The land registry (Registro de la Propiedad) is where Spain records who owns what, and with what charges. For a buyer, it is the most important source of information before an offer, and the strongest protection after signing.
What is it for?
Each property has its own entry (finca registral) showing its owner, its official description and the charges on it: mortgages, seizures, easements, rights of use. Registries are organised by area; on the Costa Brava, each town comes under a specific registry.
The nota simple: your first reflex
Before any offer, we request a recent nota simple. This short document, obtained online within a few hours, lets us check that the seller really is the owner and that the property is free of charges, or which ones must be cleared before the sale. We cross-check it with the cadastre and the reality on the ground: a house registered at 120 m² that actually measures 180 m² raises a planning question. These checks are part of our checklist before any offer.
Land registry and cadastre: two different things
The cadastre (Catastro) is a tax record: it describes the property physically and is used to calculate the IBI and the reference value. The registry is legal: it protects ownership. The two are not always up to date with each other, and any differences should be explained before you buy.
After signing: registration
Registering your purchase is not compulsory, but in practice it is essential: it makes your ownership enforceable against third parties and protects your title. The gestoría lodges the deed once the purchase tax has been paid; registration usually takes a few weeks. The steps are detailed in our article after the signing.
What is in the registry protects you. What is not must be checked elsewhere, before you sign.
