Buying Property in Spain After Brexit: 2026 UK Guide

Buying property in Spain after Brexit works the same way for British citizens as for any other foreign buyer: you need an NIE, and nationality does not restrict the purchase. What changed in 2021 is everything around the purchase, from how long you can stay to how your home is taxed.

This guide covers each change as of November 2026, with the official source for every rule. It is written for British buyers and owners looking at Altea and the Costa Blanca.

What changed for British buyers after Brexit?

British buyers lost the rights of EU citizens on 1 January 2021: free stays, simple residence registration, the EU tax rate on a Spanish home and easy use of a UK driving licence. The table compares the position of an EU citizen, which British buyers had before 2021, with the position of a British buyer today.

Sources: Schengen Borders Code, Real Decreto 240/2007 (BOE), non residents income tax law, articles 24 and 25 (BOE), UK licence exchange, DGT. If you lived in Spain before 1 January 2021, the Withdrawal Agreement protects your rights: see the UK government's Living in Spain guide.

Can a British citizen still buy property in Spain?

Yes: a British citizen buys property in Spain exactly as any other foreigner does, and the only extra step is the NIE. The NIE is the personal number that identifies a foreigner to the Spanish administration. Anyone with economic interests in Spain, such as buying a home, must request it: in Spain from the Policía Nacional, or from abroad through the Spanish consulate for your address, under Real Decreto 1155/2024, article 205 (BOE).

The NIE does not expire and is not a residence permit. The rest of the purchase, from the arras contract to the notary, is identical for every nationality. We walk through it in our guide to buying a house in Altea as a foreigner and explain the number itself in the NIE for buying a house in Spain.

How long can a British owner stay in Spain each year?

A British owner can stay in Spain for a maximum of 90 days in any 180 day period, counting back 180 days from each day of stay, and owning a home does not extend the limit, under article 6.1 of the Schengen Borders Code (EUR-Lex). The limit applies across the whole Schengen area, so days in France or Italy count too.

Since 10 April 2026 the Entry and Exit System (EES) has been fully operational. It records non EU short stay travellers in 29 European countries with their travel data, fingerprints and facial image, replaces passport stamps and detects overstays automatically, according to the European Commission. ETIAS, the travel authorisation for visa exempt travellers, does not yet apply; check the official ETIAS website before you travel. The 90 days are a stay rule. The 183 day test is a separate tax criterion, and registering on the padrón proves your address without giving any right to reside.

Does buying a home still give a British buyer a golden visa?

No: buying property in Spain no longer gives any right to a visa or residence permit, because the investor residence rules ended on 3 April 2025, under Ley Orgánica 1/2025 (BOE). Applications filed before that date were decided under the old rules. Visas and permits already granted keep their validity for the period they were issued, and renewals follow the rules in force when the first permit was granted.

A property purchase is therefore never a residence route on its own. If you want to live in Spain for more than 90 days in 180, you need one of the routes in the next section.

Which residence routes remain for British citizens?

Two common routes remain for British citizens who want to live in Spain: non lucrative residence, for people who will not work, and the international telework visa, for remote workers. Both are applied for under Spanish immigration law, starting at the consulate.

Non lucrative residence lets you live in Spain without working. You must show monthly means equal to 400 % of the IPREM (Spain's public income reference index) for the applicant, plus 100 % for each dependent family member, together with health insurance and no criminal record, under Real Decreto 1155/2024, articles 61 to 63 (BOE). Check the current IPREM amount and the document list with the Spanish Consulate General in London.

International telework residence lets you live in Spain while working remotely for companies outside Spain. A self employed applicant can invoice Spanish companies for up to 20 % of their work. You need a degree or at least three years of experience, at least three months with the company, and the company must have one year of real activity, under Ley 14/2013, articles 74 bis and 74 ter (BOE). Confirm the income requirement with the official immigration service before you apply.

How is a UK resident owner of a Spanish home taxed?

A UK resident owner pays Spanish non residents income tax (IRNR) at 24 % on the imputed income of the home and 19 % on the capital gain when selling, under the non residents income tax law, article 25 (BOE). Since 2021 a UK resident is taxed as a resident of a non EU country.

Imputed income is a notional income that Spain taxes on a home you use yourself or leave empty: 2 % of the cadastral value, or 1.1 % if the town revised its cadastral values in the previous ten years, according to the Agencia Tributaria. Each co owner files a form 210, and the 2026 imputed income is declared from 1 April to 31 December 2027. Real Decreto-ley 29/2026 changes the imputed income rules from 1 January 2027; it is pending validation as of November 2026.

If you let the home, the rental income is taxed at 24 % on the gross amount with no deductible expenses, and Spain's letting rules are changing in 2026, so check the Agencia Tributaria page on rented property before you let. When you sell, the buyer withholds 3 % of the price as a payment on account, and the reinvestment exemption for a former main home is not available to UK residents. Our guide to taxes on selling a house in Spain covers the sale.

How does the UK side work for a Spanish property?

The UK taxes the income and gains of your Spanish home too, and credits the Spanish tax paid against the UK tax on the same income or gain, under article 22.2.a of the 2013 Spain and UK tax treaty (BOE).

Income from property abroad is taxed in the UK like UK property income. You declare it on the Foreign pages (SA106) of your Self Assessment return and claim Foreign Tax Credit Relief, limited to the lower of the Spanish tax and the UK tax on that income, as HMRC's helpsheet HS263 explains. A gain on the sale goes on the Capital Gains pages. See GOV.UK on foreign income for the general rules. There is no Spain and UK treaty on inheritance tax.

Can you drive in Spain on a UK licence?

A visitor can drive on a UK licence, but once you obtain residence the UK licence is valid in Spain for only six months, under the Spain and UK agreement published in the BOE. Since 16 March 2023 the licence can be exchanged for an equivalent Spanish one without a test, through the DGT. A licence obtained while you were already legally resident in Spain cannot be exchanged.

What about healthcare for British owners in Spain?

For visits, a UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) gives access to necessary state healthcare in Spain on the same basis as a resident; it is free and does not replace travel insurance, according to the NHS.

If you are resident in Spain and receive a UK State Pension or an exportable benefit, you may be entitled to state healthcare paid for by the UK through an S1 form, which you register with the Spanish social security (INSS), according to GOV.UK's guidance on healthcare in Spain. Spain's paid public health scheme (convenio especial) requires at least one year of prior residence in Spain, so it does not help a newcomer.

This is general guidance, not legal or tax advice: confirm your residence, tax and healthcare position with a qualified adviser before you buy. To see what is on the market, browse homes for sale in Altea or read about Altea in winter before planning a long stay.