Buying an Investment Property in Girona as a Foreign Investor

For a UK-based buyer, investing in Girona means dealing with a different legal system, a different currency and a tax return back home as well as one in Spain. None of that is complicated once you know the steps, but it does need to be planned before you make an offer, not after.

This guide sets out the property types that tend to work for renovation or renting in Girona, the local rules on tourist rentals, the costs you should budget for on top of the price, and how the whole process can be handled from the UK, with the property always registered in your own name.

Girona province covers the Costa Brava coastline as well as inland countryside toward the Pyrenees, offering both beach towns and rural stone villages. Its proximity to France draws French, Belgian and Dutch buyers, alongside others wanting a quieter alternative to busier Spanish coasts.

Girona-Costa Brava airport serves the coast directly, with Barcelona airport also within reach for wider connections. Coastal areas see strong summer activity, while inland towns remain calmer, and property types range from apartments and townhouses near the sea to farmhouses further inland.

Along the Costa Brava coastline, the properties that suit renovation or renting are mostly older apartments and townhouses in the beach towns, many built decades ago for a summer market and now needing updated kitchens, bathrooms and insulation. These units can work well for holiday letting during the busy summer months, provided local rules allow it, and for long lets the rest of the year once the crowds have gone.

Move inland toward the countryside and the Pyrenees foothills, and the typical target becomes the stone farmhouse, or masía, often with land attached and in need of substantial structural and roofing work rather than a cosmetic refresh. These rural properties draw a different buyer, often looking for a quiet base rather than rental income, though some are converted into rural guesthouses once renovated. Girona's position near the French border also means French, Belgian and Dutch buyers are a regular part of the market here, shaping demand for both coastal flats and inland farmhouses.

Catalonia regulates short-term holiday lets through its own regional licence system, distinct from the rules used in other parts of Spain, and several coastal towns along the Costa Brava have capped or paused new licences in recent years as tourism pressure has grown. A coastal apartment that looks promising for short lets may sit in a town where the licence quota is already full, which makes checking the local register before buying essential rather than optional.

Inland, the picture is calmer: the Pyrenees-facing villages see far less tourist-rental pressure, and rules tend to focus more on rural accommodation categories than on capping numbers. Because coastal demand is heavily concentrated in summer while inland interest stays fairly steady through the year, the licence question matters most for seaside purchases and less for farmhouses bought mainly for personal use or longer lets.

Catalonia sets its own transfer tax rate for resold homes, applied across Girona province along with the rest of the region; the table on this page shows the figure that applies. New-build property, whether a coastal apartment or a newly built countryside home, carries the national 10% VAT plus stamp duty rather than this regional transfer tax, so the distinction between resale and new build affects the final cost noticeably.

On top of that, the standard national costs apply: notary fees for the deed, land registry fees, and gestoría charges for handling the administrative steps. Given how many buyers here come from across the nearby border, a lawyer who can explain Spanish procedure in plain terms is usual rather than exceptional, particularly for farmhouse purchases where boundaries, land registration and rural-use rules can be less straightforward than for a coastal flat.

Girona-Costa Brava airport gives direct access to the coastal towns, while Barcelona airport remains within reach for buyers wanting wider flight choice, so a purchase here can usually be managed with one or two trips rather than constant travel. Viewings by video, remote document checks and negotiation conducted before travelling are standard practice for buyers coming from outside Spain, whether the target is a coastal flat or an inland farmhouse.

The purchase itself follows the same national framework everywhere in Spain: an NIE tax number, a Spanish bank account, and a deed signed before a Spanish notary and registered in the Land Registry, all completed in the buyer's own name. Once owned, the property carries the usual yearly obligations, including non-resident tax filing. For those who would rather not handle a farmhouse renovation or a coastal letting operation themselves, the managed-investment route puts our own renovation team on the project and arranges the later sale or letting, with results depending on each property and never promised in advance.

What follows are measured, dated figures for Girona (province) — who lives there, what homes are advertised for, how to get there and the climate — each one sourced. They give you a realistic picture of Girona (province) as you weigh it up from abroad.

On 1 January 2025 the INE recorded 830,429 residents across the entire province of Girona, a figure that includes every municipality, not just the capital that shares its name. These official population data set the context for the local market figures below. The province of Girona registers 181,899 residents of foreign nationality, about 22 out of every 100 people. That share is notable yet far from dominant, and it varies widely between towns within the province.

On 1 January 2025, the province of Girona had just 3,372 British nationals on its register, a modest figure. Because registration only counts year-round residents, it leaves out second-home owners who spend part of the year in the province. The following table shows the leading foreign nationalities registered in Girona (province) on 1 January 2025, according to the municipal-level data INE makes available.

For nationalities the census groups together rather than listing them individually, such as Germans, Italians, Dutch, Belgians or Scandinavians, we turn to the detailed INE register for Girona province. Unlike the table above, this count dates from 1 January 2022, the most recent detailed edition.

Our price bank includes 5,315 homes for sale throughout the province of Girona, with a median of €2,840/m² and a median ticket of €290,000. Both numbers land close to the €3,135/m² median of the 130 towns we track across Spain. Among current adverts, the central half cluster between €1,930 and €3,820 per square metre; some properties are listed well below this band, others well above it.

In Girona (province), a home at the median asking price of €290,000 carries a resale transfer tax of 10 %, around €29,000, plus about €3,500 for notary, land registry and gestoría. The total of roughly €32,500 sits outside any mortgage and has to be covered in cash. These are asking prices taken from adverts active on 2026-11-01, not confirmed sale prices. What a buyer actually pays is negotiated, and depends on the condition, exact location and orientation of each home.

