (official source, opens in a new window), Articles 8, 10, 14 and 15 read; later articles not readLast checked 18 October 2026
- Banco de España: La ley reguladora de los contratos de crédito inmobiliario (Boletín Económico, 1T 2019, recuadro 5) (official source, opens in a new window), Allocation of costs, early maturity, information dutiesLast checked 18 October 2026
Financial note. No rate is printed unless it comes from a dated, official publication. Capital is at risk, exchange rates move, and no lender, broker or provider is recommended here. Mortgage terms are set by each lender; ask a registered intermediary about yours.