Residency, property, healthcare, driving, schooling and money — the paperwork of Spanish life explained in plain English, with the costs and deadlines that actually apply in Murcia.
Practical guides
Buying a property
Spanish purchases run in three stages: a reservation contract (typically €3,000–€6,000, taking the property off the market), a private purchase contract (contrato de arras) at 10% of the price, then completion (escritura) before a notary. Under the arras penitenciales rules of the Civil Code, a buyer who pulls out loses the deposit and a seller who pulls out repays double.
1Get your NIE — you cannot complete without one.
2Instruct an independent solicitor before you pay any reservation fee.
3Nota simple check at the Land Registry: ownership, debts, charges, boundaries.
4Check the licence of first occupation (new build) or habitation certificate, plus community fee and IBI receipts.
5Notary signing, then registration of the deed and change of utility direct debits.
Resale transfer tax (ITP) in Murcia
8% of the declared value
New build
10% IVA + 1.5% stamp duty (AJD)
Notary, registry, gestoría
roughly 1–2%
Budget on top of price
10–13% resale, 12–14% new build
Selling a property
Sellers need the title deed, a valid energy performance certificate (EPC), the latest IBI and rubbish receipts, community fee certificate showing no debt, and utility bills. Non-resident sellers have 3% of the sale price withheld at the notary (Modelo 211) as an advance on capital gains tax, reclaimable via Modelo 210 within three months.
1Order the EPC (certificado energético) — legally required before advertising.
2Request the community certificate confirming fees are up to date.
3Agree the estate agency commission in writing (commonly 3–5% plus IVA).
4Settle plusvalía municipal — the council tax on the increase in land value, paid by the seller.
5Reclaim the 3% retention if your actual gain is lower than the withholding.
Capital gains — residents
19–28% on the gain (2026 scale)
Capital gains — non-residents
19% for EU/EEA, 24% otherwise
Non-resident retention
3% of sale price at completion
Over-65 main home relief
gain can be exempt if resident 3+ years
NIE, TIE and residency
The NIE (Número de Identidad de Extranjero) is your Spanish tax and identification number and is needed to buy, work, inherit or open most bank accounts. Residency is separate: EU citizens register on the Registro Central de Extranjeros and receive the green certificate; non-EU citizens (including UK nationals since Brexit) need a visa first, then a TIE card.
1Book a cita previa online at the Oficina de Extranjería (Cartagena or Murcia for the Mar Menor).
2Complete the EX-15 form for a standalone NIE, or EX-18/EX-17 for residency.
3Pay the Modelo 790 tax fee at any bank before your appointment.
4Take your passport, photocopies, proof of address (padrón) and proof of income or health cover.
5Register on the padrón at your town hall — it unlocks healthcare, schools and residency renewals.
Non-lucrative visa income (2026 guide)
approx. €2,400/month plus €600 per dependant
Digital nomad visa
remote work for non-Spanish companies, 3 years renewable
Green certificate / TIE
temporary 5 years, then permanent
90/180 rule
applies to non-residents without a visa
Driving licence & your car
Once you are resident in Spain you must drive on a Spanish licence. EU/EEA licences are exchanged at the Jefatura Provincial de Tráfico in Murcia. UK licences are exchangeable under the UK–Spain agreement in force since 2023 without re-sitting a test. Importing a car means paying registration tax and getting Spanish plates within 30 days of residency.
1Book a cita previa at Tráfico and complete form Solicitud de canje.
2Obtain a psicotécnico medical certificate from a centro de reconocimiento de conductores.
3Provide padrón, TIE/green certificate, passport and your original licence.
4For a car import: ITV inspection, Modelo 576 registration tax, Modelo 06 exemption if applicable.
5Then apply for Spanish plates (matriculación) and Spanish insurance.
Exchange fee
approx. €30 (Modelo 790-002)
Medical certificate
€40–€60
Licence validity
10 years to age 65, then 5
Import deadline
30 days after becoming resident
Registering with a doctor
State healthcare in Murcia is run by the Servicio Murciano de Salud. Once you have a social security number, or an S1 form as a UK state pensioner, register at your local centro de salud with your padrón to be assigned a GP (médico de cabecera) and issued a tarjeta sanitaria.
1Get a social security number (número de afiliación) from the Tesorería General.
2S1 holders register the form at the INSS office first.
3Take padrón, TIE/green certificate and passport to your centro de salud.
4Ask about the English-speaking service — common in Los Alcázares and San Javier.
5Download the Sanidad Murcia app for appointments and prescriptions.
Local health centres
Los Alcázares, San Javier, San Pedro, Torre Pacheco
Hospitals
Los Arcos del Mar Menor (San Javier), Santa Lucía (Cartagena)
Emergency number
112
Convenio especial
€60/month under 65, €157/month over 65
Healthcare & private insurance
State cover comes through employment, self-employment (autónomo), an S1 pension form, or paying into the convenio especial. Non-lucrative visa applicants must show full private cover with no co-payments. Many residents keep private policies for faster specialists and English-speaking clinics.
1Check which route gives you state cover before you apply for residency.
2Compare policies for co-payment (copago) versus full cover — visas require no copago.
4Keep the EHIC/GHIC only for visits, not residency.