The table below brings together the towns we track across Girona (province), listing inhabitants, foreign residents per 100 people and median asking price per square metre, to show how much these markets differ.

INE's experimental statistic, based on listings from the main holiday-rental platforms, counted 20,821 holiday-let homes in Girona (province) in 05/2026 (116,320 bed places), about 25 per 1,000 residents. That is a moderate presence, and tourist letting still requires a regional licence. In 2024, tenants in Girona (province) paid a median long-term rent of €550 a month, as recorded by the Ministry of Housing's reference system from 43,826 declared rental contracts. The figure is historical and specific to long-term lets, with no bearing on short-term or holiday rental income, and it can change over time. Long-term rents for flats in the official register typically range from €450 to €680 a month for the middle half of the market.

The only commercial airport within the province of Girona is Aeropuerto de Girona-Costa Brava (GRO), so it is worth checking in advance whether it operates in the season you plan to travel, since schedules can vary through the year. These weather readings come from Girona, the capital of the province, so inland areas, higher ground or other islands within the same province can show noticeably different conditions. Winters are cold by Spanish standards: January averages 7.1 °C, with an overnight minimum around 1.1 °C, while August reaches a mean of 23.4 °C and a daily maximum near 29.8 °C. Heating and insulation become a real cost item rather than an afterthought. This is a relatively wet part of Spain, with about 728 mm of rain a year falling on roughly 66 days. Buyers should pay attention to damp when inspecting any home. These figures are the official climate normals (1981-2010) from AEMET, Spain's state weather agency, at its Girona Aeropuerto station, about 9 km away; conditions at the exact property can differ slightly, especially inland or at altitude.

15,239 home sales were registered in the province of Girona in the twelve months to 07/2026, according to INE. A market of this size usually means more comparable sales and a wider choice of homes for buyers. These figures describe the province of Girona as a whole and can change considerably from one town to another, and from one property to the next. Tell us what you are looking for and we will go through the numbers together.

The transfer tax on a resale home is set by each Spanish region. In Girona the general rate is 10 %, and on top of it come notary, land registry and gestoría (roughly one more percent). On a new build you pay 10 % VAT plus stamp duty instead of the transfer tax. This money is not lent by the bank.

In most of Girona, the properties best suited to a renovation project are older village houses, town apartments that have not been updated for a couple of decades, and small blocks split into a few flats. These tend to come with room to add value through a refurbishment, and they are the type of property our own renovation team is used to working on.

If you would rather buy something ready to rent from day one, look at apartments in established residential areas with straightforward layouts and low community charges. Whichever route you choose, always check the property's legal status, any debts owed to the community of owners, and whether the building has open planning issues before making an offer.

If your plan for Girona includes short-term or holiday letting, do not assume it will be allowed. Tourist rentals need a regional licence, and many regions and individual buildings restrict or ban them outright, sometimes through a decision taken by the community of owners after you have already bought. Confirm the licence position for the specific address before you commit, not after signing.

Long-term renting is subject to fewer restrictions but still needs a proper contract and correct tax reporting, covered further down.

Whatever you buy in Girona, budget for costs beyond the purchase price itself. Resale homes carry a regional transfer tax (ITP); new-build homes carry VAT plus stamp duty instead. On top of that come notary and land registry fees, a gestoría to handle the paperwork, and usually a lawyer, which is optional but standard practice for buyers coming from abroad.

You do not need to live in Spain, or even visit repeatedly, to buy in Girona. You will need a Spanish tax number (NIE) and, in most cases, a Spanish bank account; viewings can be done in person or by video, and a lawyer or a trusted representative with power of attorney can sign in front of the notary on your behalf if you cannot travel for completion. The deed is then registered in the Land Registry, which usually takes some weeks.

If financing is part of your plan, Spanish mortgages for non-residents exist and our partner Colibrí Finances arranges them, though approval and terms depend on your own circumstances and no lender can promise a loan in advance. Because you will be paying and transferring funds in euros while earning in sterling, build exchange-rate movements and conversion costs into your budget from the start.

As a non-resident owner you will file an annual Spanish tax return (Modelo 210), whether or not the property is rented, and you will owe municipal property tax (IBI) and community fees every year. Spain and the United Kingdom have a double taxation agreement, so you should not be taxed twice on the same income, but a tax adviser needs to confirm exactly how rental income or any gain is reported to HMRC alongside your Spanish filings.

Note that the Spanish "Golden Visa" for property investors ended on 3 April 2025 and is no longer an option; it is not part of any plan you should make around a Spanish purchase now.

Spain is a relatively short flight away from most UK airports, making regular visits to a Spanish property straightforward for owners based in Britain. Many British buyers are drawn to Spain for its climate, coastal lifestyle and established expatriate communities. One practical point to bear in mind is that Spanish inheritance law differs from UK rules, so it is worth taking specific advice on how it may affect the property and one's estate. Currency movements between sterling and the euro can also affect the overall cost of purchase and ongoing expenses.

Spain and the United Kingdom have a double taxation agreement in place, and a local tax adviser should confirm how rental income or gains from Spanish property must be declared and reported to HMRC.

As the United Kingdom is no longer an EU member state, British citizens may stay in Spain for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa, and must apply for a visa or residence permit for longer stays.

Since the United Kingdom uses the pound sterling (GBP) rather than the euro, buyers should factor in exchange-rate movements and currency conversion costs when paying for a property or transferring funds to Spain.