Independent legal advice for buying, selling and owning property in Spain.
An English-speaking Spanish lawyer specialising in property law for foreigners investing in, and relocating to, Spain. Qualified in Barcelona in 1983, on this coast since 1988.
“Making the client feel safe at home.”
Buying or owning property in another country involves people, offices and paperwork you have not met before. My team and I handle all of it, from the first enquiry through to completion and for as long afterwards as you need us.
We can begin before you even step onto Spanish soil, and we stay with you afterwards for the tax returns, the residency paperwork and everything else that comes with owning something here.
Tell us what you are planning
Most clients arrive for a purchase and stay for everything that follows: the tax returns, the residency paperwork, the sale years later.
Full conveyancing from NIE to keys. Registry checks, contract review, tax calculation and completion before the notary.
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The Golden Visa closed in April 2025. The non lucrative, digital nomad and family routes remain open, and I file them.
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Tax returns for non residents, ITP and plusvalía on purchase, plus the annual obligations of owning Spanish property.
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Capital gains, the 3% retention applied to non residents, and getting your proceeds out of Spain cleanly.
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Utilities, community fees, insurance and keyholding for owners who are not here all year.
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Frontier workers, Gibraltar companies holding Spanish property, and residents moving between the two jurisdictions.
Read more →These are the steps we take care of on your behalf, so that by the time you commit you know exactly what you are buying.
Who actually owns the property, and exactly what is registered against it at the Land Registry.
Any mortgage, community fee, IBI or other charge registered against the property, so that everything is clear at completion.
That the build is licensed and declared, and that the registry, the catastro and what you have seen all agree.
We read the reservation contract before you sign it, and discuss any amendment worth making.
The taxes and official fees for your particular purchase, set out in advance so the figures are known.
Supply contracts, meter readings and community status confirmed and transferred at completion.
Every review below was left publicly on Google. Not one is under five stars.
5.0“I am so incredibly grateful we found Esther. She was wonderful to work with from beginning to end, and helped us understand the purchasing process at every stage.”
“She helped us understand the purchasing process and stepped in to avoid us making costly mistakes on a property that was fraught with issues.”
“Speaking no Spanish, it was essential that I fully understood the process of purchasing a property in Spain. Esther explained exactly what was going on every step of the way.”
“Over eight months she guided us through the purchase, the set up of all utilities, local authority documentation and our visas. What could have been daunting and confusing was made simple.”
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A review takes a minute and it genuinely helps other buyers find independent advice.
I was born in Barcelona and studied law there, and I have practised in the United Kingdom, Gibraltar and Spain. For the last thirty years or so I have worked from Sotogrande, almost entirely with foreign clients meeting Spanish law for the first time.
That means property, but it also means the tax office, the town hall, the immigration office and everything else that comes with owning something here. My clients tend to arrive nervous and stay for decades.
No. Spain’s Golden Visa was repealed by Organic Law 1/2025 and stopped accepting new applications on 3 April 2025. You can still buy freely as a foreigner, but the purchase no longer grants a residence permit. If residency is your goal, the non lucrative visa, digital nomad visa and family routes all remain open, and I can advise on which one fits your circumstances.
The NIE (Número de Identificación de Extranjero) is your Spanish tax identification number. You need one to buy property, open a bank account or pay tax here. I can obtain it on your behalf, and it is usually the first thing we start.
Yes. With a power of attorney I can complete the entire purchase on your behalf, including signing at the notary. Many clients complete without travelling.
There are taxes and official fees on any Spanish purchase, and they vary with the property and how it is bought. We set out the figures for your particular purchase at the outset, so nothing arrives unexpectedly.
Yes, English and Spanish both fluently. Most of my clients speak no Spanish at all. Everything is explained in plain English, including every document you will be asked to sign.
The investor residency route ended in April 2025. What it means for existing holders and which routes remain open.
BuyingThe reservation contract is the first document most buyers sign. A short guide to what it does and what to look for.
TaxA short summary of the annual obligations that come with owning a property in Spain from abroad.
Tell me a little about what you are planning and I will reply personally, usually within one working day.