Documents Needed to Sell a House in Spain: 2026 List

The documents needed to sell a house in Spain are the title deed, the registry information, the energy certificate where required, the IBI bills and the community of owners position. This list helps you prepare the sale; the notary and your advisers confirm the exact requirements for your case.

Gathering the paperwork while you prepare the listing helps you find problems before a buyer is waiting. That matters even more if you sell from the UK or Scandinavia and cannot drop into the town hall at short notice.

Which documents do you need to sell a house in Spain?

To sell a house in Spain you need nine documents, some of them only where they apply. The table sets out what each is for and who issues it.

What is the title deed, and what if you have lost it?

The title deed (escritura) proves you are the legal owner, and if you have lost your copy, the notary where you signed can issue another. Give the protocol number if you know it, or the notary's name and the approximate year if you do not.

Losing the document does not mean losing the right. If your copy is missing, ask the notary how to recover the title and prove ownership.

Why do you need an up to date nota simple?

The nota simple confirms who the current owner is, whether there are mortgages, court attachments or other charges, and the registered description, including the official floor area. Request it online on the Registradores de España website and check the current fee there. Request it shortly before the sale, because the information can change in between.

Registered floor areas do not always match the Catastro, especially in old town houses renovated in stages over the years. Clear up any difference before the buyer or the buyer's bank finds it. Our guide to the nota simple in Spain explains what the extract shows and what it does not prove.

Is the energy performance certificate required to sell?

Yes: the energy performance certificate is required when a home is sold, a copy of the registered certificate and its label is attached to the contract, and every listing must show the rating, under Real Decreto 390/2021 (BOE). Without the rating you cannot advertise the home legally.

Selling without handing over a valid, registered certificate is a serious infringement, fined from 601 to 1,000 EUR. We cover costs, validity and the other penalties in the energy performance certificate in Spain.

Do you need an occupation title to sell a home in the Valencian Community?

In the Valencian Community, once 10 years have passed since first occupation, the occupation title must be renewed when the home is sold for the second or later time, or when a new water, gas or electricity contract is needed, under Ley 3/2004, article 33 (BOE). If the home never had one, it is required in the same cases.

There is no "cédula de habitabilidad" by that name in the Valencian Community. Today the title is processed as a declaración responsable of second or later occupation, a sworn statement filed with the town hall together with a technical certificate. Ask the notary early whether it will be needed for your sale.

IBI, community and mortgage: which certificates prove you owe nothing?

You prove you owe nothing with the latest paid IBI bills, the community debt certificate and, if a mortgage remains, the bank's certificate of the outstanding balance. IBI is the annual local property tax. In Altea, SUMA Gestión Tributaria issues and collects the bill for the town hall. An unpaid bill can attach to the property and complicate the signing.

The community certificate is issued by the community secretary, with the president's approval, within seven calendar days, under article 9.1.e of the Ley de Propiedad Horizontal (BOE). In the deed you must declare that you are up to date or state what you owe. Without the certificate the notary cannot authorise the deed unless the buyer expressly waives it. The buyer answers with the property for debts of the current year and the three previous calendar years. An approved but unpaid facade or pool levy is a common sticking point in Altea, so agree with the buyer who pays it before signing.

If the home still has a mortgage, the bank issues a certificate of the outstanding amount on the date of sale, so the mortgage can be cancelled at the notary with part of the sale money.

Does your building need an IEEV.CV report?

In the Valencian Community, owners of any residential building more than 50 years old, detached or in blocks, must commission the IEEV.CV at least every 10 years. The IEEV.CV is the technical inspection that evaluates conservation, accessibility and energy efficiency. It only has administrative effect once registered in the regional register. Detached homes have been expressly included since 1 January 2024.

The law does not make the report a requirement for signing a sale. If the building needs it and does not have it, that usually signals works still to come that will end in a levy, which an informed buyer will ask about.

What if your renovation has no licence?

Extensions and new building need a licence; many interior renovations go through a declaración responsable instead, under the Valencian planning law, articles 232 and 233 (BOE). Without the right title, a buyer with a mortgage may find that the bank values the home only on its legal floor area, which reduces the loan.

In the Valencian Community the administration has 15 years from the completion of the works to require legalisation or demolition, for works completed since 8 February 2019, and there is no time limit on rural land. Once the period passes, the work is still not legalised, and no renovation or extension can be done on it. Not every work can be legalised, so find out early, before you have a buyer.

How long does it take to gather the documents to sell?

With the title deed and the nota simple in order, the rest usually takes one or two weeks. The energy certificate typically takes 3 to 7 days, the community certificate must be issued within seven calendar days by law, and the bank's mortgage certificate takes 1 to 2 weeks depending on the bank. These are typical timings, apart from the legal limit for the community certificate.

Timings stretch when a deeper problem appears. Legalising works without a licence depends on the town hall and the works themselves, and some cannot be legalised at all. Correcting a floor area difference with the Catastro usually needs a technician to draw an up to date plan first. That is why you should request the nota simple and check the Catastro as soon as you decide to sell, rather than once a buyer is waiting.

What happens if a document is missing at the signing?

Gather the papers before you set the price. Listing without complete paperwork is the most common way to lose weeks halfway through. The full process is in selling a house in Altea step by step, and to put a real figure on your home, ask for your free valuation. This is general guidance, not legal advice: confirm the documents for your specific sale with the notary or a lawyer.