When someone writes to me from Germany saying they want to buy in Spain, the first question is usually the same: do I have to go? The short answer is that it is not essential. The useful answer is that the important question is not that one, but at what point it is worth going and at what point going is a waste of time.

I have been doing this from Germany for years with my own portfolio and accompanying other people through the same process. What follows is the sequence that works, with the points where people get stuck.

Can you buy without being in Spain?

Yes. Legally, a non-resident foreign buyer can acquire a home in Spain and can do so through a representative. No rule requires the buyer to be physically present at the notary's office.

What does exist are three moments when the distance is felt:

  • Seeing the property and its surroundings. No video call fully replaces being there, especially on a first purchase.
  • Negotiation. Good properties receive offers within days. If you take a week to decide, it is gone.
  • Technical verification. What you cannot see in the photos is precisely what decides whether the deal is good or bad.

The power of attorney: the piece almost everyone prepares too late

The power of attorney is the document that authorises another person to act in your name. Without it, nothing else works remotely.

If you live in Germany, it is granted before a notary German notary and is then apostilled under the Hague Convention. The usual mistake is to ask for a generic power of attorney and discover at the worst possible moment that it does not include some necessary authority.

A power of attorney useful for buying in Spain should cover, at a minimum:

  • Appearing at the sale and signing the public deed.
  • Formalising the mortgage and the documents linked to the loan.
  • Requesting land registry, cadastral and encumbrance information.
  • Making payments, deposits and tax settlements arising from the transaction.
  • Appearing before the notary, the land registry and public authorities.
  • Contracting and registering utility supplies.

That said, my recommendation is that you sign the sale deed yourself whenever you can. Not because it is obligatory, but because it is the document that makes the property yours and it is worth being there.

The non-resident mortgage: different conditions

Spanish lenders do finance non-residents, but on their own terms. The usual pattern is:

  • Financing: around 60-70% of the appraisal value, against the usual 80% for a resident.
  • Term: up to 20 or 30 years depending on the lender and the applicant's age.
  • Rate type: fixed, variable or mixed offers, with conditions worth comparing lender by lender.
  • Requirements: verifiable income, bank statements, employment or self-employment contract and, often, tied products (insurance, direct debit, cards).
  • Documentation: if your documents are in German, be prepared for sworn translations.

The approval time, with the documentation in order, usually runs between four and eight weeks. Without the documentation in order it can double, and meanwhile the seller grows impatient. That is why I always insist on the same thing: talk to the bank before looking for a flat, not after finding it.

Taxes and purchase costs

The costs added to the purchase price are, in summary:

  • Second-hand property: ITP (property transfer tax, Impuesto de Transmisiones Patrimoniales), whose rate depends on the autonomous community.
  • New build: VAT (usually 10%) plus stamp duty on notarial documents (AJD, Impuesto sobre Actos Jurídicos Documentados).
  • Notary: according to the official fee scale, based on the price stated in the deed.
  • Land Registry: registration of the purchase and, if there is a mortgage, of the loan deed.
  • Gestoría (administrative agent): processing of the tax settlements and the registration.
  • Valuation: required for the mortgage.
  • If there is a mortgage: arrangement fee and tied products, depending on the offer.

As a reference, on second-hand property the closing costs usually sit between 9% and 12% of the purchase price depending on the autonomous community and the type of transaction. This is not a percentage to be calculated “when the time comes”: it shapes your real maximum budget.

The correct order of the steps

  1. Financing first. Contact with lenders, comparison and indicative pre-approval.
  2. Search criteria settled. Area, type of property, maximum price and exclusion criteria, decided before looking at listings.
  3. Power of attorney ready. Drafted with all the necessary powers and apostilled, ready to use when the opportunity arises.
  4. Filtered search. With someone verifying on the ground and with the technical judgement to rule options out quickly.
  5. Viewing. Decide whether the trip is worth it. If you travel, keep the schedule concentrated: two intense days are worth more than five scattered ones.
  6. Offer and deposit (arras). Review of encumbrances, cadastre, licences and the state of the community before committing money.
  7. Mortgage and valuation. Final approval.
  8. Notary and registry. Signing of the deed and settlement of taxes.
  9. Utilities and insurance. Setting up electricity, water, waste collection and building insurance.

The four mistakes I see most often

  1. Looking for a flat before knowing how much they will lend. An expectation is created that the bank then dismantles, once there is already an offer on the table.
  2. Budgeting without the closing costs. You calculate the price of the flat but not the tax, the notary, the registry or the renovation. The real maximum budget is considerably lower than people think.
  3. Signing the deposit agreement without reviewing encumbrances or the community. Community debts, land registry charges, licences or planning restrictions that appear later, when you have no negotiating room left.
  4. Not budgeting for the renovation. A flat that needs a new electrical installation and a complete bathroom is not a purchase at the price in the listing: it is that figure plus the works. And you need to know that before making an offer, not after.

In summary

Buying from Germany is a matter of method, not heroism. What decides the outcome is not how many times you travel, but whether your criteria are settled, your financing is prepared and someone with technical judgement is looking at what you cannot see. If those three pieces are in place, distance stops being a problem and becomes a simple logistical matter.

If you would like us to look at it with your numbers, you can book a 30-minute call or first review the service for non-residents and expatriates.