Service - Lieb & Partner Real Estate

Everythink you need to know when buying a proberty in Mallorca and how we can support you.

A beautiful island, over 300 days of sunshine a year and the spectacular mountain and landscape make this the most beautiful island in the Mediterranean.
There is no doubt that anyone who visits this Mediterranean jewel
Mediterranean jewel will be thrilled by it, and will therefore
decides to buy a property. Either you use it as a holiday home or you make it your permanent residence. Are you seriously thinking about buying your dream property in Mallorca, but you are not sure what you need to know?
We are here to help you take your first steps and find your new home or investment.

1. Apply for an NIE number – As a foreigner you need an NIE number (número de identificación de extranjeros), which is required for paying taxes in Spain.

2. Ppen a bank account – Is necessary when buying in Spain. To open an account as a non-resident you will need the following:
• Proof of employment status or place where you receive/move money (employment contract, income tax certificate or a letter confirming your unemployment status, receiving state benefits, etc).
• A valid passport or identity card if you are an EU citizen
• Identification number for foreigners and certificate (número de identificación de extranjerosor NIE)
• A document proving your address in Spain

3. Ask for bank financing in advance – you would like to finance part of the purchase price through a bank? Then you should clarify with your bank in good time whether financing is possible when buying a property on Mallorca.

Preparation before buying

If you do not have sufficient knowledge of Spanish to handle the purchase of a property, you should definitely contact a German-speaking estate agent. At Lieb & Partner we speak and write 5 languages – with us at your side you will avoid communication problems throughout the process. We also inform you about the legal requirements when buying a property in Spain and help you with the preparation before the purchase.

1. NIE-Nummer beantragen – Als Ausländer benötigen Sie eine NIE-Nummer (número de identificación de extranjeros), die für die Zahlung von Steuern in Spanien erforderlich ist.

2. Bankkonto eröffnen – Ist beim Kauf in Spanien notwendig. Um als nicht Ansässiger ein Konto zu eröffnen benötigen Sie Folgendes:
• Nachweis über den Beschäftigungsstatus oder Ort, an dem Sie Geld beziehen/bewegen (Arbeitsvertrag, Einkommenssteuerbescheinigung oder ein Schreiben zur Bestätigung Ihres Arbeitslosenstatus, Beziehen staatlicher Leistungen usw.)
• Ein gültiger Reisepass oder Personalausweis, wenn Sie EU-Bürger sind
• Identifikationsnummer für Ausländer und Bescheinigung (número de identificación de extranjerosor NIE)
• Ein Dokument zum Nachweis Ihrer Adresse in Spanien

3. Bankfinanzierung vorher anfragen – Sie möchten einen Teil des Kaufpreises über eine Bank finanzieren? Dann sollten Sie frühzeitig mit Ihrer Bank klären ob eine Finanzierung beim Kauf einer Immobilie auf Mallorca möglich ist.

1. Apply for an NIE number – As a foreigner you need an NIE number (número de identificación de extranjeros), which is required for paying taxes in Spain.

2. Ppen a bank account – Is necessary when buying in Spain. To open an account as a non-resident you will need the following:
• Proof of employment status or place where you receive/move money (employment contract, income tax certificate or a letter confirming your unemployment status, receiving state benefits, etc).
• A valid passport or identity card if you are an EU citizen
• Identification number for foreigners and certificate (número de identificación de extranjerosor NIE)
• A document proving your address in Spain

3. Ask for bank financing in advance – you would like to finance part of the purchase price through a bank? Then you should clarify with your bank in good time whether financing is possible when buying a property on Mallorca.

The following points are checked with the lawyers:
Land Registry – It will be checked that the property you wish to buy is correctly registered under the seller’s name, with no fees, restrictions or encumbrances.
Town Hall (Ayuntamento) – Check whether criminal proceedings (“infracción”) have been initiated against the property and whether it complies with the building and urban planning regulations in the area where it is located. Check with the town hall whether the payments for the municipal tax, the local business tax (“IBI – Impuesto de Bienes Inmuebles Naturaleza Urbana”) and the fee for waste collection have been paid.
Cadastre – Verify that the property has been properly registered in the cadastre.
Condominium association – If the property is part of a condominium, inquiries are made with the administrator or the president of the municipality about outstanding debts or fees.
Utilities – Expert solicitors will check that there are definitive contracts and no outstanding debts or other circumstances affecting the water or electricity supply after the purchase.
Architect’s report and valuation – If you want to know the approximate market, you can ask for a valuer to prepare a valuation or architect’s report.

You find your dream property?

After informative viewings, you have now found your dream property and come to an agreement with the current owner of the property. At this stage, we recommend that you consult a lawyer. We work with renowned expert lawyers, carry out many legal checks and accompany you to the end.

Folgende Punkte werden mit den Anwälten geprüft:

Grundbuch – Es wird überprüft, ob die Immobilie, die Sie kaufen möchten, unter dem Namen des Verkäufers korrekt registriert ist, ohne Gebühren, Beschränkungen und Belastungen.

