Buyers of new-build property in Spain routinely budget only for the listed price. In practice, you will pay between 12% and 14% on top of that figure in taxes, notary fees, land-registry charges and legal costs. The exact percentages vary by region and price bracket — and the absolute amounts become significant quickly.
Which costs are mandatory on a new-build in Spain?
New-build sales — a property sold for the first time by the developer — are subject to different taxes than resale transactions.
IVA (VAT): 10% of the purchase price. This is the national rate for residential property and applies to all new-build sales across Spain.
Actos Jurídicos Documentados (AJD / stamp duty): Between 0.5% and 1.5%, depending on the autonomous community. In the Comunitat Valenciana (covering Costa Blanca, Benidorm, Benissa and Orihuela Costa) the rate is 1.5%. In the Región de Murcia (covering Mazarrón) it is also 1.5%.
Notary fees: Set by statute on a sliding scale based on the purchase price; typically €800–€2,000 for properties in the price ranges covered here.
Land-registry fees (Registro de la Propiedad): A standard rule of thumb is 60–70% of the notary fee, so roughly €500–€1,400.
Legal advice (gestor/lawyer): Not a legal requirement, but advisable as standard practice. Typical fee: €1,500–€3,000 for a straightforward purchase.
NIE number: Every foreign buyer must hold a Número de Identificación de Extranjeros before signing the escritura (notarial deed). Applications go through the Spanish National Police or a consulate; the official fee is a few tens of euros, though a lawyer will charge additionally for handling the application on your behalf.
Slim Tower — Benidorm, €403,950
Slim Tower is an apartment complex in Benidorm offering two-bedroom units with a communal pool, priced at €403,950. Applying the standard cost model to that purchase price:
- IVA 10%: €40,395
- AJD 1.5% (Comunitat Valenciana): €6,059
- Notary + land registry (estimate): ±€2,500
- Legal fees (estimate): ±€2,000
Total additional costs: approximately €51,000, which is just under 13% of the purchase price. The all-in acquisition cost is therefore approximately €455,000.
Benidorm has established infrastructure for international buyers: the municipality runs a translation service at the town hall, and several Dutch-speaking legal firms operate in the area.
Silver Views — Mazarrón, €249,900
Silver Views in Mazarrón is a two-bedroom townhouse priced at €249,900. Mazarrón falls within the Región de Murcia.
- IVA 10%: €24,990
- AJD 1.5% (Región de Murcia): €3,749
- Notary + land registry (estimate): ±€1,800
- Legal fees (estimate): ±€1,500
Total additional costs: approximately €32,000, or around 13% of the purchase price. The Región de Murcia applies the same AJD rate as the Comunitat Valenciana, so the overall percentage is comparable.
Mazarrón is approximately 55 kilometres from Murcia-Corvera Airport (RMU), the principal airport serving this area.
Residencial Mar Egeo I-II Adosados — La Finca Golf, €475,000–€573,000
This project at La Finca Golf, in the municipality of Orihuela, offers three-bedroom townhouses with private pools, priced between €475,000 and €573,000. The price range matters for cost planning: at the maximum price of €573,000 the figures break down as follows:
- IVA 10%: €57,300
- AJD 1.5%: €8,595
- Notary + land registry (estimate): ±€2,800
- Legal fees (estimate): ±€2,500
Total additional costs at the maximum price: approximately €71,200. At the minimum price of €475,000 the same items come to approximately €58,600. The difference between the cheapest and most expensive unit in this project therefore translates into a difference of over €12,000 in additional costs alone.
La Finca Golf is inland within Orihuela Costa, approximately 20 kilometres from the beach at Guardamar del Segura.
Oasis 004 — Benissa, €2,250,000
Oasis 004 is a four-bedroom villa in Benissa, priced at €2,250,000.
- IVA 10%: €225,000
- AJD 1.5%: €33,750
- Notary + land registry (estimate): ±€5,000
- Legal fees (estimate): ±€4,000
Total additional costs: approximately €268,000, which is close to 12% of the purchase price. At higher price points the fixed components — notary, registry, legal — shrink as a percentage, while the tax element remains proportional.
Benissa is also within the Comunitat Valenciana and sits approximately 25 kilometres from Alicante-Elche Airport (ALC).
Villas la Zenia — Orihuela Costa, €3,500,000
Villas la Zenia in Orihuela Costa is a five-bedroom villa priced at €3,500,000.
- IVA 10%: €350,000
- AJD 1.5%: €52,500
- Notary + land registry (estimate): ±€6,000
- Legal fees (estimate): ±€5,000
Total additional costs: approximately €413,500. Orihuela Costa falls within the province of Alicante and the Comunitat Valenciana.
Off-plan vs key-ready: when the taxes fall due
On a new-build, IVA is not paid in a single lump sum at reservation. The typical structure is a reservation deposit (often €6,000–€10,000), followed by 20–30% during the construction period, with the balance paid at the escritura. IVA is due on each payment at the time it is made. AJD is payable solely at the escritura.
For off-plan purchases this means spreading the tax payments across the construction timeline in your liquidity planning — they do not all fall due at completion.
Practical steps for the foreign buyer
- Apply for your NIE before making any contractual payment.
- Open a Spanish bank account — required for utility direct debits and generally requested by the notary.
- Sign the reservation contract (contrato de reserva) after your lawyer has reviewed the project documentation.
- Sign the purchase agreement (contrato de arras or contrato privado de compraventa) setting out the payment schedule.
- Complete the escritura at the notary, followed by land-registry entry and payment of AJD.
The total timeline from reservation to escritura on a new-build depends on construction progress. For key-ready properties the process typically takes six to twelve weeks.
