How do I register with the municipality where I am going live? (Empadronamiento)
Not many people will be surprised by this as you also do this in your own country. It doesn’t matter
so much for it, but you do need it to have your papers in order. You do
this at the municipal house where you live or will live.
Required documents:
▪ The completed registration form that is provided at the town hall.
▪ Valid passport or identity card.
▪ Marriage certificate or other proof of marital status
▪ Proof of residence. Bills for water, light or telephone, or rental or purchase contract.
What is the step-by-step plan for emigrating in Spain?
Roadmap in Spain
Registration in the central register for foreigners
(Inscripción en el Registro Central de Extranjeros)
You must register in the central register within 3 months of entering Spain foreigners.
You do this at Oficina de Extranjeros in the province where you live or will live or at the
local police station.
Required documents:
▪The completed application form EX-18, Solicitud de inscripción en el Registro Central de
Extranjeros_Residencia ciudadano de la UE. Original and copy. (You can fill in and print the form online)
▪ Valid passport or identity card.
▪N.I.E. number if you already have one.
▪ Proof of payment for registration that you must pay at the bank
What do I do if I emigrate to Spain?
Some things you need to arrange before moving to Spain:
▪ Sell / rent your house in Belgium / the Netherlands
▪ Find a good moving company where you can request a quote. (tip: contact more than 1
moving company)
▪ Notify all the services where you are currently registered, such as: health insurance, bank,
insurance, internet and telephony, tax, …
▪ Deregistration from Belgium / the Netherlands (This is best done 2-3 days before your final departure
to Spain)
What after buying my property in Spain?
Even after the sale, you are not alone.
We offer service from A to Z.
A small selection of our after-sales services:
▪ Purchases of white goods and electronics. We help you with the purchase of good electronic equipment
quality and a good price;
▪ Rent or buy a car. Not sure whether you want to rent or buy a car? We can provide you with no obligation
advise on what suits you best;
▪ Furnishing your home. Do you not have time to furnish the house? We arrange this for you;
▪Internet and mobile subscription. You will receive an overview of the providers in your region from us;
▪ Make minor or major adjustments to your home. We have a wide network of
specialists.
Key management and maintenance of your home. It’s nice if you have a spare key inside
has fingertips. Or that your home is checked during the period that you are not there yourself
are;
▪ Renting out your home: certification, website creation, cleaning. We help you with the
applying for a rental license, creating a website and a cleaning service;
▪ Insuring your home, car or care. Spanish Casa has an economical
Dutch-speaking insurer in its network for all your insurance policies;
▪Where do I do groceries and other purchases. You will receive information from us about
supermarkets, the weekly market and other shops nearby;
▪ Buy sun protection. We help you with quotes from different suppliers.
What is a copia simple?
▪If you have signed the deed at the civil-law notary and walk out the door, you are the proud one
owner of a beautiful home in Spain.
▪The previous owner has handed you the keys and you can enjoy your
new ownership.
▪ You have received a “copia simple” from the notary, this is a copy of the
escritura, the deed of purchase.
▪ The civil-law notary will now report the transfer of ownership to the register so that there too
within two months the property has been registered in your name.
What should you bring to the notary?
The broker will make an appointment for you before the stated deadline has passed
the notary. To the notary you take:
▪ Your passport
▪ Your NIE
▪ Proof from the bank indicating the source of all payments.
▪ The bank checks for the payment and possibly the cash
The staff of the notary office prepares the “borrador”, the escritura in draft. The
broker / lawyer checks this and, if necessary, registers as a translator. If everything is fine
is, the real escritura is expressed on official notarial paper and enters the notary
to read it, after which it is done by both parties, the notary and possibly the translator
signed
What is a preliminary purchase contract?
Provisional purchase contract for a home in Spain
▪ The preliminary purchase contract is a private agreement between the seller and the
copper. What is drawn up by the broker or the lawyer.
▪ After that you also pay an advance on the house. That advance is always
depending on new construction or resale.
Are you obliged to hire a lawyer?
Extra security
▪ In Spain it is customary to use the
services of a lawyer.
