Note
Deposit for a Spanish mortgage as a non-resident
Quick answer
The deposit is the part of the price you pay from your own money. We found no official figure for non-residents, so none is printed here. Budget for the taxes and costs as well, since lenders usually do not finance them.
Applies toBuyers working out how much cash they need before a lender will lend.
On this page: 8 sections
§ 1What it is
A mortgage finances part of the price of a home. The rest, which you pay from your own funds, is the deposit. The lender takes the home as security for the loan, so it wants you to have a stake in it. How large that stake must be is the lender’s decision, within the limits of its own risk rules. This page belongs to the chapter in mortgages for non-residents.
§ 2No official figure
We looked for an official statement of the usual deposit for non-residents and found none. Articles quoting a percentage rely on lenders’ advertisements or on brokers’ experience, which are not official sources, and they change. We therefore do not print a figure, and we suggest you treat anyone who gives you one without a written offer with caution.
§ 3Beyond the deposit
Cash needs go beyond the deposit. A buyer pays purchase taxes, which depend on the home and the region, and fees to the notary and the registry for the sale. For the mortgage deed, the law puts the notary fees and the registry fees for the mortgage on the lender, and leaves the appraisal to the borrower. The costs and fees page in the process chapter explains the allocation. A reserve for works, furniture and the first year of bills also belongs in the budget.
§ 4Where the money comes from
Banks and notaries ask about the source of the funds. The money for the deposit should arrive from a bank account in your name, with a trail that shows how you earned or received it. If you sell a home to pay for the deposit, keep the sale documents. The anti-money-laundering page in the chapter on paying without a mortgage explains why.
§ 5Currency
If your savings are in pounds or dollars, the euro amount of the deposit moves with the exchange rate between the date you plan and the date you pay. The transfers chapter explains how people manage that. More on loan to value explains the other side of the same question, how much the lender finances.
§ 6Preparing
Fix a total budget, list the cash you can commit, and add a reserve. Then ask lenders for offers based on the same price and the same deposit, so that the offers can be compared line by line.
§ 7Using the offer
Once you have a written offer, check the amount of the loan against the price and note the difference. That difference plus the costs is the cash you need. Compare it with your savings after keeping a reserve, and decide whether you want to proceed, borrow less or choose a cheaper home.
§ 8More on this topic
More on a holiday home explains financing a holiday home as a non-resident and more on self-employed borrowers explains the questions a self-employed borrower faces.
More on retired borrowers explains the questions retirees face and more on expats explains borrowing when your income is abroad or you live in Spain.
More on British borrowers explains borrowing as a British citizen and more on American borrowers explains borrowing as an American.
FAQRelated questions
How big is the deposit?
It is whatever the lender requires, which we cannot state from an official source. Ask each lender for its written offer, and ask whether it assumes the deposit and the purchase costs come from your own funds.
Does the deposit include the taxes?
No. The deposit is the part of the price you do not borrow. Purchase taxes, notary and registry fees for the sale, and the appraisal are separate costs. Add them to the cash you need.
Must I show where the deposit came from?
Yes, expect questions. Lenders and notaries want a paper trail from your own account. Keep statements, sale documents or inheritance papers handy, and read the section on paying without a mortgage.
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.