Rathaus (Ayuntamento) – Es wird überprüft, ob gegen das Grundstück ein Strafverfahren („infracción“) eingeleitet wurde und ob es den baulichen und städtebaulichen Vorschriften in dem Gebiet entspricht, in dem es sich befindet. Erkundigen Sie sich beim Rathaus, ob die Zahlungen für die Gemeindesteuer, die örtliche Gewerbesteuer („IBI – Impuesto de Bienes Inmuebles Naturaleza Urbana“) und die Gebühr für die Müllabfuhr bezahlt wurden.
Kataster – Vergewisserung, ob das Objekt ordnungsgemäß im Kataster registriert wurde.
Eigentümergemeinschaft – Wenn die Immobilie Teil einer Wohnanlage ist, wird beim Administrator oder beim Präsidenten der Gemeinde nach ausstehenden Schulden oder Gebühren erkundigt.
Versorgungsunternehmen – Die Experten-Anwälte prüfen, dass es endgültige Verträge und keine ausstehenden Schulden oder sonstigen Umstände gibt, die die Wasser- oder Stromversorgung nach dem Kauf beeinträchtigen.
Architektenbericht und Bewertung – Wenn Sie den ungefähren Markt kennen möchten, können Sie um einen Gutachter bitten, eine Bewertung oder einen Architektenbericht zu erstellen.

The following points are checked with the lawyers:
Land Registry – It will be checked that the property you wish to buy is correctly registered under the seller’s name, with no fees, restrictions or encumbrances.
Town Hall (Ayuntamento) – Check whether criminal proceedings (“infracción”) have been initiated against the property and whether it complies with the building and urban planning regulations in the area where it is located. Check with the town hall whether the payments for the municipal tax, the local business tax (“IBI – Impuesto de Bienes Inmuebles Naturaleza Urbana”) and the fee for waste collection have been paid.
Cadastre – Verify that the property has been properly registered in the cadastre.
Condominium association – If the property is part of a condominium, inquiries are made with the administrator or the president of the municipality about outstanding debts or fees.
Utilities – Expert solicitors will check that there are definitive contracts and no outstanding debts or other circumstances affecting the water or electricity supply after the purchase.
Architect’s report and valuation – If you want to know the approximate market, you can ask for a valuer to prepare a valuation or architect’s report.

In the option contract (contrato de opción de compra), the seller assures the buyer that the property has certain characteristics and meets certain requirements (e.g. building rights, size, technical faultlessness, etc.). These warranted characteristics and conditions are then checked. For this inspection, the parties agree on a certain period of time during which the seller cannot sell the property to anyone else.

The buyer pays a so-called option premium for this, usually amounting to ten percent of the negotiated purchase price. The option premium is usually paid into an escrow account of a lawyer/tax advisor/notary and credited against the purchase price if all the promised properties are also present. Otherwise the buyer gets the money back. Contractual penalties are often agreed. The option contract is more advantageous for the buyer.

Option contract

In practice, it is common to record the purchase of real estate in a private (preliminary) contract. In order to be registered in the land register, however, it is necessary to sign a deed of sale (“escritura”) before a notary. Only this entry in the land register protects the buyer from alleged or actual rights of third parties. As a rule, either an option contract “opción de compra” or a down payment contract “contrato de arras” is concluded as a preliminary contract.

Im Optionsvertrag (contrato de opción de compra) sichert der Verkäufer dem Käufer zu, dass die Immobilie bestimmte Eigenschaften aufweist und Voraussetzungen erfüllt (z.B. Baurecht, Größe, technische Einwandfreiheit etc.). Diese zugesicherten Eigenschaften und Voraussetzungen werden daraufhin überprüft. Für diese Prüfung vereinbaren die Parteien eine bestimmte Zeitspanne, innerhalb welcher der Verkäufer die Immobilie an niemand anderen verkaufen kann.

Der Käufer zahlt dafür eine so genannte Optionsprämie in Höhe von üblicherweise zehn Prozent des verhandelten Kaufpreises. Die Optionsprämie wird in der Regel auf ein Treuhandkonto eines Rechtsanwaltes/Steuerberaters/Notars eingezahlt und auf den Kaufpreis angerechnet, wenn die zugesicherten Eigenschaften auch alle vorliegen. Ansonsten erhält der Käufer das Geld zurück. Vertragsstrafen werden häufig mit vereinbart. Der Optionsvertrag ist vorteilhafter für den Käufer.

In the option contract (contrato de opción de compra), the seller assures the buyer that the property has certain characteristics and meets certain requirements (e.g. building rights, size, technical faultlessness, etc.). These warranted characteristics and conditions are then checked. For this inspection, the parties agree on a certain period of time during which the seller cannot sell the property to anyone else.