▪ He also checks that everything is legally in order, checks the purchase contract and goes
to the notary.
▪ The lawyer can advise you on all kinds of matters, such as whether or not to make one
will for the property in Spain.
It is up to you whether you want to engage a lawyer when purchasing, it is
certainly not an obligation.
What costs are involved?
▪ In general, you have to calculate a total cost of about 13% for a property in Spain.
This includes everything: notary fees, registration duties, taxes, stamp duty and fees
from a lawyer.
Below we go through these items separately:
▪ Notary fees: Depending on the purchase price stated in the notarial deed, their fee will be
between 600 and € 875. Also in Spain the notarial profession is an official office and so are these
amounts regulated.
▪ Property registration: This is also regulated and depends on the price of the property
this will cost € 400 to € 650.
▪ Transfer tax / VAT: 10% of the purchase price
For new construction this is VAT (IVA in Spain), for existing homes this is
a transfer tax or ITP (Impuesto sobre las Transmisiones Patrimoniales). There are
exceptions at lower rates, but these are extremely rare for 2nd residences.
▪ Stamp duties (Actos Jurídicos Documentadosof IAJD):
These are levied on new properties and are calculated on the notary and registration costs
Each autonomous community has its own rates. These are between 0.5% and 1.5% of the purchase price.
Do you have to open an account with the Spanish bank?
An account with a Spanish bank
▪ To purchase a home, you must open an account with a Spanish bank.
▪If you want to emigrate and thus become a resident and will also pay tax in Spain, you must
you open a resident account.
▪ If you just keep your address in Belgium, you must open a non-resident account.
▪ Opening a bank account is often necessary if you want to receive income
of a company based in Spain.
▪ In addition, you need a bill for your gas, water and electricity bill, for example
to pay or to be able to take out a mobile phone, TV or internet subscription.
What about a loan?
▪ To buy real estate as a Belgian in Spain, you have 2 options:
▪ Whether you borrow from a bank in Spain, you will receive a maximum of 70% of the estimated
value of the property.
▪ Or you borrow in Belgium, but then you must own a house and enough
margin because the 70% rule also applies here.
▪ An example: Your home is worth 400,000 euros and you still have an open one
balance of 50,000 euros + 100,000 euros for the new loan in Spain.
You divide € 150,000 by the value of the house, € 400,000. Like this right
or less than 70%, you can take out a loan without any problem.
▪ !!!! The bank will also take your income into account.
What does the buying process entail?
NIE number
▪ The first thing you need to be able to buy a house in Spain is a NIE
number. Because without a NIE you cannot have a house in your name in Spain.
▪A NIE (Número de Identidad de Extranjero) is a tax number that the
Immigration service you give when you apply for residence.
This is your Spanish SOFI number. You need him to buy a house, you
file taxes, start a business, open a bank account and for
almost all other official forms you have to fill out.
▪ Both Europeans and non-Europeans receive a NIE.
▪ We as a broker provide this service to our client
What does an inspection trip involve?
Day 1
▪We will pick you up at Alicante Airport and accompany you to the hotel.
▪ Then we visit some projects that best meet your needs and wishes
budget.
▪ In the afternoon we take a break in a nice Spanish restaurant and discuss
we see the projects we have seen.
▪ Then we will continue to view projects.
We will then take you to the hotel to let everything sink in, and then enter
have a nice dinner in the evening.
Day 2
▪ In the morning we are going to view the last projects.
▪After the afternoon we will discuss your preference of the projects we have seen and
we may plan a 2nd visit.
▪ After the 2 nd visit, we look at the area together: restaurants, bars,
supermarkets, pharmacies, .. so that you are well informed about what is nearby.
▪ In the evening we revisit the culinary cuisine of Spain.
The last day of your visit in Spain is a busy day.
▪ We will take you to see the lawyer, who will explain everything from A to Z. If you
you have any questions about the property, the costs, the process, you can ask them.
▪ Then we also take you to the bank to open a bank account. We
have chosen a bank that speaks Dutch, French and English. Over there
you can also ask all your questions.
And then it is time to reminisce about the beautiful Spain. Your new dream home is
become reality!