Buying Spanish Property Through a Company or in Your Own Name?

Buying a home in Spain from the United Kingdom raises a practical question before any viewing: should the deed be signed by you personally or by a company you control? Both are legal and both are common among foreign buyers, but they are not interchangeable — each brings its own paperwork, tax filings and ongoing cost, and neither one automatically produces a better outcome.

This page sets out, in plain terms, what actually changes when a company buys instead of an individual, and what stays the same regardless of the structure you choose — from the NIE every buyer needs to the withholding that applies when a non-resident sells.

Buying through a Spanish or foreign company is entirely legal, and some investors prefer it for reasons of succession planning or business structure. What it does not do is remove the steps that apply to any buyer: the company still needs its own Spanish tax number, someone must sign the deed in front of a notary on its behalf, and the purchase is registered in the Land Registry exactly as it would be for an individual.

For most people buying a second home, a holiday property or a single rental flat, buying in your own name is simpler. The administrative chain — NIE, bank account, notary, non-resident tax return — is designed around individuals, and a company adds a parallel set of filings on top of it rather than replacing them.

Buying in your own name means paying transfer tax (ITP, set regionally) on a resale home, or VAT plus stamp duty on a new build, along with notary, land registry and gestoría fees. As a non-resident, you then file an annual Modelo 210 declaring any rental income or, if the property is left empty, imputed income, and you pay IBI and community fees each year.

A company pays the same purchase taxes, but adds Spanish accounting obligations, a corporate tax return, and usually a gestoría retained on an ongoing basis rather than just at completion. For a single holiday home this extra layer rarely pays for itself; it tends to make more sense for buyers already running a company with several properties or other Spanish business activity.

Spanish mortgages for non-residents do exist, and our partner Colibrí Finances arranges them for both individuals and companies; approval depends on income, existing commitments and the bank's own criteria, and is never something we or any agency can promise. A company applying for finance is usually asked for more documentation than an individual, not less.

The Spanish Golden Visa, which once granted residence to property investors, ended on 3 April 2025, and buying through a company does not revive it. For UK citizens the baseline is still the 90/180 rule: up to 90 days in any 180 without a visa, with longer stays requiring a separate visa or residence permit, regardless of how the property is owned.

For buyers living outside Spain, we handle the search — on- and off-market, since many properties reach us before they are listed — viewings in person or by video, negotiation, checks on the property, and coordination with your lawyer, the notary and the bank, as well as help with the NIE, the bank account and after-sale matters such as utilities and community fees. Everything is handled in English.

For those who want the renovation done for them, our managed investment service lets you buy a property with renovation potential in your own name; our own team of renovators carries out the work, and we then sell it or let it out on your behalf for an agreed fee — we never pool investors' money and this is not a fund or collective scheme. Since 2022 our group has bought, renovated and resold 19 homes this way, with a median renovation budget of 22 % of the purchase price — past results, not a promise, and returns vary with each project, sometimes lower than hoped. If you pay from the United Kingdom, remember that sterling-to-euro movements and conversion costs affect the final amount transferred, whichever structure you choose.

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.