Immobilienkauf in Spanien als Canadian Staatsbürger

Any Canadian can purchase Spanish property with no restriction; you need a NIE (foreigner's tax number) before completing. Spain abolished the golden visa in April 2025, so property no longer buys residency. The realistic route is the non-lucrative visa (proof of passive income ~€2,400/month plus dependents, no work in Spain), renewable and a path to long-term residence.

As a non-EU non-resident, Spanish rental income (IRNR) is taxed at 24% on GROSS rent with NO deductions for mortgage interest, IBI, community fees or repairs — versus 19% on NET for EU/EEA owners. On a mortgaged, expense-heavy rental this can roughly double the effective Spanish tax; model it before assuming yield.

On a resale, ITP runs ~6% (Madrid) to ~10% (Valencia/Catalonia); the Costa del Sol (Andalucía) is ~7%. New-builds pay 10% IVA + ~1.2% AJD. With notary, registry and an independent bilingual lawyer, budget roughly 10-13% on top of the price. A non-rented second home also attracts a small annual imputed-income tax via Modelo 210.

Canada taxes residents on worldwide income, so Spanish rent is reportable on your Canadian return with foreign-tax-credit relief under the Canada-Spain treaty. If you emigrate, Canada's departure tax (deemed disposition) and loss of principal-residence status on your Canadian home can apply — often a bigger cost than the Spanish purchase taxes. A Spanish property isn't an RRSP/TFSA-eligible asset.

Spanish banks lend to non-resident foreigners at ~60-70% LTV in euros; underwriting Canadian income takes longer. Your CAD deposit and income carry CAD→EUR risk across the purchase and hold — a forward through an FX broker fixes the completion rate, and a euro account handles ongoing IBI and community fees more cheaply than CAD wires.

High-value buyers should model Spain's regional wealth tax and the national 'solidarity' tax on net Spanish assets above ~€3m — relevant for prime Costa del Sol, Balearics and Madrid purchases. Below those levels it rarely bites, but it's worth checking before a large acquisition.