Buying a home in Jávea as a foreigner is straightforward once you know the order things happen in. This is the complete, up-to-date walkthrough for international buyers on the Costa Blanca North — the steps, the NIE, the lawyer, the real taxes and fees for 2026, and how to finance the purchase as a non-resident.

It is written as general guidance, not legal or tax advice. The figures below are current for the Comunidad Valenciana in 2026; your own lawyer and gestor will confirm the exact numbers for your specific purchase.

Can a foreigner buy property in Spain?

Yes. There are no restrictions on non-residents — EU or non-EU — buying property in Spain. You buy on the same terms as a Spanish national. The only things you need before you can complete are an NIE (your Spanish tax identification number) and a Spanish bank account to handle the payment and the running utilities.

How to buy a house in Spain as a foreigner: the 10 steps

Get your NIE — the tax number you need to do anything official in Spain.
Open a Spanish bank account — for the transfer, taxes and future utility bills.
Appoint an independent lawyer — to run the legal checks on your behalf.
Find the property and agree a price — ideally with a buyer-side agent representing you.
Reservation — a small holding deposit (typically €3,000–€6,000) takes it off the market.
Due diligence — your lawyer checks ownership, debts, licences and the nota simple.
Arras contract — the private purchase contract, usually with a 10% deposit.
Arrange financing — finalise your mortgage if you are using one.
Completion at the notary — sign the escritura pública, pay the balance, collect the keys.
Registration and taxes — the deed is registered and the purchase taxes are paid (your lawyer or gestor handles this).

From accepted offer to keys, a cash purchase typically takes 4–8 weeks; with a mortgage, allow 8–12 weeks.

What is an NIE and how do I get one?

The NIE (Número de Identidad de Extranjero) is your personal tax and identification number in Spain. You cannot complete a property purchase, pay the taxes or sign a mortgage without one. It is a number, not a residency permit — getting an NIE does not make you a resident.

You can obtain it three ways:

At a Spanish consulate in your home country — apply before you travel. Slower, but you arrive ready to buy.
In person in Spain, at a Policía Nacional / Oficina de Extranjería office, by appointment (cita previa). You complete form EX-15 and pay a small fee with form Modelo 790.
By power of attorney (PoA) — the most common route for overseas buyers. You give your Spanish lawyer a power of attorney and they obtain the NIE for you, so you do not need to travel for it.

Budget a few weeks and a fee of roughly €10–€20 in official charges (plus your lawyer's fee if they handle it for you). Most of our buyers do this by power of attorney and never queue at a police station.

Do I need a Spanish lawyer to buy a house in Jávea?

It is not legally compulsory, but you should never buy without one. In Spain the notary is a neutral public official who certifies the signing — the notary does not represent you or check whether the property is a good buy. An independent lawyer (abogado), separate from the seller and the agency, is the person protecting your interests.

A good lawyer will:

Pull the nota simple from the Land Registry to confirm who really owns the property and whether there are mortgages, embargoes or charges on it.
Check the property has its licence of first occupation (licencia de primera ocupación), building permissions and an up-to-date energy certificate.
Confirm there are no debts carried with the property — outstanding IBI, community fees or utility arrears, which in Spain can pass to the new owner.
Verify boundaries, that pool/extensions are legal, and that the cadastral description matches reality.
Review and negotiate the arras contract and represent you at completion (in person or by power of attorney).

Expect lawyer's fees of around 1% of the purchase price (+ VAT), often with a sensible minimum.

Taxes and fees when buying property in Costa Blanca (2026)

This is where buyers most often get the numbers wrong, so here are the current rates for the Comunidad Valenciana, which covers Jávea and the whole Costa Blanca North. The big variable is whether you are buying a resale home or a brand-new one from a developer.

Resale (second-hand) property — you pay ITP

The transfer tax, ITP (Impuesto de Transmisiones Patrimoniales), changed on 1 June 2026 (Ley 5/2025). The Comunidad Valenciana now applies:

9% on the price up to €1,000,000
11% on any portion above €1,000,000

Reduced rates exist — for example 8% for a habitual residence bought by an under-35 first-time buyer up to €180,000, and 4% for large families or buyers with a disability of 65%+ — but the 9% general rate is what most international buyers of a holiday or second home will pay.

