Can Americans buy a house in Spain?

Buying

The purchase is the same as for any other buyer. You need an NIE number, a Spanish bank account and an independent lawyer. You can do all of it from the United States. To do that, give your lawyer a power of attorney, signed before a notary and legalised with an apostille.

How long you can stay

Without a visa, a US citizen can spend 90 days in any 180 in the Schengen area. The non-lucrative visa suits people who will not work in Spain. In 2026 you need an income of 28,800 euros a year for it. The digital nomad visa suits people who work remotely for a US employer or clients. Buying a home no longer leads to a residence permit, because the golden visa ended on 3 April 2025.

What the IRS wants to know

The United States taxes its citizens on income from anywhere in the world. Rent from a Spanish home goes on your US tax return. So does any gain when you sell. You can usually credit tax paid in Spain against the US tax. You must report a Spanish bank account on an FBAR if your foreign accounts together pass 10,000 dollars at any point in the year. You do not report the home itself on an FBAR.

Spanish tax as a non-resident owner

US residents pay Spanish non-resident tax at 24%. If you rent the home out, you pay it on the full rent. If you do not, you pay it on a notional income.

Mortgages

Spanish banks lend non-residents about 60% to 70% of the value. Some banks are slow to open accounts for US citizens because of American reporting rules. Start with the bank early.

Moving dollars

You pay the price in euros. A currency broker can fix the exchange rate between the private contract and completion. Then the dollar cannot move against you in those weeks.