Completion at the notary is the milestone — but it is not the finish line. There is essential work to do straight afterwards, and then a set of ongoing obligations that come with owning a Spanish home. Here is what happens next, what you must do, and what too many owners only discover when something goes wrong.
After you complete, your lawyer registers the title at the Land Registry, pays the purchase taxes, and changes the utility and local-tax records into your name. Those steps turn a signed deed into fully effective, properly recorded ownership — and they should happen promptly, not be left to drift.
Then ownership begins, and with it ongoing duties: IBI council tax, community fees if you are in a development, and non-resident income tax — which you owe even if you never let the property — plus any tax on rental income if you do. You should also make a Spanish will to cover the property. Owning in Spain is not a one-off event; it is a small annual routine that, handled well, runs quietly in the background.
In the days and weeks after signing, three jobs turn your deed into secure, recorded ownership. None should be skipped or delayed.
The notarised deed is presented to the Land Registry so you are recorded as the legal owner. Registration is what makes your ownership fully effective against third parties — it is the step that truly secures what you have bought.
Transfer Tax (ITP) on a resale, or VAT plus Stamp Duty (AJD) on a new build, must be paid to the deadline. Registration generally cannot complete until the tax is paid, so the two go hand in hand.
Utilities, the IBI council-tax account and the cadastral record are switched into your name, with direct debits set up so bills are paid automatically. This is what stops a supply being cut off or a bill going to the previous owner.
These steps are the natural end of the conveyancing, and in a purchase we handle they are part of the service rather than something you are left to chase. We cover the registration and tax mechanics within our conveyancing service, and the deed that makes it all official is explained in our guide to the escritura pública.
Signing the escritura before the notary makes you the owner between you and the seller, but it is registration at the Land Registry (the Registro de la Propiedad) that makes your ownership secure against the rest of the world. Once you are registered, the public record shows you as the owner, and a third party who later dealt with the property in good faith would be bound by that record. Until you register, you are exposed in ways that are easy to underestimate — for example, to a charge or claim that someone else registers in the meantime.
For this reason the deed should be lodged for registration promptly after completion, and the registry's own legal check should be allowed to run its course. The Land Registrar examines the deed independently and records the transfer, and any defect they raise needs to be dealt with rather than ignored. When the process is complete you will have an updated registry entry (a nota simple will show you as owner), which is the document you will rely on for everything from future borrowing to an eventual sale. Leaving registration unfinished is one of the most common avoidable problems we see in properties that changed hands without proper legal support — and it can be awkward and costly to put right years later.
Among the first practical jobs after completion is making the property genuinely yours to run: getting the electricity, water and any gas contracts into your name, and setting up direct debits so the bills, the IBI and the community fees are paid automatically from your Spanish account. Doing this promptly avoids the classic problems of a supply being cut for non-payment of a bill that was still in the seller's name, or charges quietly piling up because no one is receiving the invoices. A non-resident owner who is only in Spain occasionally especially needs these on automatic payment.
A related step, relevant mainly if you intend to spend significant time at the property or to become resident, is the padrón — registering on the municipal register (the empadronamiento) at the town hall where the property is. This is not a tax and it is separate from owning the property; it is a record of who lives in the municipality, and it can be useful or necessary for local services, certain administrative processes and, in some cases, immigration steps. A pure holiday-home owner who remains non-resident generally does not need it; an owner planning to live in Spain usually will. We can advise on whether and when the padrón is relevant to your plans, alongside the utility transfers, so the practical side of the property is set up correctly from the start.
One of the most important things to do after buying — and the one most owners postpone indefinitely — is to make a Spanish will covering the property. You are not legally obliged to have a Spanish will; a valid foreign will can in principle govern your Spanish assets. But relying on a foreign will to deal with Spanish property tends to make the process after death slower, more expensive and more stressful for your heirs, who may have to have the foreign will translated, legalised and interpreted under Spanish procedure at a difficult time.
A separate Spanish will, dealing specifically with your Spanish estate and drafted to work with Spanish succession formalities, generally makes the inheritance of the property far smoother. There are also important choices of applicable law to consider — under EU succession rules, the law that governs your estate can depend on factors such as your nationality and habitual residence, and getting this right can significantly affect how your property passes and is taxed. These are not decisions to leave to chance or to a generic template. Because we handle both the purchase and the wider legal needs of owners, we can put a Spanish will in place that fits your circumstances and dovetails with the property you have just bought. Our guide to wills in Spain explains the options in full.