Typical private premium
€50–€120 per month per adult
Visa requirement
full cover, no co-payment, Spanish authorised insurer
Waiting periods
commonly 6–10 months for surgery
Opening a bank account
Non-resident accounts require a certificado de no residencia (renewed every two years) and usually carry higher fees; resident accounts are cheaper but need your TIE or green certificate. Your Spanish account is where utilities, IBI, community fees and insurance direct debits land.
1Take passport, NIE, padrón (residents), and proof of income or employment.
2Compare monthly maintenance fees — €0 to €15 per month is the normal range.
3Set up direct debits (domiciliaciones) for water, electricity, IBI and community fees.
4Ask about non-resident mortgage terms if you need finance: typically 60–70% loan to value.
Non-residency certificate
approx. €15–€25, valid 2 years
Mortgage LTV
up to 80% residents, 60–70% non-residents
Cash declaration
€10,000+ must be declared at the border
Costs & taxes
Residents (183+ days in Spain) declare worldwide income on the Renta each spring. Non-resident owners file Modelo 210 annually — even if the property is never rented, an imputed income is taxed. Owning also brings IBI, rubbish charges, community fees and, in some cases, wealth tax.
1Diarise the Renta window: roughly April to 30 June each year.
2Non-residents: Modelo 210 by 31 December for imputed income; quarterly if you rent out.
3Report foreign assets over €50,000 on Modelo 720 if you are tax resident.
4Check the Spain–UK double taxation treaty before moving pensions or investments.
IBI (council tax)
typically €300–€900 a year on the Mar Menor
Community fees
€40–€150 a month depending on pools and gardens
Non-resident imputed tax
19% EU / 24% non-EU on 1.1–2% of cadastral value
Rental income
EU residents may deduct expenses; non-EU cannot
Schools & education
State schooling is free and available to any child registered on the padrón, regardless of the parents' residency status. The Mar Menor also has bilingual state schools and private international schools around San Javier and Torre Pacheco.
1Register on the padrón, then apply during the March–April admission window.
2Provide birth certificate, vaccination record and previous school reports (sworn translation may be required).
3Ask about the aula de acogida language support for new arrivals.
Compulsory ages
6 to 16 (ESO), then Bachillerato
State school cost
free; books and materials €150–€400 a year
International schools
approx. €400–€800 a month
Bringing pets & removals
Cats, dogs and ferrets travel on an animal health certificate (or EU pet passport) with a microchip and a rabies vaccination given at least 21 days before travel. Household removals from outside the EU can be duty-free under the change-of-residence relief if you have owned the goods for six months.
1Microchip first, then rabies vaccine — in that order, or it does not count.
2AHC issued within 10 days of travel for non-EU departures.
3Register the pet with a Murcia vet and on the regional animal register within a month.
4For removals, apply for the change-of-residence customs exemption before shipping.
Rabies wait
21 days minimum before travel
Dog census
town hall registration required
Insurance
third-party liability cover is now compulsory for dogs
Utilities & setting up home
Electricity is supplied by Iberdrola and others under a regulated (PVPC) or free-market tariff; water is municipal. Contracts change into your name (cambio de titular) with your NIE, bank details and the property's supply numbers (CUPS for electricity).
1Get the CUPS number from the previous owner's bill.
2Choose your contracted power (potencia) carefully — it drives the standing charge.
3Register with the town hall for rubbish (basura) and the water company.
4Fibre broadband is available in most Mar Menor towns from around €30 a month.
Electricity
€60–€140 a month typical for a 2-bed
Water
€25–€50 a quarter plus usage
Broadband + mobile
€30–€50 a month bundled
Wills, inheritance & legal help
A Spanish will covering your Spanish assets makes probate far faster and cheaper for your family, and under EU Regulation 650/2012 you can elect the law of your nationality to govern your estate. Never rely on the seller's or developer's lawyer — always instruct your own independent solicitor.
1Sign a Spanish will before a notary; it is registered centrally in Madrid.
2Elect your national law in the will if you want it to apply.
3Consider a power of attorney (poder notarial) so your solicitor can complete on your behalf.
4Check Murcia's inheritance tax reliefs — spouses and children benefit from a 99% deduction.
Spanish will
typically €150–€300 including notary
Inheritance tax deadline
6 months from death (extendable)
Murcia relief
99% deduction for spouses, children and parents
Getting a Spanish mortgage
Non-residents can usually borrow up to 70% of the bank's valuation (or the purchase price, whichever is lower); Spanish tax residents can often reach 80%. Banks work to an affordability rule of roughly 30–35% of your net monthly income for all debt repayments combined, and most lenders cap the term so it ends by age 70–75. Fixed, variable (Euríbor-linked) and mixed rates are all available, and the valuation must be carried out by a Bank of Spain-approved appraiser.
1Get a decision in principle before you reserve — it sets your realistic budget.
2Gather passport, NIE, last 2 payslips or 2 years of accounts, 6 months of bank statements, tax returns and a credit report.
3Have the property valued (tasación) by an approved appraiser.
4Compare offers: the bank must give you a binding FEIN/FiAE offer at least 10 days before signing.
5Pre-signing visit to the notary, then complete the mortgage and purchase on the same day.
Typical non-resident loan-to-value
up to 70%
Resident loan-to-value
up to 80%
Affordability rule
30–35% of net income
Valuation fee
roughly €300–€600
Figures are guides for the Región de Murcia and change with national and regional budgets. This is general information, not legal or financial advice — always confirm your own situation with a qualified Spanish solicitor or gestor.
Recommended legal partner
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