New-build property — you pay IVA + AJD

Buying new from a developer, you pay VAT (IVA) at 10% instead of ITP, plus stamp duty (AJD) at 1.4% on the deed. So a new-build carries roughly 11.4% in purchase tax versus 9% on an equivalent resale.

The other costs (both cases)

Cost	Who pays	Typical amount
Transfer tax — ITP (resale)	Buyer	9% (up to €1M)
VAT (IVA) + AJD (new-build)	Buyer	10% + 1.4%
Independent lawyer	Buyer	~1% + VAT
Notary fees	Buyer	€600–€1,200
Land Registry	Buyer	€400–€800
Gestoría (admin/filing)	Buyer	€300–€500
Mortgage costs (if any)	Buyer	valuation + ~AJD on the mortgage deed
Plusvalía municipal	Seller (normally)	varies

As a rule of thumb, budget roughly 10–13% on top of the purchase price for a resale, and 12–14% for a new-build, to cover tax and all the fees.

Worked example: a €600,000 resale villa in Jávea

ITP at 9% — €54,000
Lawyer at 1% + VAT — **€7,260**
Notary, Land Registry, gestoría — ~€2,000
Total costs ≈ €63,000, so you need about €663,000 all-in for a €600,000 villa.

Can I get a mortgage in Spain as a non-resident?

Yes, Spanish banks lend to non-residents, including in the Costa Blanca where it is routine. The terms are simply tighter than for residents:

Loan-to-value: typically 60–70% of the lower of price or bank valuation. In practice plan for a deposit of 30–40% of the price, plus the 10–13% of costs above in cash.
Term: usually up to 25 years, often to be repaid by age 70–75.
Rate: non-residents pay slightly higher rates than residents; fixed and variable options exist.
What the bank wants: passport and NIE, last 2–3 years of tax returns, recent payslips or company accounts, bank statements, and proof of existing debts. The bank runs its own valuation (tasación).

For a €600,000 villa at 65% LTV, expect to fund around €210,000 deposit + ~€63,000 costs ≈ €273,000 of your own money, with the bank lending the remaining €390,000.

The buying process, step by step

Reservation. Once you have agreed a price, a small reservation deposit (commonly €3,000–€6,000) takes the property off the market while your lawyer starts the checks.

Due diligence. Your lawyer pulls the nota simple, confirms ownership and that the property is free of debts and charges, and checks licences and legality. This is the stage that protects you — never skip it.

Arras contract. The contrato de arras is the binding private contract. You normally pay 10% of the price. Under the usual arras penitenciales, if the buyer pulls out they lose the deposit; if the seller pulls out they pay back double. Completion date and conditions are fixed here.

Completion at the notary. On the agreed day you (or your lawyer by power of attorney) sign the escritura pública before the notary, pay the balance — usually by bank cheque — and receive the keys. The notary certifies the transfer on the spot.

Registration and taxes. Within the legal deadline the purchase taxes are paid and the deed is lodged at the Land Registry (Registro de la Propiedad) in your name. Your lawyer or gestoría handles the filing.

After you complete: what to set up

Utilities and direct debits — transfer water, electricity and the community fees to your name.
Padrón — if Jávea becomes a main home, register on the town's padrón municipal.
Ongoing taxes — annual IBI (council tax), community fees, and, as a non-resident owner, the annual non-resident income tax (IRNR), even if you do not rent the property out. If you let it short-term, you will also need the tourist-rental registration.

How Elia Living helps international buyers in Jávea

Most of the agencies you will find online represent the seller. We work the other way round: as a boutique, multilingual agency based in Jávea, we sit on the buyer's side and run the purchase end to end — in English, Spanish, Dutch, German and French. That means shortlisting the right properties, coordinating your independent lawyer, the NIE and the bank, being present at the notary, and handling the handover and the setup afterwards. One team, one point of contact, from first viewing to keys.

If you are thinking about buying on the Costa Blanca North, talk to us first — we will tell you honestly what your budget buys, what it will really cost all-in, and which areas of Jávea fit how you want to live.