Buying a home or investing in Spain from the United States

Yes. Spain does not restrict property purchases by nationality. You need a NIE, the foreigner identification number, and usually a Spanish bank account, and we handle both steps with you. A 2025 bill proposed a new tax on property bought by people living outside the EU. It never became law and lapsed when the Spanish Parliament was dissolved in October 2026.

Only with a visa, which you apply for at the Spanish consulate that covers your state. The non-lucrative visa is for people who will not work and can show sufficient funds and health insurance. The digital nomad visa is for remote work for employers or client companies outside Spain. Both ask for an FBI background check with an apostille and a translation into Spanish. The golden visa ended on 3 April 2025. Our guides explain the non-lucrative visa and the 90/180-day rule, EES and ETIAS.

A home you own in your own name does not go on Form 8938: the IRS does not treat foreign real estate held directly as a financial asset. Your Spanish bank accounts do count. You file an FBAR with FinCEN if your foreign accounts together exceed $10,000 at any time in the year, and Form 8938 may also apply above its own thresholds.

Each year, the IBI, the local property tax, and non-resident income tax: 24% on the gross rent, or on a notional income when the home is not rented. Spain's wealth tax applies to non-residents only on assets located in Spain, after an allowance of €700,000, and the solidarity tax on large fortunes only on taxable wealth above €3 million. When you sell, Spain taxes the gain at 19%, and the buyer withholds 3% of the price on account of your tax.

No. You can sign a power of attorney before a US notary and have it apostilled by the authority of the state where it was notarised, usually the Secretary of State, then translated into Spanish. You can also sign it at a Spanish consulate. The person you appoint then signs on your behalf, and we organise the signing with you.

Count on roughly 10 to 15% of the price for taxes, notary, land registry and fees. The largest item on a resale property is the transfer tax, which each region sets, and we give you a detailed estimate for every property you consider. Spanish banks lend to non-residents, usually for a smaller share of the price than for residents. Alveo Finance, the Alveo group's mortgage broker, can look at the options with you. You pay in euros, so the dollar to euro exchange rate affects your budget.