Notary fees in Spain when buying real estate – broken down simply and clearly

The financial costs of buying a property also include notary fees. The notary is a central figure when buying a property, as they ensure that the transaction is carried out properly and that you are legally registered as the owner of the property. Similar to choosing a valuer, you are free to choose the notary. But what exactly are these costs? Here are the details:

Who pays the notary when buying real estate?

Like so many things in the real estate sector, the payment of notary fees is clearly regulated in Spain. Article 1455 of the Código Civil stipulates:

“The costs of issuing the deed shall be borne by the seller, and the costs of the first and other copies after the sale shall be borne by the buyer, unless otherwise agreed.”

• The seller bears the costs of drawing up the public deed (Escritura Pública).
• The buyer shall bear the costs for copies and follow-up documents – unless both parties agree otherwise.

In practice, however, things usually look different. Over the years, it has become customary for the buyer to select the notary, set the notary appointment and also pay the entire notary fees. This is an informal arrangement that has become established for practical reasons.

Or to put it simply: whoever appoints the notary also pays the bill.

Calculation of notary fees

Factors that influence costs

Document type: purchase agreement, mortgage, will, gift, etc. Value of the transaction: Fees are calculated according to the above scale. Number of pages and copies: The more extensive the document, the higher the costs.

Notary fees for the notarization of a property

The notary’s fees for drawing up the deed of sale are set by Royal Decree 1426/1989. This means that the costs are largely standardized throughout Spain. Differences may arise due to service quality and possible discounts.

Staggering of notary fees

• If the value of the property or right does not exceed 6,010.12 euros: 90.151816 euros
• For the amount between 6,010.13 and 30,050.61 euros: 4.5 ‰ (per thousand)
• For the amount between 30,050.62 and 60,101.21 euros: 1.50 ‰ (per thousand)
• For the amount between 60,101.22 and 150,253.03 euros: 1 ‰ (per thousand)
• For the amount between 150,253.04 and 601,012.10 euros: 0.5 ‰ (per thousand)
• For the amount exceeding 601,012.10 euros to 6,010,121.04 euros: 0.3 ‰ (per thousand)
• For amounts exceeding EUR 6,010,121.04, the notary shall receive the amount freely agreed with the parties.

Discounts:

• Statutory discount: 5 %
• Additional discount: 5%(Royal Decree 8/2010)

Costs for copies of the certificate

-Certified copy: €3.01 per page (half price from the 12th page). -Simplecopy: € 0.60 per page.

Costs for registration in the Land Registry (Registro de la Propiedad)

The registration costs for the notarial deed at the Land Registry are also regulated by law(Royal Decree 1427/1989) and range from €24.04 to €2,181.67, depending on the value of the property. For the registration of each property or right, the amounts are calculated according to the following scales:

• If the value of the property or right does not exceed EUR 6,010.12: EUR 24.04.
• For the amount between €6,010.13 and €30,050.61: 1.75 per €1,000.
• For the amount between €30,050.62 and €60,101.21: 1.25 per €1,000.
• For the amount between €60,101.22 and €150,253.03: 0.75 per €1,000.
• For the amount between €150,253.04 and €601,012.10: 0.30 per €1,000.
• For the value exceeding € 601,012.10: 0.20 per € 1,000.

It is important to emphasize that the minimum cost of registration is 24.04 euros and the maximum is 2,181.67 euros.