The buyer pays a so-called option premium for this, usually amounting to ten percent of the negotiated purchase price. The option premium is usually paid into an escrow account of a lawyer/tax advisor/notary and credited against the purchase price if all the promised properties are also present. Otherwise the buyer gets the money back. Contractual penalties are often agreed. The option contract is more advantageous for the buyer.

All costs of the notarial deed as well as taxes, with the exception of the local tax on the increase in value, are to be borne by the buyer. In addition, 3 % must be withheld from the purchase price if the seller is not a resident in Spain. This is a legally required withholding as an advance payment on the seller’s income tax. This amount must therefore be withheld from the purchase price and paid to the tax office on behalf of the seller.

Procedure of the notary appointment
In Spain, it is usually advisable to rely on your lawyer or estate agent when choosing a notary.
Once the notary has made copies of your identity cards and N.I.E. certificates, he will usually ask you for your address, marital status and, if applicable, your matrimonial property regime. It is very important that you not only tell the notary correctly what your matrimonial property regime is, but that you also tell him whether you have concluded a marriage contract or not.
In Spain, a basic distinction is made between the following matrimonial property regimes:
– Sociedad de gananciales: Community of joint gain
– Separación de beines: Separation of property
– Comunidad de bienes: Community of property

Contract/Notary

The notarial deed of sale is required so that the necessary entry as the new owner can be made in the land register. Only after registration in the land register is the new buyer also protected against third parties. The notarial deed of sale with appendices can easily be over 20 pages long and it is always written in Spanish. Although there are notaries who read out the deed in German at the appointment, it is still advisable to have a German translation available before signing in order to be able to understand the text of the deed exactly.

Sämtliche Kosten der notariellen Beurkundung sowie Steuern gehen mit Ausnahme der örtlichen Wertzuwachssteuer zu Lasten der Käuferseite. Außerdem müssen vom Kaufpreis 3 % einbehalten werden, wenn die Verkäuferseite kein Resident in Spanien ist. Dabei handelt es sich um einen gesetzlich vorgeschriebenen Einbehalt als Vorauszahlung auf die Einkommensteuer der Verkäuferseite. Dieser Betrag muss daher vom Kaufpreis einbehalten und im Namen der Verkäuferseite beim Finanzamt abgeführt werden.

Ablauf des Notartermins
In Spanien ist es meist zu empfehlen, sich bei der Wahl des Notares auf Ihren Anwalt oder Immobilienmaklers zu verlassen.
Sobald der Notarmitarbeiter Kopien Ihrer Personalausweise und N.I.E.- Zertifikate erstellt hat, fragt er Sie meistens nach Ihrer Adresse, Ihrem Familienstand und ggf. nach Ihrem ehelichen Güterrecht. Hierbei ist es sehr wichtig, dass Sie den Notarmitarbeiter nicht nur korrekt Ihr entsprechendes Güterrecht nennen, sondern ihm ebenfalls aufzeigen, ob sie einen Ehevertrag geschlossen haben oder nicht.
In Spanien wird grundsätzlich zwischen den folgenden Güterständen unterschieden:
– Sociedad de gananciales: Zugewinngemeinschaft
– Separación de beines: Gütertrennung
– Comunidad de bienes: Gütergemeinschaft

All costs of the notarial deed as well as taxes, with the exception of the local tax on the increase in value, are to be borne by the buyer. In addition, 3 % must be withheld from the purchase price if the seller is not a resident in Spain. This is a legally required withholding as an advance payment on the seller’s income tax. This amount must therefore be withheld from the purchase price and paid to the tax office on behalf of the seller.

Procedure of the notary appointment
In Spain, it is usually advisable to rely on your lawyer or estate agent when choosing a notary.
Once the notary has made copies of your identity cards and N.I.E. certificates, he will usually ask you for your address, marital status and, if applicable, your matrimonial property regime. It is very important that you not only tell the notary correctly what your matrimonial property regime is, but that you also tell him whether you have concluded a marriage contract or not.
In Spain, a basic distinction is made between the following matrimonial property regimes:
– Sociedad de gananciales: Community of joint gain
– Separación de beines: Separation of property
– Comunidad de bienes: Community of property

How high are the ancillary purchase costs in Mallorca?

Experts recommend calculating 10% to 13% additional costs for the valuation of the property, the notary fees, the entry in the land registry and the corresponding taxes. These costs must be added to the 20% you need in equity. Note that these additional costs also apply if you do not need financing. However, the total amount to be paid depends on whether you are buying a new-build property or a pre-owned property and on the purchase price. Here we summarise the most important incidental costs and taxes when buying a property in Mallorca (2021) for you:

Property purchase – Additional costs:

Land register entry
Taxes
Taxes when buying a new build property in Spain
Real estate transfer tax when buying a property in Spain
Gestoría

Additional costs when taking out a loan

Real estate valuation
Opening fee

We support you at any time with advice and action

Telefon: +49 172 7696666
E-Mail: amir.aziz@liebundpartner.com

Lieb & Partner
Carrer del 31 de Desembre 42
07004 Palma
Illes Balears, Spanien