Home › Guides › Buying with a power of attorney: completing without flying to Spain
Buying with a power of attorney: completing without flying to Spain
You do not have to be in Spain to buy. A notarial power of attorney lets your lawyer handle the NIE, signing and registration for you.
What a power of attorney does
A notarial poder (power of attorney) authorises your lawyer to act for you on defined tasks — obtaining your NIE, opening a bank account, signing the arras and the deed, paying taxes and registering the property. It is the standard tool that lets international buyers complete remotely.
How you grant it
- In Spain, before a Spanish notary — quick if you are visiting.
- Abroad, before a local notary or at a Spanish consulate. A power signed before a foreign notary normally needs an apostille and a sworn translation to be valid in Spain.
Keep it specific
A good purchase power of attorney is tailored: it should empower exactly the steps needed for your transaction, and no more. A narrow, well-drafted power protects you — you stay in control of the decisions while your lawyer handles the mechanics. We draft it so it covers the whole purchase without granting open-ended authority.
Practical points
Both spouses buying jointly each grant their own power. You can revoke it once the purchase completes. And because the document takes a little time to legalise abroad, we usually arrange it early, so it is ready well before your completion date — wherever in the world you happen to be.
This guide is general information, not legal advice for your specific case, and tax and planning rules in Spain change frequently. For advice on a particular property, get in touch for a free consultation.
