Completion day and registration

It is for anyone considering, planning or carrying out a move to Spain who is buying a property. Work through it and you will know how completion day works and what to do afterwards so your title is protected.

Start with "What happens at the Spanish notary on completion day". It shows who attends, what is read out, what you sign and how the keys pass. The other pages build on it, from paying for your home and proving your funds to registering your title and the tasks in the weeks after completion.

Key rules

• Cash limit: Cash payments are limited to 1,000 euros when one side is a business or professional, and the notary records the means of payment.
• Draft deed: If your purchase includes a mortgage, you must have the draft deed at least 3 working days before signing.
• Registry priority: Once the deed is presented, the registry entry protects your priority for 60 working days.
• Tax filing: You must file and pay the purchase tax (ITP or AJD) within 30 working days of the date of the deed.
• Free choice of notary: You can choose the notary, even if your lender or the developer suggests one.
• Payment means: Pay by bank transfer or bank cheque so the deed can record the bank and account details.

Completion day and registration: the whole process, step by step

• Get the draft deed (minuta) from the notary and run your last checks (Last checks before you sign the deed): at least 3 working days before signing if your purchase includes a mortgage; with no mortgage, usually 1 to 3 days before

• Arrange payment by bank transfer or bank cheque (Paying for your home at completion and proving your funds): before signing day; cash is limited to 1,000 euros when one side is a business or professional

• Sign the deed at the notary, in person or through an attorney (What happens at the Spanish notary on completion day; Completing a Spanish purchase from abroad with power of attorney): on completion day

• If a problem appears, put it in writing and take legal advice before walking away (Last checks before you sign the deed): before you sign, or on the day if the property differs from the contract

• Receive your authorised copy of the deed (copia autorizada), often as an electronic copy first: usually within a few days to 2 weeks after signing

• File and pay the purchase tax (ITP or AJD) (Registering your title and filing the purchase tax): within 30 working days of the date of the deed Deadline: 30 working days from the date of the deed.

• Present the deed to the Property Registry, ideally right after the tax is paid; the seller files the plusvalía municipal (local land value tax) with the town hall: within days of signing; the registry entry then protects your priority for 60 working days

• Wait for the registry to register your title, then ask for a nota simple showing you as owner: the registrar has 15 working days to qualify the deed; in practice 2 to 6 weeks or longer

• Get the IBI property tax holder changed and set up direct debit at your town hall (What to do in the weeks after you complete in Spain): in the weeks after completion, before the voluntary payment period starts

Documents you may need

Identity and residence

• Your ID — Paying for your home at completion and proving your funds, Registering your title and filing the purchase tax

Income and work

• Bank statements showing where the money for the price came — Paying for your home at completion and proving your funds
• The tax form for your region — Registering your title and filing the purchase tax
• Proof that the tax was paid — Registering your title and filing the purchase tax

Payments and receipts

• Evidence of the international transfer — Paying for your home at completion and proving your funds

Other documents

• A copy of the signed deed
• Seller — What happens at the Spanish notary on completion day, What to do in the weeks after you complete in Spain
• A power of attorney — What happens at the Spanish notary on completion day, Completing a Spanish purchase from abroad with power of attorney
• Certificate of debts — Last checks before you sign the deed, What to do in the weeks after you complete in Spain
• Mortgage payoff certificate — Last checks before you sign the deed
• Foreign marriage certificate or similar public document — What happens at the Spanish notary on completion day

Each article lists the other documents it asks for, where you need them.

Completion day and registration: questions that cross several articles

Who has to be at the notary to sign the deed?

You and the seller must both attend, or send representatives with a valid power of attorney. See What happens at the Spanish notary on completion day.

Who pays the notary, registry and tax costs on a resale?

Buyers customarily pay the notary and registry fees and the purchase tax, and the seller pays the plusvalía municipal unless you agree otherwise. See What happens at the Spanish notary on completion day.

Can I pay for my home in cash at completion?

Only up to 1,000 euros when one side is a business or professional, and the notary records the means of payment. Use a bank transfer or bank cheque for the rest. Read Paying for your home at completion and proving your funds.

When must I have the draft deed before signing?

If your purchase includes a mortgage, you must have it at least 3 working days before signing. Without a mortgage there is no fixed period, and 1 to 3 days before is usual. See Last checks before you sign the deed.

Is there a deadline to register the deed after I sign?

No general deadline applies to registering the deed, but the purchase tax must be filed within 30 working days and the registry needs proof of it. Once presented, the entry protects your priority for 60 working days. Read Registering your title and filing the purchase tax.