Chapter
Spanish mortgage for non-residents: what to expect
Quick answer
Spanish law fixes the information a lender must give you and some limits on fees, but each lender sets its own rules on how much it lends to non-residents. No official figure exists for the usual deposit or loan-to-value. Ask for a written offer.
Applies toBuyers who live outside Spain and are thinking of financing a purchase.
On this page: 15 sections
- What the law fixes and what the lender decides
- What we can and cannot give you
- Who is asking
- British and American borrowers
- The sequence
- Credit risk is yours
- Do you need a mortgage
- What comes with a loan
- Choosing between lenders
- Your team
- Timing
- Before you approach a lender
- If you are retired or self-employed
- Back to the section
- Other chapters in this section
§ 1What the law fixes and what the lender decides
Spain’s mortgage credit law, Ley 5/2019, sets how a lender must inform you, how the notary must advise you and which costs the lender bears. It does not say how much a lender must lend or to whom. Lenders decide for themselves whether they lend to non-residents, in which currency, against which kinds of property and for how much of the price. That is why advice such as a usual percentage should be checked against a written offer. This page belongs to the section on mortgages and money.
§ 2What we can and cannot give you
Without an official statistic for non-residents, how lenders reason and what to ask matter more than a typical figure. The Bank of Spain publishes information for borrowers and statistics for the market, and the registrars report average mortgage amounts. The deposit and loan to value explain what a deposit and a loan-to-value ratio are and how to compare offers.
§ 3Who is asking
Different borrowers present different profiles. A holiday-home buyer, a self-employed person, a retiree, an expat who earns abroad and a British or American buyer each raise their own questions about income, currency and documents.
A holiday home and self-employed borrowers cover the first two profiles.
Retired borrowers and expats cover the next two.
§ 4British and American borrowers
Brexit changed the position of British buyers, and Americans face their own tax reporting. British borrowers and American borrowers explain what is specific to each.
§ 5The sequence
Decide your budget before you search. Ask a registered intermediary or a lender for the standard information sheet, compare offers on the same basis, read the warnings sheet, and meet the notary before you sign. The process chapter explains each step, and the rates chapter explains how interest is set and repaid.
§ 6Credit risk is yours
A mortgage is a long commitment that you repay from income, in a currency that may differ from the one you earn in. If income falls or the exchange rate moves, the instalment can become hard to pay. Borrow an amount that you could repay if rates rose and your income fell, and keep a reserve.
§ 7Do you need a mortgage
Many foreign buyers pay without borrowing. The chapter on paying without a mortgage explains the checks on money that arrives from abroad, which also apply, in a different form, when a lender asks where your deposit came from.
§ 8What comes with a loan
A loan adds costs and steps: an appraisal, a notary visit, insurance that the lender may ask for, and a registration of the mortgage. The costs and fees page in the process chapter explains who pays what under the law.
§ 9Choosing between lenders
Compare lenders on the same basis: the same price, the same loan amount and the same term. Check the interest rate and how it is set, the fees, any insurance or linked product the lender asks for, and what happens if you want to repay early. Law forbids tied sales in general, so ask the lender to put any condition in writing. Ask whether the lender has a branch you can reach or handles non-residents by phone and email.
§ 10Your team
A mortgage involves a lender, a notary, a registrar, an appraiser, your own lawyer and sometimes an intermediary. Your lawyer acts only for you, and should read the contract and the offer. An intermediary may help with the search, and the brokers page explains how to check one. Keep copies of everything.
§ 11Timing
Allow time. The offer, the appraisal, the notary meeting and the signing follow a sequence that cannot be hurried, and the law sets a minimum period between the information sheet and the signing. Do not agree a short completion date with the seller before you know your lender’s timetable.
§ 12Before you approach a lender
Gather your documents, work out your budget with the full cost of buying on top of the price, and decide how much you would still be comfortable borrowing if your income fell. Ask each lender for the standard information sheet in writing so that offers can be compared like for like. Do not pay any fee to anyone who promises approval before they have seen your file.
§ 13If you are retired or self-employed
Lenders look at how stable and provable your income is. Retirees may be asked about pension statements, and the self-employed about several years of accounts. Rules on maximum age at the end of the loan differ by lender, so ask early. A shorter term raises the instalment, so test it against your budget.
§ 14Back to the section
Mortgages, banking and transfers explains financing, accounts and transfers for a purchase.
§ 15Other chapters in this section
Applying for a mortgage explains the steps from first enquiry to signing and rates and repayment explains how Spanish mortgage interest works and what repaying early costs.
The chapter on paying without a mortgage explains the checks on paying with your own money and the chapter on Spanish bank accounts explains how a non-resident opens and uses an account.
The chapter on transferring money explains how to move money to Spain for a purchase.
FAQRelated questions
Can a non-resident get a Spanish mortgage?
Some lenders lend to non-residents, on their own terms. There is no official list and no official limit on how much, so ask lenders and registered intermediaries for written offers and compare them using the standard information sheet.
How much deposit will I need?
We found no official figure and do not print one. Lenders decide the share of the price they will finance, and they usually lend less to non-residents. The deposit page explains what to ask and what else to budget for.
Does the law protect non-residents?
The mortgage credit law applies to consumers who borrow against residential property, whatever their residence. Its information, notary and fee rules are described in the process and rates chapters. Ask a lawyer how it applies to you.
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.