Documents you need to sell a house in Spain (Valencia region)
To sell a property in the Valencia region you need your title deeds, a recent land registry extract (nota simple), your latest IBI bill, a certificate from the community of owners, an energy certificate and, if the occupancy licence is more than ten years old, a second occupancy declaration. Here is what each one is, who issues it, how long it takes and which ones are mandatory.
- You can’t sign without your title deeds, a community debt certificate and a registered energy certificate.
- Get a recent nota simple and your latest IBI bill from day one: they save surprises later.
- In the Valencia region, if more than ten years have passed since the last occupancy licence, a sale means renewing it through a second occupancy declaration.
- Inherited homes, mortgaged homes and non-resident sellers need extra paperwork. Better to know before you list.
What paperwork do I need to sell my property in Spain?
This is the full checklist for a resale home. Timings are a rough guide: they depend on the town hall, the technician and the community of owners.
| Document | Who issues it | How long it takes | Mandatory? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Title deeds (escritura) | Notary (you hold it or request a copy) | Immediate if you have it; a few days for a copy | Yes |
| Nota simple | Land Registry (Registro de la Propiedad) | Online, usually within hours | Not for you, but strongly advised |
| Latest IBI bill | Town hall or the body that collects it | Immediate | Advisable: it gives the cadastral reference |
| Community debt certificate | Community secretary or administrator, approved by the president | 7 calendar days at most | Yes, unless the buyer waives it |
| Energy performance certificate | Qualified technician; registered with the Generalitat | A few days, plus registration | Yes, and before advertising |
| Second occupancy | Town hall (declaration plus technician’s certificate) | The council has 10 working days to review it | Yes, if the last licence is over 10 years old |
| Electricity, water and gas bills | The utility companies | Immediate | No, but buyers will ask |
| Plusvalía (municipal capital gains tax) | You declare it at the town hall | 30 working days from completion | Yes |
Title deeds and the nota simple: proving the home is yours
Your title deeds (escritura) are the document under which you bought, inherited or were given the property. If you can’t find yours, don’t worry: you can ask the notary who signed them for a copy, or the notarial archive if that notary has retired. Keep them to hand, because they hold the property’s description, how you acquired it and the square metres on record.
The nota simple is an extract from the Land Registry. It shows who is registered as the owner, how the property is described and what charges it carries: a mortgage, an embargo, a usufruct. You order it online from the Registradores website and it costs €9.02 per property, plus VAT.
The law doesn’t make you produce one, and the notary will request their own information from the Registry before completion. Even so, it pays to order it at the start. If there’s an old mortgage that was never cancelled or a mistake in the owners’ names, you want to know before viewings, not a week before the notary.
If the square metres, the owners or the description don’t match, get it corrected before you sell. It’s far easier to fix calmly than with a buyer waiting.
IBI and the community certificate: no debts left behind
Your latest IBI bill (the annual property tax) does two jobs. It gives the cadastral reference the notary needs for the deed, and it shows you’re up to date. IBI debts follow the property, not the person: if bills are left unpaid, the home is liable for them even after it changes hands. That’s why the notary checks and warns the buyer about any outstanding IBI.
If your home is in a block or an urbanisation with a community of owners, you need the community debt certificate. It’s signed by the secretary, often the property administrator, with the president’s approval, and they have a maximum of seven calendar days to issue it once you ask.
The law is clear: without that certificate the deed can’t be signed, unless the buyer expressly waives it. And it isn’t in their interest to do so, because the property remains liable for unpaid fees from the current year and the three years before.
The energy performance certificate
A qualified technician visits the home and gives it a rating from A to G based on its energy use. The certificate is then registered with the regional government (Generalitat). The buyer must receive a copy of the registered certificate, which is attached to the sale contract.
Something many sellers don’t realise: the energy label must appear in all advertising, including property portals and the «for sale» sign. So you need it before you list the home, not just before completion.
It’s valid for ten years at most. If the home is rated G, validity drops to five years. If you already have one, check the date before assuming it still counts.
The second occupancy licence (segunda ocupación) in the Valencia region
This is the document that raises the most questions, and it’s specific to this region. Valencian building law says that once ten years have passed since the occupancy licence was granted, it must be renewed in two cases: when the home is sold for the second time or more, and when a new water, electricity or gas contract is needed. If the home never had an occupancy licence, it’s required in those two cases too.
Since 23 February 2021 it is no longer a licence you wait for. It’s a declaración responsable (a formal self-declaration) filed with the town hall, together with a technician’s certificate confirming the home is still fit for use. That certificate is valid for three months from signing. The council then has ten working days to review the paperwork and may carry out an inspection.
The owner is the one who must apply. In practice, it’s worth agreeing in the reservation contract (contrato de arras) who will handle it, because the buyer will need it to put the utilities in their name.
If you bought your home more than ten years ago, plan for the second occupancy from the start. It’s a simple process, but it needs a technician and a few days.
Utility bills and the plusvalía tax
Electricity, water and gas bills aren’t needed to sign, but buyers will ask for them. They show what the home costs to run and make the change of account holder easy, with no hunting for contract numbers at the last minute.
The plusvalía municipal (tax on the increase in urban land value) is paid by the seller. You have 30 working days from completion to declare it at the town hall, along with the sale deed. Each town hall decides in its by-laws whether it issues the bill or you self-assess.
If you sell for less than you paid, there may be nothing to pay. But you still have to declare the sale and provide both the purchase deed and the sale deed to prove it. Another reason to know where your original deeds are.
Extra documents: inherited homes, mortgages and non-resident sellers
If you inherited the property. Before selling, the inheritance must be accepted and allocated in a notarised deed, with inheritance tax settled. It’s also advisable to register it in your name at the Land Registry, so the nota simple already shows you as the owner. There’s also plusvalía on the inheritance itself, with its own deadline: six months from the death, extendable to a year on request. I cover this in more detail in selling inherited property in Spain.
If there’s a mortgage. Ask your bank for a certificate of the outstanding balance dated close to completion. The usual approach is to pay the mortgage off on the day of the sale, from the buyer’s money, and then cancel it at the Land Registry as well. The full process is in selling a property with a mortgage.
If you’re not resident in Spain. You need an NIE (foreigner’s identification number): the notary must record the tax number of everyone signing a property deed. On top of that, the buyer has to withhold 3% of the price and pay it to the Spanish tax agency on form 211 within one month, as a payment on account of your tax. If you’re a non-resident individual, the buyer also becomes responsible for the plusvalía before the town hall. If you can’t travel for the signing, see how to go about selling property in Spain from abroad.
The NIE, the second occupancy or a bank certificate can take longer than you’d expect. Have them ready before you list, and the sale won’t stall when the buyer turns up.
At maXcasa we handle the paperwork for the sale: NIE, notary and taxes. And if you’d first like to know what your home is worth, start with a valuation.
Frequently asked questions
Can I sell my house in Spain without an energy certificate? +
No. It’s mandatory for a sale, the rating must appear in the advertising and the buyer must receive a copy of the registered certificate.
How long does the community certificate take? +
Seven calendar days at most from when you ask the secretary or administrator.
Does a nota simple expire? +
It has no expiry date, but it only reflects the Registry on the day it’s issued. For a sale, order a recent one.
Who pays plusvalía when selling a house in Spain? +
The seller. If the seller is a non-resident individual, the buyer is responsible for it as a substitute before the town hall.
Do I need second occupancy if my home is new? +
No, as long as fewer than ten years have passed since the first occupancy licence and there have been no works that alter the home or change its use.
Founder of maXcasa International. Thirty years buying and selling homes on the Costa Blanca North, with clients from all over Europe.
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