Blog on Spanish law

Category: Interesting topics

  • Buying property in Spain from a bank- Initial tips

                      These days, as a result of the economic situation and the increase of people who do not pay their mortgagees, the banks have gathered a huge housing stock and, sometimes, these kinds of properties, which have been acquired by way of foreclosing procedures, are offered for…

  • WHAT IS THE ENERGY PERFORMANCE CERTIFICATE (CERTIFICADO DE EFICIENCIA ENERGETICA)?

                      From June 1st the Energy Performance Certificate will be required in all contracts of sale or rental in Spain. This regulation comes from a European Directive and it is already in force in other EU countries. This certificate analyzes the demand and energy consumption of a…

  • Can I renounce to an inheritance in Spain?

                    In most occassions, inheriting from a dead relative or friend comes associated with an increase in wealth. The heir or beneficiary inherits the assets or money that the deceased had and once the inheritance tax is paid, which sometimes can prove very expensive, the heir is left with…

  • How to set up a Spanish company

                      “Spain will be the next Germany!” This was the headline in “EL PAIS” last week, a popular Spanish newspaper. Is this true? Well, even though the headline may be exaggerated in my opinion, there are grounds for optimism as recent labour reforms will  benefit business development…

  • Can I complete the purchase of a property in Spain without a NIE?

      In a clear homage to my youngest daughter’s favourite cartoon: yes you can! I am talking about NIEs and not laying bricks but contrariliy to what happens in the Bob the Builder’s cartoons, the lack of NIE will not necessarily lead to a happy ending. A NIE number (tax number for non-residents who either…

  • What is a “cedula hipotecaria”?

    You may have heard about the “cedulas hipotecarias” or covered bonds. A “Covered Bond” is a financial product guaranteed by the whole mortgage portfolio of the bank itself with an interest linked to it. This is a safe product in a normal economic climate and it could be quite profitable (in fact, during the property…

  • Fire in the Costa del Sol- How do I claim for losses and damages?

    You may have heard about the terrible fire that affected the Costa del Sol last week. The fire started on August 30th at 7 pm somewhere between Coin and Mijas (Barranco Blanco area) and it spread towards other towns such as Marbella, Ojen, Monda.  The fire stretched out with a length of over 30 km among five municipalities: Alhaurín el…

  • Spanish Consulate in Edinburgh- Powers of attorney

                I have received several phone calls in the last few weeks asking me whether it would be possible to sign a power of attorney at the Spanish Consulate in Edinburgh. My understanding is that a new Consul will arrive shortly, probably in the next two weeks. Until such time,…

  • Changes in obtaining NIE in Spain

    Good news! There has been a relevant development in Spain and from now on it is possible, again, to apply for a NIE numbers in Spain through a representative.  This means that those British nationals who require a NIE in Spain can give power of attorney to someone based in Spain and enable him or…

  • Lets talk about gifts

          In this space I have talked about wills and inheritances very often but never, as far as I can recall, about gifts. Is it generally a good idea to gift assets in Spain? The answer is also generally no. Why? For one simple reason: taxes.   A gift will always be subject to gift tax…