Purchase costs in Spain and Portugal — rates by region and what comes on top
In Spain, transfer tax is set by the autonomous community and ranges from 6 % in Madrid to banded rates up to 13 % in the Balearics and Catalonia. Every rate, with its legal basis, is on this page. If you want to run your own figures, the Excel workbook comes on top.
How much are the purchase costs in Spain and Portugal?
In Spain each autonomous community sets its own transfer tax: ITP on a resale property runs from 6 % in Madrid through 6.5 % in the Canaries up to a banded 13 % in the Balearics and Catalonia. On a new build bought from the developer, IVA of 10 % takes its place — IGIC of 7 % in the Canaries — plus AJD stamp duty on the deed. Notary, land registry, the tasación and, if you instruct one, a lawyer come on top. Altogether, depending on region and property type, budget roughly 10 to 14 % of the purchase price, none of which any bank will finance. In Portugal a flat IMT rate of 7.5 % has applied to non-residents since 25 May 2026, plus 0.8 % imposto do selo on the acquisition and a further 0.6 % on the loan where its term is five years or more. The tables below name the legal basis for every rate. Reduced rates almost always require the property to be a main residence and are rarely available to non-residents.
Transfer tax by autonomous community
ITP (Impuesto sobre Transmisiones Patrimoniales) applies when you buy a resale property. On a new build from a developer, IVA of 10 % applies instead — IGIC of 7 % in the Canary Islands — plus AJD stamp duty on the deed of sale. Rates change politically and sometimes mid-year: Catalonia last on 27.06.2025, Murcia on 25.07.2025, Valencia on 01.06.2026.
| Community | ITP on resale | AJD | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illes Balears Mallorca, Ibiza, Menorca | ITP 8 / 9 / 10 / 12 / 13 % in bands (thresholds at €400,000, €600,000, €1m, €2m) | AJD 1.5 % · main residence up to €270,151.20 → 1 % | DL 1/2014 Art. 10, 14 quater, 17 · reformed by DL 4/2023 of 18.07.2023, integrated by Ley 11/2023 |
| Catalunya Barcelona, Costa Brava | ITP 10 / 11 / 12 / 13 % in bands (thresholds at €600,000, €900,000, €1.5m) · 20 % for large investors from 10 properties | AJD 1.5 % · 2 % on creating a mortgage | DL 1/2024 of 12.03.2024 (DOGC) · Decret Llei 5/2025 of 25.03.2025 (BOE-A-2025-10270), in force since 27.06.2025 |
| Comunitat Valenciana Costa Blanca, Valencia, Dénia, Jávea, Moraira, Torrevieja | ITP 9 % up to €1m, 11 % above | AJD 1.4 % | Ley 13/1997 Art. 13/14 · Ley 5/2025 of 30.05.2025 (DOGV 31.05.2025), in force since 01.06.2026 |
| Andalucía Costa del Sol, Marbella, Málaga | ITP 7 % | AJD 1.2 % | Ley 5/2021 of 20.10.2021 (BOE-A-2021-17915), Art. 41 and 50 |
| Región de Murcia Murcia, coastline south of the Costa Blanca | ITP 7.75 % | AJD 1.5 % | DL 1/2010 (BOE-A-2011-10542) · amended by Ley 3/2025, effective 25.07.2025 (BORM) |
| Canarias Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote | ITP 6.5 % · on new builds IGIC of 7 % instead of IVA | AJD 0.75 % · 1 % on IGIC/IVA transactions | DL 1/2009 of 21.04.2009 (BOC 77), Art. 31–37 · amended by Ley 11/2015 and Ley 19/2019 |
| Comunidad de Madrid Madrid | ITP 6 % | AJD 0.75 % | DL 1/2010 of 21.10.2010, Art. 28 and 36/38 bis · reduced by Ley 5/2024 of 20.11.2024 |
Sourcing: for Spain, secondary sources with the legal basis named (retrieved per community on 19 August 2026); for Portugal, the official code. Before relying on a figure with your notary or tax adviser, check it against BOE, BOC, DOGC or DOGV. Reviewed quarterly.
Reduced rates are usually out of reach for non-residents. Almost all of them require the property to be your main home and depend on personal circumstances — age, large family, disability from 65 %, and in Murcia an income ceiling of €40,000 as well. For the typical second-home case, the standard rate applies.