The completion is the moment most people celebrate, and rightly — but the value of good legal support carries on well beyond it. The after-sale steps are where ownership is either secured properly or quietly left exposed: a title not fully registered, an annual tax return never filed, a property left without a Spanish will. None of these is dramatic on the day; all of them can become expensive and stressful years later, often surfacing at the worst possible moment, such as a sale or a death in the family.
Our role does not stop at the notary. We complete the registration and confirm you are properly recorded as owner, make sure the purchase taxes are paid and the utility and tax records transferred, and set you up to meet the ongoing obligations rather than discover them by accident. We can put a Spanish will in place to protect your heirs, advise on your annual non-resident tax position and rental-income compliance, and guide you through the implications of becoming resident or eventually selling. Because we handle the purchase, the tax and the will together, the home you have bought is looked after as a whole, in plain English, across Spain. Our fees are quoted clearly upfront, with any extras flagged before they arise.
After completion, your lawyer registers the title at the Land Registry, pays the purchase taxes, and changes the utility and local-tax records into your name. You then take on ongoing obligations as an owner: IBI council tax, community fees if you are in a development, non-resident income tax even if you do not let the property, and you should make a Spanish will to cover the property.
Signing the deed makes you the owner between you and the seller, but registration at the Land Registry makes your ownership secure against third parties. Once registered, the public record shows you as owner. Until you register you are exposed, for example to a charge or claim someone else registers in the meantime, so the deed should be lodged promptly after completion.
Yes. If you are not tax-resident in Spain, you must file an annual non-resident tax return (Modelo 210) and pay a small imputed income tax on the deemed benefit of owning the property, even if you never let it. Many owners are surprised by this, assuming no letting means no tax. If you do let the property, the rental income is also taxable and must be declared.
IBI is the annual local property tax, based on the cadastral value and paid to the town hall — often through SUMA or a similar collection body in some regions. The simplest approach is to set it up as a direct debit from your Spanish account so it is never missed, as unpaid IBI can attach to the property and cause problems on a later sale.
If your property is in a development or building with shared areas, you belong to the community of owners and pay fees towards the upkeep of those shared areas. They are a genuine ongoing cost and obligation, with consequences for non-payment, so it is sensible to register with the community and put the fees on direct debit after completion.
It is strongly advisable. You are not legally obliged to, and a valid foreign will can in principle govern your Spanish assets, but relying on a foreign will tends to make the process after death slower and more expensive for your heirs. A separate Spanish will covering your Spanish estate, with the right choice-of-law under EU succession rules, generally makes inheritance of the property far smoother.
The padrón (empadronamiento) is registration on the municipal register of who lives in the area, recorded at the town hall. It is not a tax and is separate from owning the property. A holiday-home owner who remains non-resident generally does not need it, while an owner planning to live in Spain usually will, as it can be useful or necessary for local services and certain administrative or immigration steps.
Buildings insurance is essential and is usually required if you have a mortgage. For a property you do not occupy full-time, appropriate cover for an unoccupied or holiday home matters, and any community insurance on a shared building does not replace your own contents and liability cover. It should be arranged promptly after completion.
Becoming tax-resident changes your tax position significantly: you move from non-resident taxation on the property to being taxed in Spain on your worldwide income, with different returns and reliefs to consider. Because residence is triggered mainly by spending more than 183 days a year in Spain or having your main interests there, a change of status should be planned rather than stumbled into.
Selling brings the local plusvalía tax, capital gains tax on any profit, and — if you sell as a non-resident — a 3% retention that the buyer withholds and pays to the tax authority against your gain. Your acquisition value and residence status feed directly into these figures, so it is worth understanding the exit from the day you buy.
Our role does not stop at the notary. We complete the registration and confirm you are recorded as owner, ensure the purchase taxes are paid and the utility and tax records transferred, and set you up to meet your ongoing obligations. We can put a Spanish will in place, advise on your annual non-resident tax and rental compliance, and guide you on becoming resident or eventually selling — handling the purchase, tax and will together, in plain English, across Spain, with fees quoted upfront.
Let us close out the registration and taxes, transfer the utilities, set up your annual obligations, and put a Spanish will in place — so the home you have bought is looked after as a whole. In plain English, across Spain, with fees quoted upfront.
The information on this page is general guidance only and does not constitute legal or tax advice. Registration procedures, property taxes including IBI, non-resident income tax and the taxes on a sale, the rules on wills and succession, and the requirements for the padrón and insurance vary by region and individual circumstance and change over time. Always obtain advice on your specific property and situation before acting. Platinum Legal Spain is an independent English-speaking legal practice — a team of bar-registered solicitors and legal specialists — serving clients across Spain. Fees are quoted clearly in advance and extras may apply depending on the complexity of your matter.