Detail by location: Costa Blanca · Mallorca · Valencia · Marbella · Canary Islands · Madrid · Murcia.
IMT for non-residents: 7.5 % from the first euro
Portugal has no regional banding of the Spanish kind. Buyers without Portuguese tax residency pay a flat IMT rate of 7.5 % when acquiring an urban building or a residential unit — from the first euro, with no progressive scale and no main-home exemption. The basis is Artigo 17.º no. 10 of the Código do IMT, introduced by Decreto-Lei 97/2026 and in force since 25 May 2026.
On top of that comes Imposto do Selo of 0.8 % on the acquisition and, where you finance, 0.6 % on the loan if its term is five years or more. For Madeira and the Azores, Artigo 17 CIMT sets no separate rates — the same flat rate applies as on the mainland.
The difference is refunded in two cases only: if you establish Portuguese tax residency within two years, or on moderate letting — tenancy agreed within six months, rent no higher than €2,300 a month, at least 36 months within the first five years. Worked examples and exceptions in detail.
What purchase costs are made of
In Spain, purchase costs come to 10 to 13 % of the purchase price; in Portugal to around 10 % (Perini mortgage checklists Spain and Portugal, July 2026). Tax is the largest item, but not the only one:
Transfer tax — the largest single item
On a resale property, the ITP of the autonomous community (table above). On a new build from a developer, IVA of 10 % applies instead — in the Canary Islands IGIC of 7 %. In the Canaries the tax base is the higher of purchase price and cadastral reference value.
AJD — a buyer's cost on new builds only
The buyer pays stamp duty (AJD) on the deed of sale, because that deed is subject to IVA. On the mortgage deed the bank has paid it since 10 November 2018: Real Decreto-ley 17/2018 of 08.11.2018 (BOE 09.11.2018) amended Art. 29 RDLeg 1/1993, and Ley 5/2019 (LCCI) confirmed it. It cannot be passed back to you by contract clause. Any cost breakdown showing "AJD on the mortgage" as a buyer's cost is wrong.
Notary (notario)
Signing the escritura follows a state-set fee schedule, not free negotiation — purchase price, length of the deed and number of copies determine the amount. Where there is financing, a second, separate notary fee arises for the loan deed.
Registro de la Propiedad (land registry)
Registration of ownership, and of the mortgage where applicable, in the Spanish land register. It happens after signing and regularly delays the bank's final payment on new builds.
Gestoría
The gestoría handles the administrative steps after signing: tax filings, registration, transferring utilities. It does not replace the lawyer, who checks the Nota Simple, the contract clauses and freedom from charges before you sign — two separate roles.
Tasación (bank valuation)
No tasación, no mortgage. Banks lend against the lower of purchase price and valuation — if the valuation comes in below the price, you fund the difference yourself, on top of the purchase costs.
NIE and running costs
The NIE is required before you sign. After completion, IBI, community charges and — for non-residents — the annual tax return continue; that is a holding-cost question, not a purchase-cost one.
Where purchases fail: the bank does not finance the purchase costs. Lending is measured against the value of the property, not against your total outlay. So the 10 to 13 % sits on top of the 30 to 40 % equity a Spanish bank expects from a non-resident, and it has to come entirely out of your own funds. Noticing that gap at the notary appointment is a problem no interest rate can fix. One way to close it.
What the Excel workbook adds
The rates above are openly on this page — you do not need to ask for them. The workbook takes the arithmetic off your hands: enter purchase price, region and loan amount, and it applies the right rate and shows purchase costs, total outlay and the equity needed for your property.
- Run your own figures · every field marked in blue is editable
- Spain and Portugal · regional rates and the flat IMT rate built in
- Compare variants · the same property in two regions side by side
- Straight to your inbox · as an attachment, ready to use
The workbook labels are in German; the figures and formulas work in any language version of Excel.
Purchase costs Spain and Portugal — working spreadsheet (XLSX, 2 sheets, German/English) — open it directly, no form.
What this calculator doesn't replace
A model calculation based on your own assumptions — not tax or legal advice. Notary, land registry and gestoría fees, and your lawyer's fee, depend on the work involved and on the property; the orders of magnitude are set out on costs of buying property in Spain. Bring in a tax adviser for your actual tax return.